CHEAPENING FERTILISER.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 24, Issue 19, 11 March 1913, Page 7

CHEAPENING FERTILISER.

Professor Bi'rkoland, of Christiana, while making some electrical experiments, discovered that he had I’ovnd a way of extracting the nitrogen from the air. Accordingly he set about perfecting his accidental invention. This was six years ago. There is now in Norway a company, backed by English and German capital, which ite turning out calcium nitrate —a compound of lime and nitrogen —by the ton for use as fertiliser. The lime they dig from the hills, and air—a mixture of oxygen-and nitrogen—furnish the material. Common air is forced through a powerful electric flame, and its two gasses unite to form nitric acid—-a gas which absorbs more oxygen when exposed to air. By a wellknown process it is changed to nitric aedd, which is caused to combine with limestone. The product is calcium nitrate, which is ground into powder. It is said to be as good a fertiliser as Chile nitrate, which is a sodium, nitrate.

So great are the profits an the busin:ss that American capitalists are developing a different process. They first , I'iquefy air, and th:n obtain nitrogen from it by distillation. The notrogcn is forced into an electric furnace, in ■which coke l and lime have been caused to combine and form calcium carbide. The carbide absorbs the nitrogen, and becomes calcium cyanide, a valuable fertiliser.

It is only within a year or so that these artificial nitrates have been produced in commercial quantities.