Fertilizer** in
1Q4S-49
World Nitrogen Shortage Continues F. S.
LODGE,
National Fertilizer Association, Washington, D. C.
Basic t o t h e rebuilding of working economies i n ravaged areas of t h e world is the furnishing of plant foods. Nitrogen plants i n t h i s country therefore c o n t i n u e at full capacity . A L T H O U G H the world fertilizer situation is reported to be gradually improving there is still a world shortage, particularly as to nitrogen. Most of the European and Asiatic areas of production have been steadily increasing their outputs and are becoming more nearly self-supporting. T h e areas of occupation by United States forces are as y e t not self-sufficient in production of nitrogen and available phosphoric acid. The Army is still faced with the necessity of trying to establish a better economy in such areas by furnishing a t least a part of the needed plant foods. T o accomplish this, it is expected that superphosphate and phosphate rock of commercial production will continue t o be purchased in this country and exported, and that the ordnance-built nitrogen fixation plants at Morgantown, W\ Va. f West Henderson, Ky., and Etter, Tex., will continue in full operation and their output of anhyirous ammonia (with the exception of t h a t : pecifically allocated by Congress for other use) will be made into solid nitrogen compounds for shipment abroad to occupied territories. The 80th Congress prescribed that one half of the nitrogen exported from this country under the allocations of the International Fmergency Food Council must be furnished from the army production and that an additional 1 0 % of the army production must be retained for use in this country with preference in the distribution of this fraction given to manufacturers of sulfate of a m monia whose production, because of lack of anhydrous ammonia, would otherwise be curtailed or discontinued. The nitrogen allocated by the International Emergency Food Council for export in 194849 amounts to 61,000 tons (N), of which 30,500 tons will be furnished by the Army. I n addition, it is estimated the 10% of production set aside by law for domestic consumption will amount to 28,000 tons ( N ) . This makes a total of 58,500 tons ( N ) to be furnished by the Army, which, in effect, increases the nitrogen for over-all domestic consumption by that amount.
Domestic
consumed in the continental United States and approximately 350,000 tons add : tional in the territories. These figures do not include a million or more tons of raw phosphate rock, gypsum, and similar materials that are used as such on soils, nor do they include any liming materials. It is believed that more than 16 million tons of fertilizers and fertilizer materials will be used in the continental United States in 1948-49 and perhaps 400,000 tons in the territories offshore. T o meet such a consumption, raw material supplies seem to shape up as follows.
Nitrogen A recent report from the Production and Marketing Administration of t h e United States Department of Agriculture states that a careful survey of all available data, which include production statistics direct from most of the prime producers of nitrogen, indicates a total of 888,000 tons of nitrogen in ail forms was available for American agriculture in 1947-48. This is composed of 745,000 tons of commercial production, 3,000 tons of army production, 205,000 tons of imports less 65,000 tons of exports, leaving a net figure for domestic use of 888,000 tons (N ). This is
considerably in excess of the 816,000 tons originally announced as the estimated probable consumption last year. For the present year, this same agency estimates there will be a total nitrogen supply of 955,000 tons, or approximately 7 % more trmr last year. Most of this estimated increase of 67,000 tons ( N ) results from the army production earmarked for domestic consumption and from the release of nitrogen for domestic use through the Army's export shipments under the International Emergency Food Council allotments. There will apparently be slightly more nitrogen of commercial production in solid forms than last year and slightly less in the liquid forms. Imports from Chile will be a little more and those from Canada somewhat less than last year, or a net loss of 3,000 tons ( N ) from outside the country. I t is to be hoped that all these imports will be received in time to be of use in the 1949 spring season. It had been originally planned by the Department of Commerce, which is in charge of the I E F C export program, t o have exports in the first six months of 1949 at a minimum so as to cause a minimum of interference with the domestic program. Owing to unforeseen circumstances certain such tonnages originally assigned for shipment before Dec. 31, 1948, will be carried over into the next year, interfering to that exent with our shipments at home. Reports have been circulated as to sev-
Control panels for the main high pressure gas compressors in the ammonia compressor section at the Spencer Chemical Co.
