. . ,
THESIS:
THE RECOVERY OF AMMONIA FROM WASTE ORGANIC SUBSTANCES,
- B Y —
FRANK H. GAZZOLO,
F of trie Degree of Bachelor of Science in College of Science.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
1896. ” R E C 0 V E R Y OF A M M 0 N I A
FRO M
WASTE ORGANIC MATTER."
Introduction,
Of late years, the immense development of chemical industries can only he accoionted for hy the great advances made in general chemistry,---- particularly in the perfection of .analytical chemistry. It is through scientific research that so many avenues o f industry have been opened.
Theoretical and practical chemistry are working side by side to devise means to further the industries and in proportion as chemical knowledge progresses, the technolo gies advance. As a natural consequence, the growth of the chemical' industries gave rise to numerous questions as to the technical working. Men are striving to answer these innumer able questions by investigation and experimenting, and through these means are due the great advances of chemical technol ogy of recent years. The desire to obtain a clear understand ing of the original as well as the final products have placed the chemical industries upon a sound chemical basis...... ■ ■ ■ ■■■ ...... — ------...... - ...... - ...... • ■ ....-...... —
It is to this desire that scientific chemistry owes
so much to technology, fo r much o f the work done in pure
chemistry is in response to the demands made upon chemists by
the exigencies of the manufactures. It is thus seen that if
scientific chemistry has proved itself so necessary for tech
n ic a l, the la tt e r has likew ise done a great deal to advance
the former.
In these days of close competition and strict econ
omy, the question of utilizing the waste products becomes of
vital importance. ■
In former years the by-products were absolutely
wasted. We may take fo r example tar — i t was in a sense a
■ waste-product obtained from the destructive distillation of
coal. Now, by means of refined chemical processes, the
most valuable dye-stuffs are produced from it. There is no
industry 'which possibly better illustrates the practical good
that comes from scientific chemical researches than that of
coal-tar. It was clearly proved here that pure chemical work
was necessary for the development of every branch of the
whole coal-tar industry.
Hoffman's researches upon aniline and its deriva
tives, rosaline and its derivatives are classical. Eando
Fischer did notable work in establishing the constitution of 4
these compounds. The discovery of the green dyes from oil of
It bitter almonds and benzo-trichloride by o. Fischer and Dobner
may be mentioned. The first aniline dye produced on a tech
nical scale was violet prepared by Perkins in 1856.
Chemical research has given us a valuable dye ---- -
a liza rin e ---- which.was formerly prepared entirely from the
madder root, but is now practically obtained from coal-tar.
The important a lk a li and acid industries are depen
dent solely upon chemical theories.
Through the e ffo r ts o f chemical research, a g ric u l
ture is now recognized as a science. Metallurgy, mineralogy
and geology nave reached their present plane mainly through
chemical research.
The manufacture o f s p ir its has been helped to it s
present state through chemical work. The manufacture of or
ganic acids has reached a plane of no little importance.
The above illustrations are sufficient to indicate how enormous have been the benefits which chemical research
has conferred upon technology.
The desire to waste no material of any possible
value is also shown in the process of manufacturing illumin
ating gas; besides the production of tar, the ammonia liquor
is carefully collected. The main supply of ammonia of com- merce is from th is source. Since i t is a by-product, the cost of collecting is comparatively slight. But since the introduction of other systems of lighting, the demand for gas has yearly grown less and less, and as a natural conse quence the production of this by-product has also diminished considerably.
Ammonia is a compound that has grown in importance more and more, both in technical work and in domestic economy.
A large per cent of ammonia is used in the production of arti ficia l cold. The salts of ammonia are none the less valuable.
The production o f ammonia soda and o f a r t i f i c i a l manures has grown so enormously o f la te years that the demand fo r ammonia sa lts has immensely increased, but th is requirement has in its turn been met by the introduction of improved apparatus for working up of gas liquor. Here again the advances in this branch of manufacture are due to chemical investigation.
The demand fo r ammonia just about equals the supply and as the chief source of it is rapidly, diminishing, some means must be devised to produce ammonia abundantly from ni
trogenous substances.
