SYNTHETIC FERTILISERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20982, 19 September 1931, Page 20

SYNTHETIC FERTILISERS

PRODUCTION OF NITROGEN, j DEVELOPMENTS DURING WAR. j BLOW TO CHILEAN INDUSTRY, i "There are 59.000 tons of nitrogen over each acre, or '25,000,000 tons Over each square mile of the earth's surface," said Dr. H. E. Annett, of Matangi, before the Hamilton Rotary Club on Monday, when he gavo an address on world developments in connection with the production of synthetic nitrogenous fertilisers. At the end of last century, he said, the main supply of fertilisers and high explosives came from Chile, but owing to the development of synthetic processes in other lands, the industry there was now languishing. "In 1913 only 5 per cent, of the total production of synthetic nitrogen came from the air," continued Dr. Annett. "When the war ended production had increased to 3,500,000 tons, while in 1929 it had reached the total of 8,500,000 tons. More than 100 synthetic nitrogen factories are in existence throughout the world, and one factory in Germany alone produces more than tho entire exportation from Chile." Co-operation of Interests. Referring to the efforts of the various nations to 6ecurc independence in regard to the production of synthetic nitrogen, Dr. Annett remarked that some agreement among producing countries had been deemed essential. A convention held in Paris in 3930, attended by representatives from Germany, Chile, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Poland and Czecho slovakia, had empowered a cartel to fix prices on a basis which would aid the establishment of the industry and return a reasonable rate of profit. Countries of large productive capacity, such as Germany and England, were required to limit production with an arrangement to compensate them from a fund to ba built up from contributions based on the proportionate production of each member of the cartel. The cartel, however, had apparently broken down, said Dr. Annett, and he referred to the possibility of a drastic pricecutting war, resulting, inevitably, in the absorption of the smaller plants by the larger ones. Such an eventuality might brine about monopoly conditions, which would not be in the interests of the consumers. "In 1885 Chile produced 75 per cent, of the chemical nitrate used in the world," continued tho speaker. "In 1900 it had been reduced to 50 per cent., and now it is only 25 per cent. In 1913 tho country produced 430,000 tons of nitrate, equal to 2,745,808 tons of nitrate of soda. Today Germany alone lias the capacity to produce 900,000 tons of nitrate a year, equal to 5,500,000 tons of nitrate of soda, or twice the annual production from Chile. Because of this the Chilean Government and the nitrate-producing companies have organised a national nitrate company called Cosana, with a capital of over £70,000,000, half of which is allotted to tho Chilean Government and half to the companies. Difficulties in Chile. "The Government forgoes the export tax of 12 dollars a ton and receives instead dividends on its holding. For years 25 per cent, of the Chilean income came from the tax. For 1931 the company guaranteed tho Government 22.500,000 dollars, tho amount to decrease gradually in four years to 17,000,000 dollars. The Chilean company is faced with difficulties. Before the war Germany was Chile's greatest customer and took over 1,000,000 tons of nitrate of soda annually. Now she takes less than 25,000 tons." Four-fifths of the air consists of nitrogen, the basis of all high explosives, explained Dr. Annett. The process of obtaining the gas in a * usable form became known in Germany in 1912, and there was evidence to show that had it been discovered earlier Germany would have entered the war sooner. When England found herself short of high explosives during the war she started her own works and evolved her own process of manufacturing nitrogen from the air. By the end of the war she had a huge factory at Billingham, which was turned over to produce synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, and was taken over by Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited. Production at Billingham. The factory was built on an 1150-acre site and there were over 11,000 workers. The manufacturing process was comparatively simple, all that was required being coal, plenty of water, gypsum (sulphate of lime), and air. The nitrogen from the air had to bo brought into combination with the hydrogen to produce sulphate of ammonia. The factory at Billingham yielded more than 1700 tons of sulphate of ammonia a day, or 620.000 tons a year, sufficient to fertilise 16,000,000 acres. Of thic amount 160,000 tons were exported to the Canary Islands, 78,000 to China, 76,000 to Russia, and 54,000 to Japan. The supplies to Japan had decreased from 139,000 tons owing to Japan's own synthetic nitro gen fertiliser industry, which was worth about £10,000,000.