BRICKS FROM ASHES

Evening Star, Issue 18919, 18 April 1925, Page 18

BRICKS FROM ASHES

Lecturing at tho Huddersfield Technical ('uliego on coal economy, Mr W. 11. Casni"V,’of llnliWorth and Sous, Ltd., Bradford, said that it was a. surprising fact thai, although coal was discovered 1,24-0 years ago, they were now considering how to burn it economically—namely, without making smoke. Britain produced ovor 12,000,000 tons of furnace clinker and ashes yearly, and science hud shown that by roughly grinding those am! mixing with them a given weight of lime and water a mixture was found from which splendid bricks could bo produced. The brick.-; were piled ou small lorries, 400 on each, and then run into a circular steel chamber, called an auloclavi, 60ft long by lift Cin in diameter. 'When the chamber was lull the end was screwed on and made sl-eam-jiglil. Itleam at 1201 b pressure was then turned on, and tho bricks were kept under this pressure for about six hours, and when conkul thoy were ready for use. Fancy fi.OUO million bricks made per year from clinker and ashes! The soot from chimneys, when freed from smoko and dust, was a most valuable fond for all vegetation, including fruit trees and root crops. There was material for building house„ and fond for the community from clinker and smoke. Tu future all coal would be treated chemically before using it for power purposes, ibus bringing it on to (tie same basis as iron, stone, rollon, wool, or other raw mate, rial, and we should then find we could .secure from one ion of coal 14e.wt of smokoloss' fuel, 6 gallons of motor spirit, 17 gallons of oil, 151 b of sulphate of ammonia, and b.OCO cubic feet of rich gas, the total value being twice that nf the coal, .it was nothing less than disgraceful that, there was such a huge death vale, approximately 400,000 a year, one-hull of whicu could be attributed’to the breathing of foul dust and smoke-laden air. Millions sterling were spent yearly for, collecting, purifying, and didribilt ine' wat-r to the community, but a. much larger sum was wasted in fouling the ear.