Situation
In the calendar year 1947, a little over 15 million tons of fertilizer and fertilizer materials containing one or more of the plant foods, nitrogen, available phosphoric acid, and available potash, were
22
CHEMICAL
AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
era! new projects proposed for new nitrogen fixation plants, b u t there seems no possibility t h a t a n y of them will come into production in 1948-49 Several existing commercial a m m o n i a plants have increased their capacity or are in t h e process thereof. T h e Army-controlled plant at E t t e r , Tex., operated now by the Phillips Chemical Co., a subsidiary of t h e Phillips Petroleum Co., is in process of installing an additional unit which will increase capacity by 60,000 tons ( N ) a year. The Army has an option on the entire production from this plant for several more years. T h e Army is installing at San Jacinto Ordnance Works near Houston, Tex., two fixation units formerly in the Missouri Ordnance plant a t Louisiana, Mo. T h e o u t p u t of this plant is expected likewise to go to occupied areas abroad. T h e increased production in certain of the commercial plants may not all go into agricultural channels. There is an increasing demand for anhydrous ammonia and its compounds for industrial use in t h e production of plastics and synthetic fibers and for refrigeration. There is an ever-growing demand -also for methanol, which can be produced with the same equipment t h a t is used for anhydrous. Several new plants for the production of urea have been rumored. Such plants would use a n h y d r o u s ammonia as tiieir base material. Some of the urea produced would no d o u b t go into fertilizers, but animal feeds a n d plastics likewise are calling for urea. Distribution of Not Uniform
Increase
Although estimates indicate t h a t the total agricultural nitrogen available will be some 7 % more t h a n last year, they are based on almost perfect uninterrupted
T
Nitrogen (N ) Available phosphoric acid (P2O&) Potash (K2O)
Textile
Chemical
operation of all plants. Labor or transportation difficulties or major breakdowns in any of the large producing p l a n t s could alter t h e situation overnight. I t m u s t also be pointed out t h a t this over-all increase will, in all probability, not be evenly distributed into all consuming areas. I t now seems quite certain that some heavily consuming areas, particularly the southeastern states and New Knglanri, will receive notably less nitrogen t h a n last year. T h e distribution pattern will be different because of geographic and economic factors which constantly change. Phosphoric
Acid
A number of new plants for t h e production of normal superphosphate have been p u t into operation during the past year and at least four plants for the production of concentrated superphosphates are under construction or just completed. Projects are also under way for producing ammonium phosphate. Several of these normal plants, two of the concentrated plants, and one ammonium phosphate plant are in the newly expanding fertilizer-using territory in the West. Last year production of superphosphate's for home use of all grades reached a total equivalent of 2 million tons (P 2 0 5 ). Production for 1948-49 is estimated at a somewhat higher figure. Since exports a n d imports are expected to remain about the same, it would seem t h a t some 100,000 t o n s additional (P20&) would be available for domestic use in the form of superphosphate. Production of normal superphosphate in a number of plants has been materially curtailed because of the delay in t h e delivery of ammonia solutions which are necessary in order that the superphosphate may be utilized to absorb these solutions and in turn be moved from bulk storage. Even
Consumption, 1947-48, Short Tons 888.000 2,000,000 920,000
Estimated Supplies. 1948-49, Short Tons 955,000 2,100,000 1,020,000
and Fiber Developments
Increase,
%
7.5 5.0 11.0
with t h i s record production, the capacity of existing superphosphate plants is not y e t nearly r e a c h e d . Unless t h e soil conservation program, of the U S D A is materially increased, there would seem to be enough superphosphate to m e e t all needs. Potash No n e w domestic sources of potash h a v e come i n t o production this year, b u t nearly every o n e of* the existing operations has expanded somewhat. T h e result is t h a t a n all-time peak of potash is in sight. Consumption of potash in the United States i n 1SM7-48 (continental and offshore) a m o u n t e d to 920,000 tons ( K 2 0 ) . Production f o r 1948—49 is expected to exceed l a s t year's by 105,000 tons (K2O), b u t exports a r e to be 5,000 tons higher leaving a net increase for use in this count r y of. 100,000 tons, making a total of 1,020,000 t o n s (lv 2 0). I t is expected t h a t irntports will remain about the same a t 25,000 t o n s (K 2 0). Most of this import t o n n a g e will come from France. Such excess a s Spain may have for export will p r o b a b l y remain in Europe. Frequent r u m o r s are heard concerning offerings of potash from the Russianoccupied a r e a of G e r m a n y . So far, it would seem t h a t the prices asked and the transportation difficulties involved would preclude any probability of its being used here in a n y quantity. The s u p p l y picture as it now shapes u p seems t o be a b o u t a s set forth in the table below w h e r e i n the estimates for 1948-49 supplies are compared with 1947—48 consumption figures. It m u s t be remembered, however, t h a t these a p p a r e n t increases are over-all figures a n d tfiey do not mean t h a t every consumer c a n expect to get more plant food t h a n Last year. Also, labor and transportation difficulties might seriously curtail production a s to any of the commodities. T hese estimates are made with no anticipation of adverse conditions of production. May t h e y be fulfilled and even exceeded!
in MOtU \
Textile Research Pays Dividends ROBERT
E.
WRIGHT AND MILTON HARRIS,
IIarris Research Laboratories, Washington, D. C.
Much fundamental research i n textiles, carried on for years previous, has come to fruition in 1948. Also typical of t h e year's accomplishments arc alterations in the actual c o n struction of fabrics to fit t h e m for protective finishes J . H E trend in textile developments during 1948, as in recent preceding years, gives evidence t h a t textile research is emerging from t h e " i n v e n t o r ' s " stage, with its
VOLUME
2 7,
NO.
relatively slow one-man attack on a problem, to the era of the research team, in which a b a t t e r y of skills is brought to bear on a project a n d t h e intensity of effort is
1 » » .JANUARY
3, 1 9 4 9
greatly increased. I t is this shift in a p proach which, is primarily responsible for t h e major gains in textile products a n d processes over the past few years a n d which promises early solutions to some of t h e i n d u s t r y ' s most important problems. In a d d i t i o n to t h e numerous research activities by private companies in the textile a n d textile chemical fields, a substantial amount of work is being under-
S3
