640
JOURNAL on CHEMICAL EDUCATION
AucusT, I925
THE USE OF CHARTS AND GRAPHS IN SHOWING THE GROWTH OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES* Lours W. MATTERN. MCKINLEYTECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL, WASHINGTON, D. C. Professor Charles E. Munroe, Expert Agent in charge of Chemicals and Allied Products a t the U. S. Censuses 1900-1905-1910 had several charts prepared which he used in such an instrnctive manner during the course of an address' as to inspire the suggestion that the large body of the statistics of all censuses under the same heading could be used in producing a system of charts and graphs useful to teachers, students and manufacturers. Data on some of the leading chemical industries have been selected for use in this article. A tribute of general appreciation is due this Nestor of chemistry for the important part he played during the above censuses in helping to bring about a more comprehensive classification of statistics bearing on Chemical and Allied I n d u ~ t r i e s . ~ . ~ . ~ The author is especially indebted to Mr. William W. Stewart, Director of the United States Bureau of Census for the courtesy of conferring, in an unusually satisfactory manner, in the correlation of statistics and in the preparation of charts and graphs used in this article. A study of the number and location of Chemical Industries on a map of the United States in connection with our nation-wide need of their prodnctions and of our resources for supplying the raw materials for these industries will bring to the student's mind the important broadening effect of the significance of chemistry in our national life. The visualization of the growth of chemical industries by the use oygraphs brings quickly and forcibly to the student's mind the vastness of their productions and affords a basis for interesting discussions about the important factors of these momentous industries. Views of such maps and graphs introduced a t the proper places in a chemical course would help to create a greater interest in the subject a t hand and in the often seemingly dry topics-atoms, molecules, ions and laws governing their transformations--by causing the student to realize that these topics are exceedingly important, not as terrninals a t examination times, but as thoroughfares to great industries. What student would not be thrilled with a determination to acquire, promote, and utilize chemical knowledge when he sees the vast fruitage of such information in the fields of our economic life, which in turn enriches all other departments of human existence? * Presented before the Division of Chemical Education. American Chemical So:iety, at Baltimore, April 8, 1925. "Importance of Teaching Chemistry," Tms JO~RNAL, January, 1925. 2 Census Bulletin No. 210, 1902. 12th Census 01 the U. S. Tensus.Manufacturers; 1905 Chemical and Allied Products. Bulletin 92, p. 9. "The Chemical Industries of America." Transactions of the American Institufc ~f Chemkal Engineers, Vol. 11, 1909.
VOL 2, NO. 8
GROWTH OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
643
The statements accompanying these views5 are only suggestive and wider interpretations of their significance may be made before classes, depending on the time a t hand, knowledge of chemical processes, conditions, uses for products, and resources of materials. The author is indebted to Professor Munroe for the use of Figures 1 and 2 which he had prepared through the courtesy of the Bureau of Census. Notwithstanding the importance of the three typical industries whose locations are shown thereon, it appears that in Fig. 1 for 1901, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming did not have any of these industries. There were 28 of these industries west of the Mississippi
River and 312 east of it. These states, plus Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Washington and West Virginia did not have a single sulfuric acid manufacturing establishment. Of the 149 sulfuric acid plants in the United States, Georgia with its 13 had as many as the entire area west of the Mississippi River. From Fig. 2 it is noted that after a decade the great West with latent resources, did not increase its number of sulfuric acid establishments. East of the Mississippi River there was a gain of 45, principally in the South and in New Jersey. 'Lantern slidcs of any view in this article suitable for use in class-rooms may be obtained through the author. To Mr. J. Harper Snapp of the Geophysical Laboratory, the author is mdebted for photographs of all the cuts.
JOURNAL oo* CHEMICAL EDUCATION
644
Aucus~,1925
Figure 3. In 1923 it appears that there were 30 sulfuric acid manufacturing establishments west of and 162 east of the Mississippi River which is a decrease of 2 in the East and an increase of 17 in the West over 1014. The new phosphatic deposits in Montana, the probable need of more phosphates, the manufacture of explosives, and oil refining, sulfide ores-all will likely give rise to more sulfuric acid establishments in the West. An insert shows the number of establishments manufacturing sulfuric acid for each census back to that of 1869. Figure 4. The chemical commodity which in one way or other is a factor in most, if not all, of the chemical industries, is sulfuric acid; hence WMPILED BY U.S. WEPT. .""S."
