Durham E-Theses Some early examples of plant development and process control in the chemical industry Quinn, Kevin How to cite: Quinn, Kevin (1977) Some early examples of plant development and process control in the chemical industry, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/7448/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. SOME EAELY EXAMPLES OF PLANT DEVELOPMENT AM) PROCESS CONTROL IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY Thesis presented for the degree of Master of Science in the University" of Durham ^7 K QUINN B.Sc Durham September 1977 WCTIOH ABSTRACT Serenteenth century alxun works were organised rationally and operators used physical and chemical tests to evaluate raw materials and to give necessaiy information for control of the process. Managers of the Boulby and Loftus plants during the second half of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century continued to use these tests and developed their application to control of the preparation of Kelp for the process and in evaluation of newer raw materials which replaced Kelp. A works laboratory was in existence at Loftus from 1805 and from 1820 a library of "sound" chemical texij^was maintained on the plant. Process development evaluation; process investigations; systematic investigation of Faraday's recommendations were carried out in addition to basic tests. The works chemist's function emerged. The large workforce was given specific tasks and salary and/or rates of pay indicated both a seniority and a succession. Details of the method of operations which remained essentially imchanged for 300 yearsjbring out the ideas of "unit operations" as being -implicitly understood and show the organisation of transport of materials in the plant. Chemists observing the process showed developing understanding of the chemistry of the operations and Wilson investigated the sequence of operations at plant level using chemical analyses. Chaptal developed the "synthetic" altmi process as a projection of current chemical knowledge and Va^^uelin's investigatio^is could have led to fundamental changes in the raw materials used in Yorkshire. Sulphuric acid and Gas Manufacture are sketched briefly. Both industries show the use of tests to evaluate raw materials and control the process; the involvement of chemists in fundamental research, as process innovations and carrying out investigations of the process at plant level; the development of processes based on chemical understanding and the development of work^ techniques by non-chemists who could be considered embryo chemical engineers. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Objects 1 The Relationship betireen Science and Industry 6 Empiricism 10 Origins of the Chemical Engineer 12 Origins of the Works Chemist 14 Parallels 15 THE ALUM INDUSTRY MANUFACTURE OF ALUM Introduction 17 Seventeenth Century Process 1678 20 Chaptal's "Rationalisation" 1807 26 Winter's Account 1810 29 Young's Account 1817 34 Account of the Participants Sources 35 Operating Plant 36 Plant Managers in North Yorkshire 39 Alum Making Mining 44 Roasting the Shale 46 Leaching the "Mine" Aj The Pits 48 b) Leaching 49 Settling 55 Concentration of the Liquor 56 Precipitation of the Alum Powder A) The Alkali 56 b) Preparation and Application (a) Ashes 70 (b) Muriate and Sulphate of Potash 71 Washing and Recrystallisation 72 Contemporary Appreciation of the Participants as Scientists 76 Ure's Account 1830s Calcining 77 Leaching 78 Concentrating 80 Precipitation 81 Washing 82 Reciystallisation 82 (Ammonia Alum 83) Knapp's Account 1840s Roasting or Ustulation 85 Lixiviation 86 Boiling 88 Precipitation of the Powder 89 V/ashing 93 Crystallisation 93 Distribution of the Product 94 Operations of Cartels 97 By-Products Slam 98 Epsoms 104 The Scottish Process 105 Manufacture of "Synthetic" Alum 108 Developing Comprehension of the Alum Process 112 SULPHDRIC ACID Preface 118 Introduction and Historical Survey 118 Development of the Plant Technique 122 COAL GAS MANUFACTURE Early Attempts 131 Henry's Researches 133 The 1805 paper to The Royal Society 135 Early Competition I36 Town Gas Lighting Supply Origins and Developments 138 Measurement of Illuminating Power 140 Gas Leak and Pressure Control 141 Classification and Selection of Coal 141 Carbonising Techniques 142 Industrial "Take Off" 143 By-Products 145 CONCLUSIONS Deductions from Evidence Presented 147 "Professionism" 151 APPENDIX The Laboratory Note Book of 1805 at Loftus 154 LITERATURE REFERENCES IS8 BIBLIOGRAPHY I'^T LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS Plate 1 - Reaumuf5 depictions of metal fracture tf»^slra\ patterns 1722 3 and 4 Copy of part of Dodd's letter of n3(^ concerning educating alum makers 9 Title page of "Lock and Lock" - consulting chemical engineers 1879 13 I^ap showing alum works 1817 37 "Contract of Appointment" of George Dodds as agent 1772 41 Instructions to George Westgarth to close down Boulby 1867 42 Extracts from book entitled "Experiments in Laboratory I8O5" 5I and 52 Extract from "Alum House Day Book" showing "Urine Carriage" 1794 58 Memorandum showing sources of Kelp in N E England 1782 61 Monthly report of George Dodds - December 1785 64 Monthly report of George Dodds - May I787 65 Record of Alum Roachings at Boulby 1789-1794 75 Record of Production and Distribution "Alum Account May I786" 95 "Alum Account June 1787" 96 Memorandum of "Cartel productionUiwiits" 1790s 99 and 100 Extract from Watson's^^Guide to Guisborough Alum Works" i85H- IO3 Loftus Alum Works Library at close of works I867 149 ( 12 JAN 1978 INTRODUCTION OBJECTS The purpose of this ei|quiiy is to examine the operation of industrial plants of the eighteenth and nineteenth century in which chemical processes were utilised in obtaining the end product or in monitoring its production* In particular, the process operations, their developnent, the development of plant itself, the process control and its development are investigated; and outlined* Immediately, one is faced with the problom of limiting the scope of invest• igation, since the field above is vast. Initially, it appeared that a "time scale" would be a suitable limitation. One could, for example, treat on certain chemical industries in the early nineteenth century or the late eighteenth century; however, the fevelopments in different industries do not seem to fit into the same time scale. Another way of treating the time scale would be to regard the revolutionary changes in chemical thought of Lavoisier et al. as providing a date which would be a suitable natural break. For Britain one would suggest that the year 179o'when Lavoisier's "Elements" were translated into English could represent such a date. Many of the publications that seem designed to influence the industries described or consider their new tendencies fall into the"new " era. Furthermore, much of this work when of French origin, seems related to the new post-revolutionary G-ovemment initiative in France where the direct application of science to industrial projects was regarded as a noble aim and was organised to achieve definite ends. O. ) The "Industrial Investigation" work of Berthollet on dyeing (3 ) and of Pajot de Gharmes on bleaching ) and Chaptal in his "Chonistry applied to the Arts and Manufacture" ( ) span the turn of the century. On the smaller scale, Clements and Desoimes' paper on manufacture of sulphuric acid ( ) and Henry's papers on salt ) and illuminating gas ( ^ ) present good early 19th century examples of research in the chemical nature of industrial processes. Yet, there is no general evidence that this era was a "take off" point for a the chemical industry as a whole, Watson for example, writing in 1854, claimed th^t . there had been little change in alum making in-^lTD years, It would seem reasohable, therefore, to argue that each industry must be takan in its context and to consider some of the many other factors which could be used to explain the development in an industry, (see below pagel(?) The next limitation to be faced is in the selection of industries which can. be analysed according to the breakdown given in the first paragraph. .IShat in any case is the chemical industry ? Hardie and Davidson Pratt ) describe it as "matter transforming industry" which produces chemical or physical changes in the nature of substances." They go on to point out that such a definition can "obscure the actual scope of chemical technology" and that, therefore, the usual title is "Chemical and Allied Industries" - where chemical industries produce named and recognisable "pure substances" and the allied industries produce the mixtures; 6i* such as gas, glass and soap. It is this latter concept which Mil be used here. This definition, is taken to exclude the ferrous metal industries from "allied industries" yet the industry could easily be described in terms of the criteria mentioned in the first paragraph. In particular, as early as 1722, IV Reaumur was describing the use of visual observation of the crystal structure revealed in the metal fracture surface as a guideline in the detemining of its suitability in steel making (see also plate 1).