Teclinical Sources of Ammonia;
1. Natural occurence o f aramonical compounds.
Ammonium carbonate in guano deposits. 2. Ammonia made from hydrogen and atmospheric n i trogen.
Numerous patents have been taken out on processes.
A patent was issued in 1880 to Rickman and Thompson fo r the manufacture of ammonia from the nitrogen of the air and hy
drogen of water.
For the last 20 years (1880) the manufacture of ammonia has "been several times attempted, though in every attempt i t is-probable that ammonia has been made, yet never on a commercial scale. In all these attempts, the process has been to combine the nitrogen and hydrogen directly at a low heat and receive the ammonia in water, or by substitution, first forming a cyanide at a higher heat and then indirectly producing ammonia by the decomposition of the cyanide, the result in both cases being ammonia in solution in water.
Rickman and Thompson procedure is altogeth er d i f f erent. They produce ammonia chloride direct and either in dry powder or in solution and this by the simplest means and by the use of simple apparatus and inexpensive material.
They do not use re to rts , as has been done in a l l other cases, but simply a closed brick furnace having the ash pit closed to regulate the supply of air and they cause the vapor of water to be produced by the waste heat of the furnace itself. The deoxidizing material actually used is the waste heat of
the furna c e it self/.
The deoxidizing material actually used is the dust
o f steam coal which costs only a few cents a ton at the p its ;
to th is is added from 5 to 8 per cent, of common salt, and
the coal dust is the only fuel used except at the beginning
of the operation.
The great d iffic u lt y in making ammonia from
nascent hydrogen of water and the nitrogen of the air is the
restricted lim its of temperature between generation and de
composition. It being necessary that a carbon, in whatever
form used, should be a fu ll reo. heat to decompose the vapor
o f water, but at a bright red heat, ammonia is decomposed.
Now, ammonia chloride under the same conditions is
simply volatilized and not decomposed. As chloride of sod
ium or ol calcium is decomposed at a fu ll red heat in pre
sence of nascent ammonia, therefore one of tie se salts (chlo ride) is mixed, with coal that ammonium chloride may be form ed, so uiao if by chance the heat should be raised to a bright rea no loss is sustained. The NH^Cl is simply vola tilized. By those t ie ans a greater range of wo iking tompera- ttue is obtained. At present (1880) wiih the consumption o f
20 to 28 lbs. of mixture of cold dust and salt per hour from 2 to 3 lbs. of NH^Cl is formed.
3. Ammonia made from cyanides, prepared by means
of atmospheric nitrogen.
4. Ammonia from urine, sewage and animal excreta.
5. Ammonia from guano.
6 . Bones, horn, leather and other animal substanc
es; by subjecting them to dry distillation.
7. Ammonia formed in inorganic chemical manufact
ures.
8 . Ammonia is a by-product in the manufacture of
beet-sugar.
9. From peat;
10. Ammonia from bituminous shale.
1 1 . " " coal.
Of a ll the technical sources o f ammonia the most
practical as well as the one almost entirely used is the
ammonical gas-liquor from the desctuctive distillation of
coal, a1 enough considerable ammonia can be obtained from
bones , leather ard hair.
The object cf this thesis is to devise a method or
an improvement to recover as much ammonia as is possible from any nitrogenous substance.
Hail who slaughter houses is absolutely wasted ______
and can "be had for almost the asking. Other wasted product
of the slaughter houses can he obtained as cheaply. By the
destructive distillation of these animal substances there is
obtained a series cf products among which ammonia carbonate
p reva ils.
It is evident that the quantity of ammonia in the
products o f dry d is tilla tio n o f animal substances depends
upon the kind aid conditions of these materials and upon the
temperature at which the operation takes place. At the pre
sent time the manufacture of ammonia and its salts from the
products of the dry distilla tion of animal substances is a
matter of but limited importance. Indeed dry distillation
is now only carried on for the purpose o f obtaining animal
charcoal and the occurrence of aramonical products is rather
considered as a necessary but unavoidable evil.
We shall endeavor to establish the conditions, as
to atmosphere, heat and time that w ill give the highest poss
ible per cent of ammonia from these wasted animal substances.