.c
OF
WMMERCE
we
PRODUCTION I N THE UNITED STATES
1879 188s 1899 1904 1909 1914 1919 1921 1923 NUMBERS I N EARS REPRESENT PRODUCTION OF MILLIONS. OF TONS
*
NUMBERS ON TOP. O F BARS REPRESENT NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS NO DATA
Fm. 4.
its production can be taken as an index of the growth of such industries as a whole. The production here represented includes not only that made tor sale but also that made and consumed in the same establishment in the manufacture of the products of the various industries designated as fertilizers, explosives, petroleum refining, etc., and hence can be taken as an index of the growth of chemical industries but not necessarily for the industries separately. Index Numbers. The total tonnage of sulfuric acid taken in connection with the number of wage earners employed in all industries within the group constitutes the basic data. Thus in 1899 all industries within this major
VOL.2, No. 8
GROWTHOB CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
645
group employed 196,338 wage earners, and the total production of sulfuric acid was 1,548,123 tons. In 1923 the aggregate number of wage earners for all industries within the group was 384,493 and the total production of sulfuric acid had increased to 6,672,628 tons. Dividing the sulfuric acid tonnage by the number of wage earners for the successive census years, the following averages per wage earner resulted-1899, 7.9 tons; 1904, 8.2 tons; 1909, 10.3 tons; 1914, 13.6 tons; 1919, 13 tons; 1921, 13.3 tons; and 1923, 17.4 tons. The index numbers are deduced from these averages, taking 1923 as 100, ranging as follows-1923, 100; 1921, 76; 1919, 75; 1914, 78; 1909, COMPlLED
BI THE U 8 DEPT OF COMMERCE .""mu wr CE"**
6.000
1.000
SULPHURIC. NITRIC AND MIXED ACID PRODUCTION IN THE
UNITED 8ThTE6
1899
1904
I909
1914
1919 1921 1923
NUMBER8 IN BARS REPRESENT PRODUET10M I N MILLIONS OF TONS NUMBER8 ON TOP OF REPRESENT NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS
*
NO OAT*
FIG.5.
59; 1904, 47; 1899, 45-that is the productivity per wage earner in 1923 (based upon sulfuric acid production as the yard stick) is taken as 100 per cent and the relative percentages for the preceding census years are 76, 75, 78, 59,47 and 45. In this and succeeding views, the number of establishments a t the top of a bar divided into the production shown by the number in the bar will give the production per average establishment a t each census. Aside from the depression following the war, i t thus appears that the 1923 census showed 2.94 times greater average production per establishment than the 1899 census. The index number line shows a large advance in the average amount produced by each wage earner. Both these factors would seem to indicate larger establishments or improvements in processes.
Figure 5. In this and succeeding views, the number of wage earners is plotted against the left-hand ordinate and the average production per wage earner against the right-hand ordinate. The production for the average'establishment a t the 1023 census was
1
FERTILIZER PRODUCTION I N THE UNITED STATES
1899
1901
1909
1914
1 9 9 1921 1923
COMPILED B Y U S . DEFT. OF COMMERCE
1
n"mr""
6.0001
."*
06"S*
I
VARNISH PRODUCTION IN THE
A V E R M E NUMBER O F GALLONS PER WOCE EARNER
.
NUMBERS
IN iiii-S
F1EPRESENT PRODUCTION
IN
r
M i L l O N S O r GALLONS
NUMBERS
Fro. 8. 3.82 times as great as that of 1809. The average increase in production for the wage earner a t the same censuses was 4.3 times. Figure 6. Production per average estab!ishment a t the 1923 was 2.0
IN THE
times that of 1889. The average increase per production for the wage earner a t the same censuses was 4.1 times. Figure 7 . Census 1923 increase in output for average establishment was 6.71 times that of 1879. Census 19.23 increase in output for average wage earner was 10 times that of 1879. *
CDMPlLED BY
U S DEPT OF COMMERCE
."*'."
o,."6
80.000,
0s.u.
