Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Second part - X. Manufacturing Industries. By Å. G. Ekstrand, Ph. D., Chief Engineer, Control Office of the Department of Finance - 9. Chemical Industry - Sulphuric acid - Chlorate - Artificial Fertilizers
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
856
x. manufacturing industries of 8wedbn.
sulphuric acid manufactories, employing 39 workmen and with a turnout
of 351,082 quintals, valued at 989,000 kronor.1 Between 1870 and 1880
the annual turnout was only 40,000 quintals, in the next decade 112,000
quintals, and in 1891/1900 326,447 quintals. The import in 1900 was
18,538 quintals, valued at 185,000 kronor; the export was not worth
mentioning. There was an import in the same year of no less than
201,516 quintals of sulphur and flowers of sulphur, at a value of
1,814,000 kronor. In the quinquenniums from 1861/65 to 1896/1900, this
same import amounted to respectively 1,705, 2,740, 3,100, 8,726, 14,085,
32,730, 72,208, and 131,171 quintals per annum.
Chlorate.
Chlorate is an indispensable ingredient in matches, certain fireworks,
and particular kinds of gunpowder; since the electrolytic method was
known it has been manufactured in Sweden, the electric current required
being generated from waterfalls. The first chlorate factory, and probably
at the same time the first electrochemical establishment in Sweden, was
founded in 1893 at the instigation of Director 0. Carlson by the
Stockholm Superphosphate Manufacturing Co., Ltd., at Månsbo, Avesta, on
the banks of the river Dalelfven, close to one of the waterfalls in its
course. The electric current sets chloric gas free from a chloride of
alkali, whereupon, by acting upon alkali hydrate, it forms alkali chlorate.
In 1900 there were two factories, employing 215 workmen, with a
turnout valued at 797,000 kronor.
At Bengtsfors a factory was established in 1895 for the
manufacture of caustic soda and hypochlorite of lime.
The import of chlorate of potash and of soda amounted in 1900 to
3,683 quintals, at a value of 221,000 kronor, the export being assessed
at 724,000 kronor.1
Artificial Fertilizers.
The manufacture of fertilizers containing phosphoric acid in the
form called superphosphate commenced about the year 1871; this
industry has since then attained considerable dimensions. Though there
occur in Sweden both conglomerate and apatite containing phosphate of
lime, which afford, when sufficiently purified, a suitable raw material
for the production of superphosphate, it has proved necessary to import
large quantities of raw phosphate, chiefly from America, to supply the
needs of the Swedish factories. The phosphates of lime obtainable from
Florida, Carolina, and other recently discovered localities are to be had
in Sweden at prices which forbid all competition from home sources.
On the other hand, there exist in Sweden excellent possibilities for the
1 A quintal = 1 97 cwts. A krona = 110 shilling or 0’268 dollar.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
