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DYE SYMPOSIUM Part of the symposium on “The Coal-Tar Dye Industry in the United States Prior to 1914” before the Division of Dye Chemistry a t the 65th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New Haven, Conn., April 2 to 7, 1923
Some Earlv Attempts to Establish the Aniline Industry-in United States‘ By Victor G. Bloede CARROLL STATION, BALTIMORE, MD.
Y FIRST knowledge of an attempt to establish an aniline
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plant goes way back to the early part of the sixties when I was pursuing the study of chemistry a t what was then known as the Brooklyn Institute, Brooklyn, N. Y. At that time there was a Dr. August Partz, a German chemist, who endeavored to promote a company to manufacture what was then known as “magenta” and subsequently re-christened “fuchsin.” I do not know just what became of the enterprise, but a little factory was erected on the banks of the Gowanus Creek a t Green Point, Long Island. As I remember it, Dr. Partz was connected with some German firm manufacturing aniline products, which even at that early date was trying to obtain a foothold in this country. The factory was to be operated by importing so-called “half products” from the German factorythat is, compounds of aniline with oxidizing agents and so forth, which by a simple heating or other manipulation were to be converted into colors. In those days everything connected with the manufacture of aniline dyes was held profoundly secret, and I believe Dr. Partz’s capital consisted largely in his supposed practical knowledge of the secret processes which had been intrusted to him by the German principals. I do not remember whether this company progressed to the point of actually producing colors or beyond the construction of a one-story building, but I do remember that after a short existence the enterprise was abandoned, either for lack of financial support or of success in operation. My knowledge of this plant was due to the fact that Dr. Partz, who was a friend of my father, had promised me employment in the chemical department when the plant got into operation. I remember the site and construction of this little factory very well, as I subsequently occupied it in another branch of chemical manufacture. It was a one-story frame building on the Brooklyn side of Gowanus Creek, now occupied by the large plant of the Standard Oil Company. I n 1873 I left Brooklyn to engage in the manufacture of bromine a t Pomeroy, Ohio, the center of a large salt manufacturing industry on the Ohio River. The bittern or waste liquor from the salt manufacturing operation in this section is especially rich in bromine, the largest consumers of which, outside of medicine, were the German aniline dye works, to whom a large part of the product was sold. My headquarters were at Parkersburg, W. Va., about forty miles from Pomeroy, Ohio. At Parkersburg I became connected with the firm of Oakes & Rathbone, which was operating a small sulfuric acid plant and furnished acid to the bromine distillers of the Ohio and West Virginia sections. Upon the withdrawal of Mr. Oakes from the enterprise about 1875, I took over his interest and the iirm became Bloede & Rathbone, their line of manufacture being extended to take in the production of sulfate of iron, nitrate of iron, salts of tin, stannate of soda, and 1 Presented under the title “The Activities in the Production of Aniline and Aniline Colors at Parkersburg, W. Va., around 1878.”
other products largely used in the textile industry. About that time, having secured a foothold in the dye and textile industries, the idea suggested itself that our firm might make millions by taking up the manufacture of aniline and aniline dyes, and we a t once proceeded to develop this project. All our earlier records were lost in a fire which destroyed the plant and office of the firm, and my memory may be a little hazy on the subject, but I recall that at the time we took up the production of aniline products several concerns were already operating aniline plants, my old friend Ellwood Hendrick for one and J. F. Schoellkopf, of Buffalo, for another. But in any event we were among the earlier producers of aniline products in this country. In those early days there was no domestic source of supply of purified or refined benzene, all the lighter distillates of t a r being sold in crude form under the name of “light tar oils.” Our first problem, therefore, was to manufacture the various grades of purified benzene from these light oils, which we bought from all over the United States-that is, wherever we could get them in lots of from five to fifty barrels according to the size of the various coal-tar distilleries and gas plants producing them. These light oils were very irregular and heterogeneous compositions, and, as we had no column still but only an old boiler shell (connected directly with a condensing coil) in which we mixed and re-distilled these light oils separating fractionally the distillates coming over between certain temperatures, you can imagine that the products we subsequently operated upon were not of the highest type or suitability. We soon realized the fact that without a better knowledge of the art of distilling hydrocarbons our enterprise would prove a failure, so we consulted our friend, James A. Moffett, who a t that time was operating the Camden branch of the Standard Oil Company at Parkersburg and had a wide practical knowledge of the distillation and refining of crude petroleum. Mr. Moffett was a brilliant business man, with lots of common sense, rare ability, and push, as evidenced by the fact that later he became one of the high executive officers of the Standard Oil Company with headquarters in New York, which position he occupied until his death a few years ago. Having convinced him that there were millions in the business if we could only succeed in digging them out, he agreed, not only to give us the advantage of his wide practical experience in distilling oils, but to invest some of his hard-earned money in the enterprise. We therefore made a tripartite partnership, agreeing to run the aniline and aniline dye manufacture as a separate enterprise from that of the Bloede & Rathbone Company, deciding t h a t the ambitious new enterprise should be christened the “American Aniline Works.” Not one of us, of course, had any practical knowledge of any branch of this complicated art, so we all began to read everything we could find on the subject of coal tar and its derivatives, including those wonderful German books of technology with titles something like “The Entire Art of Aniline Color Manufacturing in a Nutshell,” “Every Man His Own Aniline Color Maker,” “Simplified Manual of Producing Aniline Dyes,” etc. Our reading of this and similar literature soon convinced us that the Germans were an utterly impractical peqple, and that by bringing genius into the business we could re-invent the art and reduce it to a much simpler and more practical form; so.
