Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - VII. Manufacturing Industries. Introd. by [G. Sundbärg] K. Åmark - 11. Other Industries - Electro-chemical Industry. By V. Palmær
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electro-chejiical industry.
475*
Silver refining. The Sala mine possesses a small plant for the electrolytic
Tefining of silver, obtained from the argentiferous lead ore of that place.
Chemical Products. Carbide and Cyanamide. The Alby Karbidfabriks
Aktiebolag was founded in 1901, and its works are situated at Alby railway
station, on the river Ljungan, about 95 kilometers to the west of Sundsvall.
Immediately to the east of the railway station, the Ljungan forms a fall of
22 meters, from which power amounting to about 7 000 electric horse-power is
obtained. The place was formerly uninhabited, but since the carbide factory
and the chlorate works mentioned below were erected, a community of about
1 600 inhabitants has arisen at Alby.
The carbide factory uses 5 000 electric h. p. from the waterfall at Alby. In 1907,
a further 6 000 electric h. p. was harnessed from the Ringdal rapid, situated
about 2 kilometers below the Alby fall,- and this power was taken by the already
existing carbide factory at Alby, which has thus a total capacity of 11 000
electric h. p. In 1913 the production amounted to 14 008 tons.
In 1912, a cyanamide factory was also established by the same company at
Alby. As is well known, cyanamide is manufactured by heating finely ground
carbide, with or without any other ingredient, up to about 900’ C. in a current
of pure nitrogen,’ whereupon the carbide gives off half of its carbon in the form
of graphite, and combines with the nitrogen to form a compound, the scientific
name of which is calcium cyanamide. The mixture of calcium cyanamide,
graphite and unchanged carbide thus obtained, together with the impurities of the
carbide, .is called cyanamide. The percentage of nitrogen may amount to about
20 %, that is to say, as much as in ammonium sulphate and more than in
Chile saltpetre (15’ß %). Cyanamide can be ground and used directly as a
nitrogen fertilizer, as it is converted by the moisture in the earth into ammonia or
salts of ammonia. This direct application is, however, combined with certain
disadvantages. For instance, cyanamide must be strewn out a week before
the seed is sown, so as to allow time for the conversion to ammonia, otherwise
poisonous effects are produced, as a result of the existence of unchanged calcium
cyanamide. Unchanged cyanamide is further unpleasant and injurious to handle.
It appears, therefore, to be becoming more customary to heat the cyanamide with
water or steam, so as to expel the ammonia, which is absorbed in sulphuric
acid, to form ammonium sulphate.
The nitrogen used for the production of cyanamide is best obtained by the
fractional distillation of liquid air. Numerous organic compounds can also be
obtained from calcium cyanamide, such as urea, compounds of guanidine, etc.
Saltpetre or ammonium nitrate can now be obtained without difficulty from
ammonia.
The output of cyanamide at Alby amounted in 1913 to 16 350 tons.
At the branch of the Stockholms Superfosfatfabriks Aktiebolag,
situated at Månsbo, near Avesta, on the Dalälven (see below under the
heading-C’hlorate), a small carbide factory (about 650 h. p.) was established, at about the
same time as at Alby. Experiments have sipce been conducted at this-factory
for the conversion of carbide to cyanamide. These experiments have led to the
establishment of the Ljunga Works by the same company, at the rapids of the
Ljunga River, known as Johannesbergsfors and Hångstafors, which are about 40
meters high, and which are situated about 15 kilometers below Alby (see Figure
page 428). The power used during the greater part of the year amounts to
18 000 electric h. p. As about l’o tons of carbide are produced per electric
horse-power per year, i. e., about 2 tons of 20 % cyanamide, it will be seen
that this factory has a very considerable capacity.
Before the discovery of cyanamide, carbide was employed almost exclusively
for lighting purposes, as it produces acetylene, when mixed with water. This
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