No doubt a good deal of experimenting and research
has been done on this subject and probably along the very
lines upon which, this thesis is based, but the experimenters who have undertaken this kind of work usually under the
d irection o f some firm , jealou sly guard a ll knowledge on th is 4
subject. It is very difficult and in some cases absolutely
impossible to obtain any data or even hints as to methods
employed. So any one starting an investigation of this kind has to depend almost entirely upon his own efforts and of
course has the same right to guard well his own results.
Literature on the general chemistry of ammonia is
quite extensive, but upon the technical side, especially upon
this phase, it is very scanty.
Experiments were conducted first on hog's-hair.
Analysis, according to the Kjledahl method showed that 17 per cent of NH^ was in the hair.
Detail of Kjledahl method as used in analysis:
0.5 grams of the hair was placed in a digestion flask with about 0.7 grams of mercuric oxide and about 22 c .c. sulphuric acid. The flask was placed in an inclined position and heated below the boiling point of the acid for from five to fifteen minutes or until frothing had ceased. The teat is then raised until acid boils briskly. No further attention is required unoil contents of the flask had become a clear liquid? ..mich is colorless or at least has only a very pale straw color.
The flask is then removed from flam e, held upright it ______= ______' __ ======
and while s t i l l hot potassium permanganate is dropped care
fully and in small quantities at a time till, after shaking,
the liquid remains of a green or purple color.
The Distillation.
After cooling, the contents of the flask are trans
ferred to the distilling flask with about 200 c.c. of water,
with a few pieces of granulated zinc or zinc dust ---- to keep
the contents from humping ---- and 25 c.c. potassium sulphide
solution are added, shaking the flask to mix contents. Next
add 50 c.c of the soda, solution or sufficient to make strong
ly alkaline, pouring it down the sides so that it does not
mix at once w ith acid solution. Connect flask with condenser,
mix contents by shaking, and d istil untill all ammonia has
passed over into standard or normal acid. The first 150c.c.
of the distillate w ill generally contain all the ammonia.
Mercuric oxide greatly shortens the process of di
gestion. Potassium sulphide removes a ll the mercury from the
solution.
This hair was subjected to dry distillation. The
amount of NHr.O actually given o ff was 3.06$. The experiment was conducted in this wise: 5 grains of dry hair were introduced within an iron retort and subjected to a high heat, about 900° to 1000° .
The products of distillation were conducted through a series of W olff's bottles filled with dilute sulphuric acid (about
Gfo) . The ammonia given o f f was caught in the acid and con- ■2L Xf verted into the salt of H?S04and (NH4 )2S04 ; was neutralized v/iuh daOH, poured into a flask; connected with a condenser; heated. The ammonia given o f f was caught in normal HC1 ----
(a known volume); excess o f HC1 titr a te d back with normal 4 NH^OH. Since each cubic centimeter o f normal HC1 equals l2> .017 grains of NH^, the number of cubic centimeters of HC1 saturated multiplied by .017 would give the number of grains ^ f of in the K^SO^ solution. The per cent can then be easily found. The carbon left in the retort was carefully j removed and the NHg held by it was determined by the Kjeldahl method. Weight of residue equals 1.50 grains. 2.5 c.c. HC1 was required which equals .0485 grains of NH^ or 8.5$ NH^ . Calculations.
Amount o f NH^ in the 5 grams = .85
" " " " " 1 . 5 " in residue = .1275 grams
( .085 grams o f NH in 1 gram o f residu e). O .155 grams NE„ came o f f from the 5 grams h air.
, _.,127S " " l e f t in residue.
.2805 " " absorbed and left in retort.
.85
.2805
.5695 grams lost in the 5 grains,
or 11.55 $
The time of this experiment was 12 minutes. In
uiiis experiment there is a possibility of having lost some
of the products.
Experiment 2 .
5 grains hair were subjected to a gradual heat t ill bright.red. Time, forty minutes. Products collected as in first experiment. The amount of NHg given o ff = 4.25$ or .2125 grams.