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we proceeded to erect a plant in accordance with our advanced ideas. Money for such a large undertaking being decidedly short, we decided to plan our own equipment of machinery, drawing largely on the junk pile of the Standard Oil Company. For the heavy cast-iron nitrators of a capacity of perhaps 100 kilos of benzene as laid down in some of the German books, we substituted an old boiler shell holding about 1000 gallons and equipped with a center shaft carrying horizontal wroughtiron paddles. To the outside of the boiler shell we applied jets of cold spring water to regulate and control the temperature during nitration. As I had previously (in manufacturing nitrous ether) blown off the roof of a building in Brooklyn, and knew from this experience that nitric acid combined too rapidly with hydrocarbons was apt to create unpleasant conditions, I a t first demurred to this bold plan, but Moffett, free from any prejudices of previous experience, insisted that he did not propose t o carry out the German plan of “killing flies with crowbars,” but that to be successful we must work out large-scale production. The matter was compromised by erecting our boiler nitrator in a deep gulley somewhat remote from what was to be our central plant, the cock controlling the flow of acid to the nitrator being operated by a wire from a distance of several hundred feet. A thermometer was inserted through the shell of the old boiler, and it was the duty of a solitary operator from time to time to dash sufficiently close to read the scale and then immediately to sprint back to safety. I will never forget the morning the first charge was made in this huge nitrator, the operation of which I, as the chief chemist of the enterprise, was to impart to the operator as well as supervise-a job which I regarded with the utmost concern. I have often since that time admired the courage of ignorance which makes such trials possible, for this crude apparatus was the only one the American Aniline Works ever put up which functioned properly and economically, producing 7000 or 8000 pounds of nitrobenzene in a single operation. As a matter of fact, the cold spring water pouring over the top and sides of the iron shell kept the temperature of the contents easily within a range of five degrees Fahrenheit, and only once, when the flow of acid had been largely increased by an inadvertent turn of the acid supply cock, the temperature ran up to a point causing the operator and myself to make a hasty getaway. Nothing serious happened, however, and when we cautiously advanced to the apparatus several hours later we found everything all right and drew off our finished batch as usual. Our next problem was the conversion of the nitrobenzene into aniline by the action of iron filings and acid. Our converter consisted of a section of a large cast-iron water main incased in brick work and fired by coal, which was connected with a wroughtiron pipe condenser such as was then used in the distillation of petroleum. This converter was also provided with a horizontal shaft and paddle, but it never functioned properly, as for some reason or other a large part of the aniline refused to distil over and was lost in the sludge remaining in the converter. Having now conquered the art of manufacturing aniline, we busied ourselves in finding a market for our product. We had started this branch of the business with the intention-after clearing up a fortune in making and selling aniline-of erecting a plant to convert our output into the far higher priced and more profitable colors; and right here came our first disappointment, for we soori discovered that there was practically no market for aniline oil in the United States and certainly not a t prices that would enable us to compete with the German product. At that time the production of fast aniline black on cotton fabrics had not yet been developed in the United States; hence the enormous demand for aniline and aniline salt that subsequently arose did not exist and our output proved a drug on the market. Indeed, I believe the only then existing consumer
Vol. 16, No. 4
in any large quantity was Mr. Schoellkopf, who ww, therefore, in position to fix his own price and, if I remembef correctly, was our chief customer. Accordingly, we three partners held a council of war and decided that our only possible salvation lay in converting our aniline oil into colors. But how were we to accomplish this without any practical knowledge whatever of the processes, for by this time we had arrived a t the conclusion that, while possibly highly talented in many directions, we could not simply evolve these intricate processes from our inner consciousness, less yet from thevarious German “every man his own aniline color maker” type of literature. Right here a brilliant idea struck us. Somewhere in Germany or Ehgland there must be some learned though impecunious young doctor who knew something of the theory and practice of the art and for a consideration would teach us the rudiments of the business and keep us straight in operation by correspondence -just like the “correspondence schools” which have since that time arisen and make chemists and engineers of extraordinary talent and experience by means of a few weeks’ correspondence! You will note that in this, as well as most other things, we were well ahead of our time, really being pioneers in correspondence training as well as aniline manufacture. No sooner said than done. We wrote out an “ad” for insertion in an English dye journal and another involving much more painful effort for a German publication. These “ads” were worded something like this: Wanted, by one of the largest aniline works in the United States (this was strictly true at that time), a correspondent well versed in the practical art of aniline color manufacture as well as its theory, who for a liberal compensation to be mutually agreed upon wilt furnish practical directions for the manufacture of magenta, Nicholson blue, and other colors, will direct their production through correspondence, and answer such questions as may be propounded to him. Only thoroughly qualified persons who understand the business in all its details will be considered. Address with statement of experience and qualifications you possess t o fit you for the important position herein offered.-XYZ, Office of this publication.
