Chloralkali plants in the 1920's and 30's

[ndbprr]

 

Sorry I have not responded. I have been out of town.  Soda ash was produced in a chemical reaction that escapes me at the moment.  A huge amount of CO2 gas was used that was pumped in a room with about sixty corliss steam engines connected to piston pumps.  Bicarbonate of soda was also a product.  That building was about ten or twelve stories high and about 300' square.  Natural soda ash was found to exist in the Green River Wyoming area which pretty much sealed the fate of all the synthetic manufacturing plants since the cost was much less.  That occured about the early 70's and about the time I worked at Wyandotte

[Atlantic and Hibernia]

 Have you checked the Library of Congress American Memory web site?

<> http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/

<> 
<>There was nothing on chloralkali but a number of listings for chlorine and alkali were returned from the search field.

<> 
<><>Good Hunting!

 

<><><>Kevin
 

[projectbluebird]

Thanks ndbprr! Could you tell me more about the soda ash plant?

[ndbprr]

 

Ah yes, I remember the one I worked in very well in Wyandotte Michigan.  Raw material was sodium chloride.  The chlorine was drawn off in electrolytic cells about four feet square and made of fiberglass.  There were about ten rows of them.  It was mandatory to know which direction the wind was blowing defore entering because if a leak developed and the alarm sounded you ran upwind to escape the fumes which could be deadly.  if you ran downind you would never get clear of the gas.  The room was about two stories high and the building was brick maybe 100' x 200'.  The other pole drew off hydrogen leaving sodium hydoxide in dilute form which was sent to in door holding tanks.  Crude steam pipes heated the tanks like a water heater vaporizing off the water and concetrating the NaOH.  Various concentrations were shipped in tank cars to customers or the water was completely removed and whitish clear pellets were made that look a lot like raw plastic pellets but if set out would suck the moisture out of the air and liquify again. The pellets were shipped in bags and box cars or trucks.  the caustic was brutal on shoes that had sewn on soles and within a couple weeks the soles would come off because the thread was gone so rubber soled shoes were the order of the day.  There was nothing much above two stories high and the tanks were really crammed in the buildings.  Each tank had a structual walkway (bridge) acroos the top for checking things. the accompanying soda ash plant was where the real action took place.  These plants were typically located near a salt and water source and most were pretty old.  The ones I worked in were all brick buildings and old.  Most industries do a fairly good job of maintaining their buildings while using them so one would be old but not decrepid looking. 

[ericsp]

I think that hydrochloric acid would be shipped out. Sodium hypochorite is another product likely to be produced, although perhaps to so much back then.

I would recommend visiting websites of chemical companies, especially those that specialize in chloralkail (such as Olin Chlor Alkali) to see if you can find ratios.

[projectbluebird]

I'm looking for information on chemical plants that would have used this process in the 1920's and 30's. I have a basic idea of what it is, but I'd like more information on the raw materials in, and the finished products out, especially how they would have shipped during this particular period.

Basically, power and sodium chloride (salt) go in, and hydrogen gas, chlorine gas, and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda/lye) come out. right? But I want to know how much.

The salt would come in in hoppers, the lye and chlorine would go out in special tank cars. But how was hydrogen shipped at this time?