T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y .
696
tracted from the air by the Norwegian and Swedish plants is slowly finding its way t o the market. It is expected that, in the near future, the Norwegian saltpeter can be shipped in large quantities to the centers of consumption. Its success as a competitor with the Chile product will naturally depend upon the price. At prese n t the artificial saltpeter is selling at 8 to 9 pfennigs ( I . 9 to 2 . I cents) more per kilo ( 2 . z pounds) than Chile saltpeter, but it is thought that t h e prices will soon be equalized. In 1911 there were only 4 9 3 . 3 metric tons of soda saltpeter (natron saltpeter) imported from Norway, as against 730,939 tons received from Chile. In 1911 there were also imported 4 7 3 . 4 tons of nitrate of ammonia from Norway and 139 z tons from Sweden, and 14,494 tons of nitrate of lime (Saltpetersaures Kalk) from Norway and 1,033.6 tons from Sweden. Not only in Sweden and Norway are new plants in course of construction for extracting nitrogen from the air, but also in Upper Bavaria, in the Tyrol, in Switzerland, and in the Valley of the Rhine. The favorable business year of the German chemical industry is reflected in the increased dividends declared by many of the chemical companies, in the amount of capital invested in new companies, and in the capital used in extending existing industries. The total amount of new capital invested in the chemical industry last year was $16,226,840, compared with $6,333,180 for 1910. For last year $ I O , O I O , Z ~ O was employed for the creation of new companies and $6,2 16,560 for the extension of existing industries. The drought of last summer unfavorably affected the crops of medicinal roots, leaves, and seeds, in consequence of which the prices of these raw materials were much higher. The prices of certain bulky products used in the chemical industry were also affected, owing to the difficulty of securing water transportation. GERMAN POTASH AND SALT STATISTICS. Consular Assistant Louis G. Dreyfus, Jr., of Berlin, reports that statistics recently published by the Ministry of the Interior giving the production of potash and salt mines in Germany, show t h a t in 1910 there were 82 works, employing 27,790 persons, to whom was paid $8,869,678 in salaries and wages, Bach of these figures was a n advance over 1909, the record for that year being 78 works, 27,445 employees, and
$8,400,077 paid in salaries and wages. Below is summarized the production for these two years. Among numerous references to the German potash industry that have appeared in Consular and Trade Reports were the articles published on Sept. 18, 1909; June I j, Aug. 30, Nov. 2 j , and December 1 2 , 1910;Jan. 26, July 2 5 , and Nov. 1 1 , 1911. THE WIDE USE OF ARSENIC. The production of white arsenic in the United States in 1911 was 3,132 tons, valued a t $73,408, against '1.497 tons, valued a t $52,305, in 1910, according to a report on arsenic by Frank L. Hess, just issued by the United States Geological Survey. The arsenic was obtained as a by-product of smelting operations. This output is much the largest ever made in this country, but owing to the low price and the distance of the smelters from New York, the freight charges absorbed a large proportion of the profit. During the year 4,996 tons of white arsenic, metallic arsenic, and arsenic sulphides, valued a t $247,323, were imported. Of this amount 1.921 tons was white arsenic, with a value of $116,948. I n addition, 126,191 pounds of Paris green and London purple, valued a t $4,972, were imported. The total production and importation in 1911 of arsenic and all arsenic compounds amounted to 16,256,000 pounds. The principal uses of arsenic are in glass making, in pigments, and in insecticides. The use of Paris green (acetoarsenite of copper) in paint is somewhat limited on account of its poisonous quality. As an insecticide it is used largely by gardeners, orchardists, and farmers. If pure, it is comparatively harmless to plant life, owing to its insolubility, but the trioxide is often present in some quantity and if Paris green is then used i t is fatal to plants, especially in dry climates, where i t is not soon washed off by rains. Experiments conducted by a number of the State Agricultural experiment stations have demonstrated the value of arsenic when combined with lime as a n effective spray against insect pests. A number of arsenic salts and oxides are used medicinally, among them the bromide, iodide, trisulphide, trioxide, sodium arsenate, and potassium arsenate. Disulphide of arsenic, both natural and artificial, is used as a paint pigment; in calico printing and dyeing; in tanning; and, as i t burns with an in1910.
1909.
Potash and salts. Metric tons. Raw salts: Rock salt.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,103,562 Potash salts: Carnallite, inclusing kieserite 3,502,658 Kainite, sylvanite (sylvite) ....................... 3,570,286 B oracite. ........................................... 144 Salts t o be used in further manufacture: Carnallite, .......................................... 3,353,993 Kainite, sylvanite ................................... 926,556 Products ready for sale: Stone salt.. .................................. 1,097,491 328,386 Carnallite with 9 to 12 per cent. K20.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crude salt with 12 to 15 per cent. KzO.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,594,179 Salt with 15 to 19 per cent. K20.. 33,543 Fertilizer salts: With 20 to 22 per cent. K 2 0 . . . . . 84,585 With 30 to 32 per cent. KaO... . . . . . . . . . . 43,713 With 40 to 42 per cent. KzO 265,706 Potassium chloride: With 50 to 60 per cent. K 2 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . 266,911 107,537 With over 60 per cent. KzO.. ..................... Potassium sulphate of over 42 per cent.. KzO.. .......... 69,730 40,105 Potassium magnesium sulphate. ....................... 65,771 Magnesium sulphate. ................................ 28,983 Magnesium chloride. ................................. 4,445 Sodium bisulphite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B oracite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 11,390 Bromine, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
..
.....................
Total..
...................
..............
Sept., 1912
17,499,776
Value.
Metric tons.
Value.
$ 1,296,045
1,136,776
$ 1,344.269
7,541,709 11,508,021 5 I 587
3.729,409 4,610,152 166
7,644,105 13,862,702 6,704
7,262,482 2,87Q,156
3,569,937 1,329,523
7,382,753 3,808,893
1,312,191 734 627 8,386,873 151,088
1,112,562 402 476 2,924,709 153,297
1,346,673 $08,250 8,756,404 437,472
~
610,868 505,370 4,214.486
136,233 55 556 335,671
850,184 626,330 5,196,046
8,295,233 3,662 667 2,608,336 729,654 217,908 84 I 848 34,452 3,990 501,623
304,145 130,767 90,389 39,011 68,862 31,012 2,540 135 14,293
8,673,969 4,336,013 3,239,079 688,366 224,623 92,911 19,078 5,412 472,496
62,541,214
20,177,621
69,922,723
~
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