In due course we secured several applications from England, one from a chemist who claimed to have been an assistant manager or something of the kind in the firm of Brooke, Simpson & Spiller, a firm which a t that time was second in importance only t o some of the largest German aniline color makers. This gentleman furnished us with what appeared a t first sight t o be copies of Babylonian tablets from the British Museum, consisting mainly of page upon page of figures and groups of squares and circles, which he advised us were the chemical formulas involved in the processes of manufacture. We had no reason at t h a t time t o doubt the gentleman‘s veracity, but t o us these hieroglyphics were as meaningless as the inscription on Cleopatra’s needle, and yet Jim Moffett claimed t o be, and was, “mighty good a t figures.” By the way, this chemist was, I believe, a German and not an Englishman, and as we never had any formulas or practical directions from him as t o how t o produce magenta, Nicholson blue, or any other color, and he seemed utterly incapable of understanding our questionnaire, we came to the conclusion that there must have been some reason why Brooke, Simpson & Spiller dispensed with his services. Our efforts to secure a German correspondent resulted still more disastrously. It appears that our advertisement was duly published (just once) in the German trade paper t o which we sent it, but within twenty-four hours of its appearance the proprietor of the paper was arrested, or something equally disagreeable happened t o him, on the ground that he had become a party to an effort t o surreptitiously obtain German trade secrets, charges having been laid by one of the Kaiser’s protective committees functioning under a title something like Kdnigkaiserliches Deutschesreichsindustrienschutzbureau.” What finally became of the poor publisher of the paper we never learned, but the amount we had paid in advance for the advertisement was
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confiscated, and we were warned that a life sentence in a German “Zuchthaus” awaited any member of our firm who was caught trying to enter the German domain. When Jim Moffett was informed of the outcome of our efforts, he simply remarked that America was good enough for him. Our brilliant plan having come t o naught, there was nothing left to us but t o re-invent the art of producing magenta and other colors as best we could, and we started into this proposition with renewed energy although some misgivings. To help us out in the matter we engaged a young man then working in a grocery store, who, while having no knowledge whatever a t that time of the aniline manufacture or any branch of chemistry, proved to be a genius in his way. This was Frank Shuman, who worked under me for many years and subsequently became wealthy and famous as an engineer and inventor. He is best known as the inventor of wire glass and the successful development of various new mechanical and chemical processes, the sun engine operated by the heat of the sun and practically demonstrated in Egypt some years ago being his greatest achievement. After he left us he started the manufacture of carbolic acid and other coal-tar products for the then firm of Elkins & Weidner, in Philadelphia, in which city he died some years ago. Shuman was an inveterate reader and student, and with the information we had gained started the manufacture of fuchsin for us. We produced the fuchsin by the old original method of heating aniline with arsenic acid. I suppose our entire production in the few years that we operated our plant did not exceed 150,000 pounds of aniline oil and perhaps 20,000 pounds of fuchsin, which latter we manufactured and sold in the socalled granulated as well as the purified (crystallized) form. Our attempts to manufacture the blues from the rosaniline base proved entirely abortive, and we finally gave up all attempt to manufacture colors other than fuchsin. I t is hardly necessary to add the humiliating admission that the enterprise was not a profitable one. We simply carried it along because we did not want to give it up, our faith still being strong that somewhere along the line millions could be unearthed. The end of the American Aniline Works was as dramatic, or perhaps I should say tragic, as some of its other experiences. The plant was situated on the little Kanawha River not far from its junction with the Ohio River. This little river, while a lamb most of the year, became a raging lion every once in a while during exceptionally heavy rainfalls. In one of the record floods of the river the entire plant of the American Aniline Works was swept into the Ohio River, its stock of fuchsin and some tons of “melt” and mother liquors tinting the turbulent waters a beautiful raspberry shade for many miles, much to the amazement of the natives along the river shore.
