746 



Production of Sulphate of Ammonia, [dec, 



from coal. When this is treated for the production of coal- 

 gas or for the manufacture of coke used in iron smelting, an 

 "ammoniacal liquor" results, which forms the raw material 

 for the manufacture of ammonium salts. The distillation 

 of the bituminous shales used in the Scotch paraffin industry 

 also yields a certain amount, and the ammonia produced in 

 other manufactures in which coal and similar substances are 

 used, in iron works, from producer gas plants, and from 

 carbonising works, is also collected. The quantity of sul- 

 phate of ammonia produced in the United Kingdom is shown 

 in the following table : — 



Source. 



1909. 



.1908. 



1907. 





tons. 



tons. 



tons. 



Gas works 



164,276 



165,218 



165,474 



Iron works 



20,228 



18,131 



21,024 



Shale works 



57,048 



53,628 



51,333 



Coke-oven works 



82,886 



64,227 



53,572 



Producer-gas and carbonising works 









j (bone and coal) 



24,705 



24,024 



21,873 



Total 



349,H3 



325,228 



3 I 3,28i 



About one-third of this quantity is produced in Scotland. 

 The supply from gas works does not vary much, but all 

 other sources show an increase, that from coke ovens, over 

 18,000 tons, being very marked. In 1904 the production in 

 coke-oven works was only 20,000 tons. The total produc- 

 tion in 1909 was 349,000 tons, and 264,000 tons were exported, 

 so that the balance remaining for home consumption for all 

 purposes amounted to 85,000 tons, as compared with 91,000 

 tons in 1908. 



In the table below are shown the imports of the materials 

 used in the trade, the principal being mineral phosphates. 

 A proportion of the nitrate of soda imported is used in the 

 manufacture of sulphuric and nitric acid. 





1909. 



1908. 



1907. 





tons. 



tons. 



tons. 



Guano ... ... ... 



20,321 



34,417 



31,278 



Mineral phosphates ... 



451, S07 



529,135 



504,671 



Nitrate of soda 



90,207 



145,724 



113,894 



