1918.J The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 93 
valuable fertilizer, is readily obtained from carbide, and can be used as a 
means of supplementing the supply of nitrogenous fertilizers manufactured 
by the freezing companies. The latter are thus possessed of a great 
advantage in the marketing of cyanamide, as they are already in the 
business. Another inducement to a freezing company to take up the 
manufacture of carbide is that, once cyanamide is obtained, it has a 
source of an endless number of chemical products, for one of which—viz., 
ammonia—it has abundant use. It has also its chemical experts, engineers, 
management and selling organization, which circumstances are favourable 
for the economical production of carbide. It may be suggested that, as 
only part of the year would be devoted to carbide-making, the manufacture 
would be at a disadvantage ; but, on the other hand, a carbide-furnace 
will require at least a month for overhaul and repairs, and often needs a 
good deal longer. A number of men are given continuous employment, and 
the organization for producing, packing, and marketing already exists, so 
that it is quite possible that the freezing company may be able, although 
working only part time, to manufacture carbide at cheaper rates than a 
continuously working carbide-factory which has to carry heavy charges for 
management, chemical expert, and marketing. 
Other industries are also suitably equipped for making carbide, such as 
fertilizer-manufacturers, farmers’ co-operative societies, manufacturers of 
chemicals, and manufacturers of lime and coke—-all doing a large business 
of the same class. There is, again, the acetone-welding industry, also 
with its experts, which is a user of carbide, and which also produces 
large quantities of nitrogen in the process of obtaining oxygen from the 
atmosphere by fractional distillation. Nitrogen is an ingredient in the 
formation of cyanamide from calcium carbide, and is at present a waste 
product. Other industries undoubtedly exist which could handle carbide 
with advantage. The first essential towards the realization of this is 
a generally diffused electric-power supply throughout the country. The 
advantage of such a state of affairs is that cheap power is obtainable 
in any place where the circumstances are otherwise suitable for manu¬ 
facturing any particular commodity, whilst the promoter is relieved of 
the necessity of providing capital for a power-generating plant, often a great 
stumbling-block. 
The result of this investigation is not conclusive or favourable from the 
point of view of manufacture. So much, however, depends upon circum¬ 
stances as to render it impossible to make any definite statement one way 
or another. The object of this paper will, however, have been attained 
if the figures and data submitted are in such a form as to enable those 
interested to judge for themselves. 
The selling-price on the basis of a production of 1,000 tons per annum 
is £18 8s. 9d. per ton, and on the basis of a production of 1,500 tons 
per annum £17 Is. 8d. per ton, with a possible reduction in each case of 
£4 13s. 4d. per ton, according to circumstances. 
The result of this investigation is summarized in a number of tables as 
follows :— 
Table 1 : Declared value and imports of calcium carbide at New 
Zealand ports from 1910 to 1917 inclusive. 
Table 2 : Chemical reactions and standard of quality in raw material 
and product. 
Table 3 : Quality of raw material required per ton of carbide and 
energy consumption. 