10.000
PETROLEUM PRODUCTION
NUMBERS I N BARS REPRESENT P P O D Y C T O N I N H U N D I I E D S O F M L L O n i O i A R l l E L S NUMBERS ON-TOP OF B I B S PEPRESENT NUMBEROF ESTiieLlSHMENTS
Figure 8. Census 1923 increase in output for average establishment was 3.57 times that of 1889. Census 1923 increase in output for average wage earner was 5.5 times that of 1889. Figure 9. Census 1923 increase in o u t p a for average establishment
*' CoMPlLED BY U S O E P T . OF COMMERCE
COKE PRODUCTION IN THE
UNITED STATES
24.000 -
1879
1899
1901
NUMBEBS IN
1408
1914
1919 1921 1921
B A P S REPRESENT PPOOUCTlON I N M l L L O N S O F TONS NUMBERS ON TOP OF BAmS REPRESENT NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS
FIG.13.
luaruqsgqqsa a2e1a~e103 p d p o u! aseanu! FZGI snsuaa '11 amqz,! ' ~ 0 30 ~ l1e g s a u q ~ ' SVM 1 ~anreaa2e.u a%1a~V103 mdlno u! asValJu! EZ61 snsua3 '$061 JO $em Sam? LL'Z SVM luauIqs!1qqsa a;Yennv 103 ~ n d ~ nu!o aseamu! ~ ~ snsua3 6 1 '01 '6681 30 $Vql Sam?$Q'ZSVM laU1Va ~ % V M m d p o u! asvanu! ~ ~ snsuaa 6 1 'GGS~30 $zql s a u q 80.1 s e a a8enn.e
.IOJ
VOL. 2. NO. 8
GROWTHoa CAEMICAL INDUSTRIES
651
was 1.26 times that of 1889. Census 1923 increase in output for average wage earner was 2.6 times that of 1889. Figure 12. The importance of this basic material led t o the preparation of this chart. Census 1923 increase in output for average establishment was 13.44 times that of 1879. Census 1923 increase in output for average wage earner was 34.2 times that of 1879. Figure 13. Census 1923 increase in output for average establishment was 8.90 times that of 1879. Census 1923 increase in output for average wage earner was 21.1 times that of 1879. Figure 14. Census 1923 increase in output for average establishment was 166.1 times that of 1849. Census 1923 increase in output for average wage earner was 48.9 times that of 1849. Figure 15. From left t o right there may be noted for each census from 1899 to 1923 a comparison between the average value of products per wage earner in all chemical and allied industries and all other industries. The inflation value is so represented as to make this comparison continuous. Thus, there is revealed to the student by this comparison the enormous importance of chemistry in industry from a financial viewpoint and the gradual increase of that importance a t each succeeding census. Don't Drink Methanol1 It's Poisonous.-Methanol, the synthetic alcohol which is now being made cheaply in Germany, is just as poisonous as the similar wood or methyl alcohol. despite claims that the foreign prpduct, because of its high purity, is harmless. This statement is made by Dr. Reid Hunt, of the Hanrard Medical School. in "Industrial and Engineering Chemistry," following a &ries of experiments. "The results with the German (synthetic) methanol were the same as those obtained with pure methyl alcohol obtained from wood distillates," says Dr. Hunt. "It can confidently be predicted that the use of the synthetic methanol as a beverage or as an adulterant will be followed by the same disastrous effects to life and vision as have characterized such uses of wood alcobol. Those who are circulating the report that the synthetic methanol is not poisonous are not only stating an untruth but are assuming a grave responsibility, for death or blindness will inevitably be the fate of a number of those who may be misled by such statements and attempt t o use synthetic methanol as a beverage." As a result of his experiments on animals, Dr. Hunt finds that small doses of either methanol or ordinary wood alcohol are not as poisonous as the same amount of ethyl, or grain alcohol; but when the doses are repeated a few times a t 24 hour intervals, the methanol has the most harmful effect. This is because the animal develops a tolerance t o t h e ethyl alcohol. Methanol, however, works differently, as it has a cumulative action, a number of small doses having the same effect as a similar amount given a t once. Man, however, is sensitive to both, and, according to Dr. Hunt, a small dose of methyl alcohol is more harmful than a similar dose of ethyl alcohol. "The more highly developed nervous system of man is more seriously affected by methyl alcohol than is that of the lower animals and permanent blindness has often been reported from single, sometimes small, doses of methyl alcohol, whereas such results are unknown in the case of ethyl alcohol."-Science Sewice.