Carbonaceous residue - 1*515 grams *
■Amt. o f NH in residue = 6.46$ in 1 granj. 71TH----- ° 5 .0646 grams NH in 1 gram o f residue; in 1.515 grams-.09787 grain \ 0.2125 grams NH^ came o f f O .09787 " held in carbon residue
,51037 - NH^O absorbed and le ft in retort,
Amt.of NHS in 5 grams = , .85 gr.
" " " accounted for = .31037
,5 4 ----NHnr lo s t in 5 grams,
or 1 0 . 8$
Experiment 5.
5 grams hair were taken; wrapped in asbestos, in order that the hair would not be in contact with red-hot retort. The heat was applied gradually; the distillation products were passed through 5$ HoS04 . Time required, 1 hr.
Total rlH^ - 7.91$ O The asbestos and residue were ground together,
Yfeighed and the NH,„ determined by the KjeldaM method. O Wt. o f residue and asbestos - 14.2256 grams.
Total NH„ in residue 3.23$
Calculations.
Amt. o f NH^ given o f f from 5 grains 0.3955 grams O left in residue .0323
NH absorbed and left 0.4278 " 5 A
Amt. ofNHg in 5 grams - 0.85 grams
w 11 " obtained = 0.4278 "
Lost = 0.4222 "
or 3.445/
Experiment 4.
3 grams o f h air; wrapped in fin e copper gauze.
Heated moderately for 1 hour; very high for 1 hour. Products passed through 5/ H SO,. *O mb Total NH given off = 6 . 65/0 O
Wt. of carbonaceous residue r .561 grams
Total results for NHg - 2,55/
Amt. o f NH_ O given off from 3 grams o f hair .1989 grams It ft H left in retort from three grams - .0255 H If If if absorbed and le ft 3 . 2244 ti
Amt. o f NHg in 5 grams - 0.5100
" " " obtained - .2244
" " lo s t - .2856 grams
or 9.32/
Experiment 5.
3 grams hair; wrapped in fine copper gauze. Heated fo r an hour --- high heat.---- Products of distillation passed
through 5$ HgSO^ .
Total NH^ in 3 grains z .1615 grams (c o lle c te d ) U
~ 5.38$ NH o
Carbonaceous residue r .7328 grams
Total NH„ in above = 1.53$ O
■Amt. o f NH g iv e n 'o ff from 3 grams = .1615 O " " " left in residue ® .0153
" " " absorbed and left behind- .1768
Amt. o f in 3 grams = .5100 O " " " accounted for= .1768
" " " unaccounted "= .3332
or, 1 1 . 10$
The above experiments were conducted in reference to time and heat only. The results are here tabulated for referen ce: 1-..—...... ' ...... —------1
Amount Time. Heat NHg NH taken given o f f fo in residue 1*
5 grams 1 O min Bright Red .153 grams 3. 06 .1275 grams 2.55
5 " 40 if Gradual .2125 » 4.25 .09787 " 1.96
5 " 60 if If .3951 " 7.90 . 0323 0.65
3 " 120 it High .1989 " 6.66 .0255 0.85
3 " 60 if Bright Red .1615 " 5.35 .0153 " 0.51
NH3 ac- nh5 1 ntfed fo r lo s t
.2805 gr. 5.61 .5695 gr. 11.35
.31037 » 6 .2 2 .5400 " 10.80
.4274 " 8.55 .4226 " 8.45
.2244 " 7.48 .2856 " 9.52
.1768 11 5.86 .3332 " 1 1 .1 1
It is seen from the above table that the largest
amount o f ammonia given o f f was when the heat was applied
gradually and the t,ime 60 minutes. Ammonia recovered equals
7.90 $ and the amount lost, 8.45
So a number of experiments were made to at least
establish this fact. The following tabulated experiments were a ll con
ducted under the same conditions in reference to each other,
as far as was possible.
