258 



A HISTORY OF THE SODA MANUFACTURE. 



The other charges consist of interest on capital, wages, repairs, 

 packages, freight, &e. I may remark that, at the present moment, 

 the soda trade is suffering from great depression of demand and price, 

 consequent upon the unfortunate war in the formerly United States. 



It will he seen from this table, that two-fifths -of the total cost for 

 raw materials is incurred for pyrites, from which to procure- a supply of 

 sulphur ; and it is a well-known fact, that more than nine-tenths of this 

 sulphur is retained in the material called " Alkali Waste," which is 

 thrown away by the manufacturer. Thus is presented a problem which, 

 if it can be solved, would effect a large reduction in the cost- of soda. 

 Many chemists, both scientific and practical, have given a great amount 

 of attention to this subject. I have been s& unfortunate as to be among 

 the number, as I have devoted a great portion of my time, during a 

 quarter of a century, and a large amount of bath money and labour, to 

 this hitherto delusive subject. 



I commenced by demonstrating, m 1838, that one equivalent of car- 

 bonic acid would decompose an equivalent of sulphide of calcium, pro- 

 ducing mono-carbonate of lime and sulphide of hydrogen in a state of 

 gas. This decomposition was contrary to the received views of scienti- 

 fic chemists of that day, as it was held that an excess of carbonic acid 

 was needful to effect the perfect decomposition of sulphides. 



Chronology of the Soda Trade. 



Period. 



Raw Materials and Prices. 



Quantity 



Manufactured. 



Priees. 



1790 



Barilla and Kelp 



Not known. 



Not known, 



1792 



Le Blanc's process invented 









and applied in France . . . 



ft 



n 



1814 



Crystals of soda made from 





Soda Crystals 





bleacher's residua and by 





60L per ton. 





Mr. Losh from brine 



M 





1823 



Mr. Muspratt's works com- 

 menced—using 



Probably 100 



Soda Crystals 



& 



tons per week 



\8l. per ton. 



1824 



Common salt at 15s. per ton. 



of crystals and 



Soda-ash 24?. 





Sulphur at ... 81. „ 



soda-ash. 



per ton. 





Lime at 15s. „ 









Coal at 8s. „ 







1861 



50 works in operation in 



5,000 tons per 



Soda Crystals 





Great Britain using Le 



week. 



41. 10s. per ton. 





Blanc's process. 





Soda-ash 81. 





Raw materials in Lancashire 





per ton. 





costing — 









Common salt 8s per ton 









Sulphur from pyrites, 5Z. „ 









Limestone 6s. 8d. „ 









Fuel 6s. „ 







1861— Annual value of produce, two millions sterling. Number of 

 workmen employed in the manufactories, 10,000, exclusive 

 of those engaged in mining for pyrites, limestone, and coal ; 

 also those employed in navigation and other means of transport. 



