Senior Scientist Predicts New Fertiliser Industry

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28872, 17 April 1959, Page 8

Senior Scientist Predicts New Fertiliser Industry

Possibilities for several new products in New Zealand, including fertilisers and a material used in the plastics industry, were discussed by Dr. V. Armstrong, liaison officer for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in London. Dr Armstrong is in Christchurch on two month’s leave after five years in London. He said that considerable research was needed into the feasibility of such projects. Dr. Armstrong thought there were prospects ahead in New Zealand for the production of nitrogenous fertilisers from coal. Pastures in New Zealand were based on a clover grass economy and had a higher carrying capacity than any others in the world, he said.

“To replace the use of clover which acts as a fixer of nitrogen would not be conceivable. However, in certain areas and on certain soils it might be possible to replace clover by chemical nitrogen.” he said.

This would involve a considerable amount of investigation, but if successful could lead to the establishment of an alternative fertiliser industry based on coal, he said.

Use in Plastics By this process it would be possible to produce among other possibilities, urea, which had a use in the plastics industry and which could well become an export. While in Holland recently he had had discussions with Dutch scientists and engineers who had investigated a process for the production of potash from seawater, Dr. Armstrong said Although the economics of the process were adverse for Holland, it could well be that further work in New Zealand would indicate that the process was an economic one in this country, he said. The use of potash fertilisers in New Zealand was increasing and the time might be reached when a plant could be designed which would provide the country’s needs at an economic price. He did not over-rule the possibility of advantage being taken of the concentration of salt water at Grassmere but again said that further research was required. During his stay overseas Dr. Armstrong kept close watch on

developments in atomic research. He felt that no radiation problem would be present with the siting of a research reactor in New Zealand.

“The general tendency might be to think that such a reactor should be sited in somewhat isolated or remote areas but in fact by suitable shielding such equipment could be made perfectly safe for installation within town areas,” he said.

In many areas in the United States reactors were sited adjacent to urban populations and no difficulties had been encountered. Apart from the use of somewhat different control equipment and fuel, the operation of an atomic power plant, such as Calder Hall, had impressed him as almost as conventional to operate as a normal coal-fired station, Dr. Armstrong said.