Amt. Time. Heat, Gradual $ nh3 $, NHg - in $ NHg $ NHg ' taken. to Bright Red.■given o f f .residue. acct. fo r
it 5 grams 60 min. 8 .0 $ 0 .66$ 8 .66$ 8.54$ it 5 " 50 " 7.9" 0.65" 8.55" 8.45" CO o CO 5 " 1! H E- CO CO 0.65" 8.85"
The above resu lts seem to show that about 60 min utes heating from a gradual to bright heat gives the best results. ■------— ...... =...... — =====— =— =====— — ------
The experiments were next varied; the hair was
mixed with lime; heated gradually to a high heat; time, 90
min. Products passed through an HC1 solution. Total NH„ 3 in the solution or the NH^ given o ff from the mixture e-
qualled 3.77$.
In another experiment the same conditions were
applied, except the heat was made very high from the very
first, giving 5.1 $ of NH„. O S till another experiment was made with lime as a
"base, and the same conditions prevailed except the time was
40 minutes and the products were passed through a 5$ HgSO4
solution. This gave 4.35$ of NH*. O Thinking possibly that the lime was too caustic, magnesia, a milder base, was used with the following results.
Time, 40 minutes ---- 3.91$ —— heat, rather high.
" " ----- 4 .6 6 $ ----- " moderate; then high.
The low percentage of Nil given o ff when mixed with O a base is probably due to the fact that the base combines with the cyanides, forming salts and thus holding the nitro gen much more firm ly.
The question as to a base was now settled, and the next experiments were conducted with view as to a favorable atmosphere. Steam was first selected, as being more easily ob tained and also being the cheapest. Steam was conducted within the retort and heat was applied. The products of distillation were collected in the usual manner, through HUSO,,. The total
NH^O given o ff equalled 7.82$. In this first experiment, there was a possibility o f lo ss, the pressure o f the steam being too great. So an other tria l was made with steam, products caught as before in H?S04, which was more satisfactory than the first experi ment with steam.
A series of experiments were now conducted with steam, which all indicate very high results. Experiments
Experiments, with results, are tabulated thus:
Percentage of T ime. Heat. NH Obtained. O 40 min. 11.56 Bright Red.
SO " 10.20 " "
55 " 10.82 M It
50 " 11.55 M It
50 " 1 1 .1 0 " NH^ in residue - .051 5 50 " 10.55 " w ith super-heated steam
55 " 10.50 " " NH^ in residue : .046 O 50 10.60 II It The above experiments agree pretty closely when
such large amounts were taken for distillation and. after col
le c tio n .
They eviden tly establish that steam is , thus fa r,
the most suitable atmosphere.
The residues in almost a ll cases were so small as
to be p ra c tic a lly a ll consumed.
Nov/, that an atmosphere o f some sort v/as seen to be
essential for the higher production of NH^ , it was thought
advisable to try hydrogen gas, a reducing atmosphere.
The experiment was conducted thus:
Hydrogen from a generator was passed fo r some min
utes through the whole apparatus in order to displace the
air; then heat was carefully applied.
5 grams of hair were subjected to high heat for
50 minutes in a hydrogen atmosphere. The ammonicai products were d istilled through H S0^. The ammonia was then determined
in H^SO^ s°luti°n in the usual way ----neutralizing with
NaOH; catching the ammonia in normal I-ICI.
The result, contrary to expectation, was low, 7.99$.
The NH^ in the residue from the 5 grams - .0136 grains,
or 0.272$
Total ammonia obtained - 8.262$ Another experiment was tried with the same amount
of hair, hut at a dull red-heat. Time, 40 minutes.
The ammonia recovered in EL SO. - 6.29 #
" M " " residue - 2.24-
Total ammonia - 8 .53
S till another trial was attempted with the hydro
gen; the heat was moderately high to almost white heat towards
the last. Time, 50 minutes. The result was:
Ammonia in K_S0. solution = 7.05 i»
" " residue = .3 4
Total ammonia = 8 .5 3
From these figures it is evident that a hydrogen atmosphere is not so suitable. The only thing of possible value is that the amount of ammonia is the greatest at very high hea^s and of about 50 minutes duration. The amount of ammonia 'left over in the residue is in each case much smaller than when the heat is only moderately h o t,----cherry red.
Next, a C02 atmosphere was trie d , with s t i l l lower resu lts;
5 grams of hair were heated for 20 minutes at a high heat. Products of distillation were passed through HoS0. solution.
