The Chemistry of Hat Manufacturing: Lectures Delivered Before the Hat Manufacturers' AssociationSmith, Watson
Science
The Chemistry of Hat Manufacturing: Lectures Delivered Before the Hat Manufacturers' Association
Smith, Watson
Hats
weak chamber acid is mixed with the nitrous vitriol from the Gay-Lussac
tower, and the mixture is pumped to the top of the Glover tower, which
is of similar construction to the Gay-Lussac tower, but is generally
packed with flints. This Glover tower is placed between the sulphur
burners or pyrites kilns and the first lead chamber. The nitrous vitriol
passing down the tower meets the hot gases from the kilns, and a
threefold object is effected: (1) The nitrous fumes are expelled from
the nitrous vitriol, and are carried into the chambers, to again play
the part of oxygen-carriers; (2) the weak chamber acid which was mixed
with the nitrous vitriol is concentrated by the hot kiln gases; and (3)
the hot gases themselves are cooled. The acid from the Glover tower is
purified by special treatment--for example, the arsenic may be removed,
after precipitation with sulphuretted hydrogen, in the form of insoluble
arsenic sulphide,--and the purified acid is concentrated by heating in
glass or platinum vessels.
A considerable amount of sulphuric acid is now made by the so-called
"contact process," in which sulphur dioxide and oxygen unite to form
sulphuric acid in presence of a heated "contact" substance, usually some
form of finely-divided platinum.
_Nitric Acid._--This acid is usually prepared by distilling a mixture of
sodium nitrate and vitriol in cast-iron retorts or pots, the nitric acid
being collected in stoneware vessels connected one with another, or, as
is more generally the case at the present time, in condensing apparatus
consisting of stoneware pipes or coils cooled by water. The effluent
gases are passed through a scrubber in order to free them from the last
traces of acid before discharging them into the atmosphere.
_Hydrochloric Acid._--The greater part of the hydrochloric acid
manufactured in Great Britain is obtained as an intermediate product in
the Leblanc alkali process, which will presently be described, being
produced by heating common salt with vitriol. A large quantity is,
however, also produced by the so-called direct process of Hargreaves &
Robinson, which is, in principle, the same method as that employed in
the Leblanc process, except that the intermediate product, vitriol, is
not separated. It consists essentially in passing the hot gases from
pyrites kilns, as used in the manufacture of vitriol, through large
cast-iron vessels containing common salt heated to a high temperature.
Various physical conditions must be complied with in order to make the
process a success. For example, the salt is used in the form of moulded
hard porous cakes made from a damp mixture of common salt and rock salt.
The cast-iron vessels must be heated uniformly, and the hot pyrites kiln
gases must be passed downwards through the salt in order to ensure
uniform distribution. The hydrochloric acid is condensed in stoneware
pipes connected with towers packed with coke or stoneware.
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