THE INDUSTRY IN 1918.

In the late summer and early fall of 1917, when it became evident that it would be necessary to supply munitions to possibly several millions of United States troops in France, the matter of obtaining an adequate supply of sulphuric acid for the production of explosives became of even greater importance. It was necessary for the governmental agencies, especially the War Industries Board, to know the exact manufacturing capacity of the country and which plants were being operated to capacity. This information was to a limited extent obtained through the efforts of the subcommittee on acids, and the subcommittee on fertilizers of the Committee on Chemicals, Council of National Defense. The greater part of the data, however, was obtained by a survey, made late in 1917, by the Bureau of Mines. As a result of this survey the rate of production of acid during the last quarter of 1917 was determined to be approximately 390,000 tons per month (basis 100 per cent H2SO,), or approximately 7,500,000 tons per year (basis 50° B.). In order to obtain this production practically all acid plants were being operated at maximum capacity. At several of the zinc smelters where acid' was being made as a by-product in the roasting of zinc ores, brimstone was being used to supplement the sulphur in the ore, but at most of the zinc plants this was not being done because of the peculiar conditions of the contracts under which the acid was sold. As the urgent need for more acid became apparent, late in 1917, these contracts were altered. From January 1, 1917, to November 11, 1918, at practically all the zinc plants brimstone was used to supplement the zinc ore, and every effort was made to operate the chamber and contact plants to the utmost capacity. The total acid manufacturing capacity on January 1, 1918, with the use of brimstone to supplement ores at the zinc plants, was estimated to be about 427,000 tons per month (basis 100 per cent H2SO), or 8,200,000 tons per year (basis 50° B.). Of this total capacity, 29 per cent was at contact plants and 71 per cent was at chamber plants. The total capacity for the manufacture of 66° acid-that is, the capacity of the contact plants plus the capacity of the plants for concentrating weaker acid by heat-was about 226,000 tons per month.

Later in 1917 it became evident that the above capacity would not be adequate to meet the explosives program, with the contemplated enormous increase in the production of smokeless powder and high explosives. As private concerns were not prepared to build enough additional plants to supply the necessary acid, the War and Navy Departments undertook the construction of Government-owned plants, During the first nine months of 1918 additions were made

to the plants of several explosives companies, and of other smaller producers, also the Government built acid plants at a number of points, so that on November 11, the date of the signing of the armistice, the total actual manufacturing capacity of the country had been increased to 501,000 tons per month (basis 100 per cent H2SO1), or 9,600,000 tons per year (basis 50° B).

The Government acid plants comprised 55,000 tons (basis 100 per cent H2SO1) of this capacity; the plants of the explosives manufacturers comprised 58,000 tons, and the remainder, 388,000 tons, was the capacity of the plants owned by the commercial manufacturers of fertilizers, chemicals, and metallurgical by-products. Of this total capacity, 40 per cent was at contact acid plants and 60 per cent at chamber plants.

In addition to the above, at the time of the signing of the armistice there was under construction plants which would have had a capacity of about 37,000 tons per month (basis 100 per cent H2SO). These plants were in all stages of construction, from the point of just being started to approximate completion. Work on these plants was immediately discontinued and they are not included in the following discussions.

ZONAL DISTRIBUTION.

In order to show in more detail the manufacturing capacity in different sections of the country, the acid plants have been segregated into six zones, shown on the accompanying map (fig. 1), as follows: Zone 1.-Includes all of New England, the New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore districts, and also all of Virginia.

Zone 2.-Includes all of the State of New York outside of a radius of 50 miles of New York City, all of Pennsylvania except the extreme eastern part-that is, outside of a zone, say, 50 miles west from the Delaware River-West Virginia, Ohio, eastern Kentucky, and lower Michigan.

Zone 3.-Includes western Kentucky and western Michigan, all of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. In this district, of course, the acid plants are principally at the zinc plants in Illinois and in the Chicago district. The plant at Argentine, Kans., is included in this zone.

Zone 4.-Includes all the South-that is, south of the southern boundaries of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas and east of Oklahoma and the Sabine River, Texas.

Zone 5.-Includes all the territory between zones 3 and 4 and the Pacific Coast States, which comprise zone 6.

Zone 6.-Includes the Pacific Coast States.

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as these zones cover primarily the largest manufacturing centers of the country. In zone 3 the production is essentially a by-product from zinc-smelting operations, although some acid is made by com

Although the boundaries of these zones were rather arbitrarily chosen, they are to a considerable degree logical divisions. In zones 1 and 2 the acid is manufactured for a wide variety of purposes,

FIGURE 1.-Zones of sulphuric acid manufacture in the United States.

mercial concerns in Chicago and St. Louis. The production in zone 4 is essentially for the fertilizer industry. That of zone 6 is essentially for the oil refining and explosives manufacturing industries of California, although some of the weak acid is used for fertilizers. These features will be shown in more detail later, as the uses of the sulphuric acid are discussed.

The capacities in these several zones in November, 1918, are given below:

Sulphuric acid manufacturing capacities.

The total capacity was divided between (1) Government plants, (2) plants owned by munitions explosives companies, and (3) commercial, fertilizer, and by-product acid plants in the second zone, as follows:

Acid-manufacturing capacity by types of ownership.

Tons per month expressed as 100 per cent H2SO4.

The actual production of acid during the year 1918 was 4,650,000 tons on the basis 100 per cent H2SO,, or 7,450,000 tons on the basis 50° B. In October the rate of production had increased to 430,000 tons per month (basis 100 per cent H2SO1), or 8,250,000 tons per year (basis 50° B.). The production of high-strength acid-that is, 66° acid or higher-was 2,430,000 tons (basis 100 per cent H2SO). In October the rate of production was 230,000 tons per month, or 2,760,000 tons per year (basis 100 per cent H2SO,). During 1918 the average rate of production of the plants was not greater than 90 per cent of the rated capacities, although many plants were actually operating at above their rated capacities. Adverse fuel, labor, and transportation conditions during the greater part of the year tended to reduce production at many plants in the East and North.

LIST OF PLANTS.

The plants in the different zones are listed in the following table: List of sulphuric acid plants in United States, Jan. 1, 1919.