The ammonia in HgSO^ solution - 4.42 i>
" H " residue .85
Total ammonia - 5.27
A second experiment with CO 2 * Time, 30 minutes. Heat, very high.
NHg given o ff - 5.20 i* GO CO i 11 in residue •
Total ammonia - 5.88 fo
The above experiments were carefully conducted and the results indicate that a carbon dioxide atmosphere is far from being suitable.
Illuminating gas was next attempted. As was ex pected, the results closely corresponded to the hydrogen at mosphere .
5 grams hair were distilled in an atmosphere of common house gas; The NH^ in the gas was removed by having it bubble through HgS04. Heat, high. Time, SO minutes.
Products of distillation passed through 5 per cent H SO 2 4 solu tion s. NH„O given off - 7.14 56 v " in residue - lost.
Going back to steam as being the most suitable atmosphere thus fa r found, a few more experiments were made to thoroughly establish this condition.
Again, 5 grams of hair was subjected to destruct ive distillation. Time, 35 minutes. Heat, bright red. The gases evolved were conducted through a series of three Wolff bottles each filled with dilute 10 HpSO^ .
Results:
HH„O in first bottle r 1 0 .1 0 1° " " second " - .986
" " third " - none
Total 111086. io
5 grams h air was mixed with NaCl, about 5 grams subjected to cherry red heat and ammonia collected in the usual manner.
Total NH in first bottle 3 - ) ) 10.2 0 " " " second " - )
" " " third . 85
Total ammon ia “ 11.05 io The next experiment was trie d with chlorine atmos
phere , mixed with steam.
5 grams of hair were destructively distilled in a
chlorine atmosphere generated from bleaching powder. Time
required, 50 minutes and heat very high towards the last.
NH in 1st bottle = 8.44 < 3 " " 2nd " = none
" " 3rd " = none
Total ammonia = 8.44 #
Residue exceedingly small.
Connections were washed out to dissolve the ammonium chloride
formed during the operation.
Ammonia in these connections - 1 .7 bringing the total up to 10.14 $> which is about 1 # lower than the highest obtained without the chlorine.
5 grams o f hair 'were treated again with same con ditions as above with the following results:
Total ammonia - 8.3 1 i*
NH^ in connections - 1 .7 3 O
Bringing the total up to 10.04
S till another was made with the following results: Ammonia = 8.79 $
j;I3 in connections and residue not determined "out from result,
ic is safe conclude that they would closely have agreed
with the above experiments.
It was next thought that possibly by keeping the
particles of hair separate from each other and letting steam
and Cij.j.orine act. upon them on a l l sides, the resu lts would
probably be higher.
Sand was thoroughly mixed with the hair and then
subjected to the usual heat, and ammonia determined in the
usual manner. I t was found that the ammonia "was not very high
The total NH = 4.726
which .goes to indicate that the chlorine and the steam did
not act upon the hair, contrary to expectation, but that the
sand sort of protected the hair particles from the action of the ateam.
From this experiment, one may conclude the steam must come in close contact with the substances in order to
yield the highest per cent of ammonia.
So experiments were made upon hair loosely wrapped up in line gauze, but the results do not differ from those m which the hair was directly placed in the retort. These experiments were made on this basis, with the
following results:
1 ----- Total - 10.92 4 **5 2 ----- It = 1 1 .1 0 IT
5 ----- " tt = 10.81 1!
Summary.
% ihe amount o f availab le ammonia, when the m aterial
is subjected to dry distillation and surrounded with air only,
is on the average of 6.82 #. The amount given off varied
from 5.06 5~’ to 8.2 which seemed to depend on the amount o f
heat and *cime j the f owner was fo r 12 minutes of very high
heating, the latter for 60 minutes of from gradual low heat ‘ to a bright red.
Then bases, firs t lime and magnesia, were mixed with the material, but with very unsatisfactory results. The amount of ammonia given o ff was in every case low, 3.90 °/°.
A carbon dioxide atmosphere was tr ie d with equally
low results.
A hydrogen atmosphere, contrary to expectations, gave low results averaging 7 <$>.
Illuminating gas gave the same results as hydrogen.
