768 Production of Sulphate of Ammonia, [dec, 



Sulphate of ammonia is chiefly obtained as a bye-product 

 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. 



1 910. 



1909. 



1908. 





tons. 



tons. 



tons. 



Gas works 



167,820 



164,276 



165,218 



Iron works 



20,139 



20,228 



18,131 



Shale works 



59,"3 



57,048 



53,628 



Coke-oven works 



92,665 



82,886 



64,227 



Producer-gas and carbonising works 









(bone and coal) 



27,850 



24,705 



24,024 



Total 



367,587 



349,143 



325,228 



These figures show an increase over the production of 1909, 

 with the exception of iron works, which remained practically 

 stationary. The supply from coke ovens shows an increase 

 of nearly 10,000 tons. In 1904 the production in coke-oven 

 works was only 20,000 tons. The total production in 1910 

 was 368,000 tons, and 284,000 tons were exported, so that the 

 balance remaining for home consumption for all purposes 

 amounted to 84,000 tons, as compared with 85,000 tons in 

 1909 and 91,000 tons in 1908. The exports of sulphate of 

 ammonia are principally to the United States, Japan, Spain, 

 Java, and Italy. 



An expansion of ammonia production is anticipated, owing 

 to the further erection of recovery plants connected with the 

 manufacture of coke and fuel gas. Recent improvements in 

 design of sulphate of ammonia plant suitable even for small 

 gasworks is likely to add to the total of sulphate of ammonia 

 production by enabling many small or inconveniently 