Walter E. Sanger Walter E. Sanger, of Wurster & Sanger, Chemical Engineers, Chicago, died suddenly on March 3, of bronchial pneumonia following an attack of ptomaine poisoning. Mr. Sanger was born in Detroit, Mich., December 15, 1884. He attended the Detroit public schools, and later the University of Michigan, from which he graduated in 1908. For a few years he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad and the Buick Motor Company, and in 1910 he became associated with the late William Garrigue and started on the work to which he devoted the rest of his life. This work related largely to the recovery and refining of glycerol and to soap plant work in general, including the solvent extraction of fats and oils, fatty acid distillation, and so forth. In the development of this work he was twelve years associated with William Garrigue, Procter & Gamble Company, and Swift & Company. Since 1921 he had been a member of the firm of Wurster & Sanger. Mr. Sanger was recognized as one of the highest authorities on the technology of glycerol production. His premature death is not only a shock t o his many friends throughout the country, but also a great loss to the entire fat, oil, and glycerol industries.
41 1
Record of the Coal-Tar Color Industry a t Albany’ By Ellwood Hendrick 139 EAST4 0 T ~S T , NEW YORK,N. Y
T
HE coal-tar dye industry was begun in the United States
by the late Arthur Bott. He was born in Fulda, near Cassel, Germany, in 1831. He studied a t the University of Marburg, and came to America in 1853, and engaged in the manufacture of colored paper and cardboard in Albany. During a visit to Berlin he met A. W. Hofmann, and following this association he resolved to begin the manufacture of aniline colors in America. Mi-. Bott returned to Albany in 1867, but shortly afterwards he made a third trip to Germany, this time a business one, and it appears that his purpose was to visit Professor Hofmann again. We may therefore put it down as an historical conclusion that the idea of making coal-tar color in America originated with A. W. Hofmann. The Albany Aniline & Chemical Works was incorporated April 7, 1868, for the duration of fifty years. I entered its service in May, 1881, as chemist, and became successively assistant manager, manager, and secretary until 1884, when I left it on the foreclosure of its bonds. Mr. Bott retired from the paper business in 1868, and began, either a t the end of 1868 or beginning of 1869, t o make aniline colors on Chestnut Street, Albany, as president, I believe, but a t all events as operating head of the Albany Aniline & Chemical Works. Now Chestnut Street was a respectable dwellinghouse quarter, and the neighbors complained. They complained of the smear on the sidewalks, which I suppose was magenta, but to which they objected as painting their conservative quarter red. The works were then moved to the southern part of the city, on Broadway, backing on the river. This was about 1870. I do not know who the associates of Mr. Bott were in the organization of the company, but I believe they were the same who continued in control of the company after he retired from it in 1871-that is, James Hendrick, Robert H. Pruyn, Chauncey P. Williams, and Paul Cushman. Mr. Bott returned to making cardboard and coated paper on Central Avenue, Albany, until his death in 1894. He made fuchsin and several other colors, but I do not know what these were except that I think I can recall a few old tins labeled Nicholson blue, a few of Hofmann’s violet, and a green of some sort which I do not remember, in the Broadway laboratory. The venture does not appear to have been successful at the start, except in regard to magenta. At all events, about 1871, on Mr. Bott’s retirement, my father, James Hendrick, became president, and owners were, respectively, James Hendrick, Robert H. Pruyn, Chauncey P. Williams, Paul Cushman, and Friedrich Bayer & Company, of Barmen, Germany. It is my impression that my father succeeded in inducing Bayer & Company through their New York representative, Carl Rumpff, of Rumpff & I,utz, t o take over the Bott interest. I am not sure of this. It was then resolved to restrict the product to fuchsin, and to make this the brother of the foreman of the fuchsin plant of the Bayer company, Hermann Preiss, was trained in the factory and finally sent over. He succeeded in making a good product from charges of aniline and arsenic acid, which was shipped by Bayer & Company in barrels. Sometimes they would ship aniline and arsenic acid separately, but usually it came as the 1 Presented in part under the title “Recollections of the Coal-Tar Color Industry from 1881 to 1884, with Notes on Its Beginnings in this Country.”