Live steam was passed through the re to rt while the
distillation was going on, with somewhat surprising re
su lts. The amount o f ammonia given o f f rose to 10 i° and in
some cases to 11.5 >. A series of experiments were con
ducted with th is atmosphere at high heat and they a l l gave
uniformly high percentages. Mixing the material with NaCl and d is t illin g in an atmosphere o f steam gave no b etter re
sults than with steam alone.
Chlorine and steam were next attempted, with no variation in percentage of ammonia. The only objection in this case is that the formation of the ammonium chloride sublimes within the connections and makes it troublesome to remove and to determine the amount o f ammonia thus deposited, which of course is not absorbed in the acid bottle.
Suspending the m aterial within a gauze jacket does not vary results, giving on an average 10 i»,
Thus far, the dry distillation in an atmosphere of steam gives the best resu lt. Conclusion.
The problem of increasing the amount of available
ammonia from waste nitrogenous substance is well worth the
time and trouble to investigate. That it is possible there
is no doubt, for numerous patents have been issued, both in
tnis, as well as in other countries, but they seem not to be
practical on a large scale.
It is evident that the temperature, the atmosphere and possibly the time, are all essential to the increase of percentage of available ammonia.
i;iG proolem -go solve is how to break up the com bination of nitrogen in various substances and to get it in the form of NH3 or its salts.
j.o answer th is question has been the endeavor o f this thesis. Mow near these experiments come to the solution can only be determined by further experiments and these on a much .Larger scale than was possible at th is laboratory. I f suc.n a result is possible, the economic importance would in deed be great. Literature on Ammonia.
Lunge, G . " Coal Tar and Ammonia " 2nd. Ed. 1887. Fleck, H. " Die Fabrikation chem. Products aus Thierchen Abfallen."
Sadler, ] 3.S. " Recovery of Tar and Ammoniacal Liquor." Feldmann , A. " Apparatus fo r the D is tilla tio n of Ammonia Liquors. Dingier's Polytech. Jour. 248, p 462. ( Abstract J.S.C.I. 1883-p 380.)" Bunte, " Removal o f Ammonia from Coal Gas". Dingler's Polytech. Jour. 245, p 40- Absrt.J.S.C.I. 1882 p 314. Tervet, ] ?. " Ammonia from Coke." Jour. S .C .I. 1883, p 445. Scheurer'-Kestner, " On the Destructive Distillation of Coal and Transformation of its Nitrogen into Ammonia". Comptes Rendues 97, p 3- Abstract J .S .C .I. 1883, p 407. L e id le r, P. " Working Gas Liquor and other Products from Gas Purification". Dingler's Polytech. Jour.
252, p 476- Abstract of J.S.C.I. '85, p 112. Cox, J.H . " Notes on Ammoniacal Liquor". J.S.C.I. '84. p 158. Wagne r * s Tech. " On Ammonia." " Dictionary of Applied Chemistry" Thorpe. ( continued.)
Chemi ca 1 News , Vol. 14-1880 p 155. " Ammonia frota the Nitrogen of the Atmosphere and Hydrogen o f Water." Winkler, C. " Recovery o f Ammonia from Coke-oven gases". Chemiker Zeitung, 1884, p 691- Abstract J .S .C .I. 1884, p 512. Mo nd, L . " Preparation b f Cyanogen Compounds and Ammonia" D in gier's Polytech. Jour. 248, p 366.
Schering, " Preparation of Pure Liquor Ammoniae" Polytechn. C en tralb latt, 1881, p 1456. Arnold, Dr. " Ammonia and Ammonia Compounds".
Schelling, E. " Nitrogen in Coals". Dingler’s Polytech. Jour. 265, 218. Abstract J.S.C.,1. '87 p 652. Claus•, " Ammonia Process of Gas Purification". Jour. Gas (Purification) Lighting ’ 86, p 1181. B u lletin no. 38, U.S. Department of Agriculture, D ivision of Chemistry, " Kjeldahl Method." Raupp, J . " Production of Ammonia Phosphate from Gas Liquor, Abstract J.S.C.I. 1888, p 114.