424  The  Chemical  Industry  of  Germany.  {AmseJP™?^ 
A  not  inconsiderable  part  in  the  increase  of  the  Stassfurt  and  Leopold  Hall 
industry  is  taken  by  the  utilization  of  the  potash  salts  as  manures. 
About  30  per  cent,  of  the  total  production  of  the  Stassfurt  industry  is  consumed 
at  home,  while  about  70  per  cent,  is  exported  especially  to  England,  France,  Bel- 
gium, and  the  United  States,  etc., —  a  striking  proof  of  the  importance  of  this 
branch  of  industry  for  foreign  countries. 
While  not  twenty  years  ago  the  entire  amount  of  potashes  coming  into  com- 
merce was  made  from  the  ashes  of  plants  containing  potash, — whole  forests  falling 
martyrs  to  this  mode  of  production, — we  are  now  indebted  to  the  disclosure  of  the 
Stassfurt  potash  industry  for  a  new  and  advantageous  process  of  manufacturing  the 
potassium  carbonate,  so  necessary  in  many  branches  of  industry.  This  process,  as 
already  mentioned,  seems  qualified  to  place  all  other  methods  in  the  back-ground, 
and  the  more  so,  as  the  potashes  won  from  potassium  sulphate,  and  containing  92  per 
cent,  of  pure  salt,  are  by  far  purer  than  all  other  potashes  which  come  in  the  market. 
Of  the  105,600,000  lbs.  total  produce,  55,000,000  lbs.  are  made  from  potassium 
sulphate. 
A  considerable  part  of  the  hydrochloric  acid  appearing  as  by-product  in  the 
Leblanc's  soda  process  is  used  in  the  preparation  of  chlorine,  which,  as  chloride  of 
lime,  is  brought  to  a  solid  form,  or  is  utilized  in  the  manufacturing  of  potassium 
chlorate.  While  the  home  production  of  chloride  of  lime  has  not  become  equal  to* 
the  English,  and  considerable  amounts  are  yet  imported,  the  manufacture  of  chlorate 
of  potash  is  of  equal  birth  and  is  not  only  able  to  compete  with  the  English  pro- 
duct, but  has,  far  more,  as  well  as  superseded  it. 
The  utilization  of  the  manganese  lyes  naturally  plays  an  extraordinarily  important 
role  in  the  profitableness  of  the  chlorine  products,  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that 
Germany  is  somewhat  behind  other  countries  in  that  respect.  The  Weldon-method 
used  for  this  purpose  (precipitation  of  neutralized  manganese-lyes  by  lime,  and 
oxidation  of  the  obtained  pap  by  pressing  air  through  it),  is^very  generally  extended 
in  England,  while  in  Germany  but  few  manufacturers  have  adopted  it.  In  a  similar 
manner,  although  from  another  point  of  view,  the  Deacon  process,  dispensing- 
entirely  with  the  use  of  manganite  and  depending  chiefly  on  the  decomposition  of 
copper  oxychloride  at  a  high  temperature  by  leading  steam,  air  kand  hydrochloric 
acid  over  it,  has,  as  yet,  found  no  important  introduction  into  Germany. 
The  bromine  production  at  Stassfurt  has  suffered  a  sensible  injury  by  the  large 
importation  of  American  bromine  into  Germany,  and  can  only  with  difficulty  be 
restored  to  its  former  importance. 
The  chief  source  of  the  ammonia  production,  which  is  worked  up  as  aqueous 
solution  as  well  as  sulphate,  carbonate  and  chloride,  is  the  ammoniacal^water  of  the 
gas-works.  The  sulphate  has  already  procured  itself  an  introduction  as  a  manure, 
while  a  greater  demand  for  caustic  ammonia  and  the  carbonate,  occasioned  by  the 
influence  of  many  new  branches  of  industry,  as  for  example,  the^Carre  ammonia- 
soda  method  of  manufacturing  ice,  is  to  be  predicted. 
While  formerly  only  the  native  sulphur  formed  the  raw  material  for  the  production 
of  sulphuric  acid,  to  be  later  superseded  by  pyrites,  we  see  to-day  a  whole  series  of 
other  materials  being  utilized  in  the  manufacture  of  sulphuric  acid.  The  great 
majority  of  the  larger  metallurgical  works,  yielding  to  the  force  of  circumstances 
