DOCSLIB.ORG

Comparative Evaluation of Ammonia Synthesis Catalyst Features

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Comparative Evaluation of Ammonia Synthesis Catalyst Features Comparative Evaluation of Ammonia Synthesis Catalyst Features This article examines the development of the ammonia synthesis loop, from the inception of com- mercial ammonia production to today. Opportunities are explored for cost-effective, commercially viable improvements in the ammonia synthesis process through new catalysts and new loop configurations, Claus J. H. Jacobsen and S vend Erik Nielsen Haldor Tops0e A/S, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark Introduction mercially viable process was developed. From 1909-1912, Bosch was responsible for the develop- oday, catalytic ammonia synthesis is consid- ment of both the large-scale high-pressure ammonia ered a mature and highly optimized technolo- synthesis converters and the processes for supplying Tgy. Almost 100 years have passed since Fritz sufficient amounts of a sufficiently pure synthesis gas. Haber initiated his pioneering studies of the equilibri- During that same period, Mittasch discovered the dou- um between dihydrogen, dinitrogen, and ammonia bly promoted kon catalyst and many other active com- (Haber and van Oordt, 1904). These studies were the positions, including ruthenium (Mittasch, 1950), in an platform from which Haber developed his process for impressive research program involving catalytic activ- the continuous production of ammonia from the ele- ity measurements of more than 2,000 catalysts in ments (Haber and Elek, 1910). This process, originally almost 6,500 experiments. By 1922, Mittasch and his patented by BASF (DRP, 1908, 1909), revolutionized team had conducted more than 20,000 experiments. the chemical industry and it remains the cornerstone of When the decision to construct a full-scale ammonia catalytic ammonia synthesis. Haber realized that sever- synthesis plant was made in the summer of 1911, the al elements (kon, osmium, uranium, cerium, man- whole technology was completely new and many diffi- ganese, molybdenum, tungsten) were active catalysts culties still remained to be overcome. In view of this, it for the synthesis and decomposition reactions (Haber, is impressive that in September 1913, less than two 1920-1923). However, it was only through the impres- years after the construction was initiated, the fkst sive technical developments by Carl Bosch (Bosch, ammonia synthesis plant was put into operation in 1933) and Alwin Mittasch (Mittasch, 1950) that a com- Oppau, Germany. Soon after, a new plant was con- AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 212 2002 structed within eleven months by BASF in Leuna near stability was developed (Jacobsen, 2001). It is dis- Leipzig. In 1937, these two BASF plants still account- cussed if new catalysts can be utilized in further ed for more than 70% of the annual world production improved ammonia synthesis processes. We provide capacity (Slack and James, 1973). cost estimates and consumption figures for different Since these earliest developments, the importance of process schemes utilizing different catalysts. From our catalytic ammonia synthesis has steadily increased. In current understanding of the ammonia synthesis reac- 2000, the annual world capacity for ammonia produc- tion, it is possible to accurately predict the maximally tion exceeded 150-106 metric tons (t) of ammonia and achievable activity of an ammonia synthesis catalyst the ammonia production required around 1.5% of the under specified reaction conditions. Based on this, we total global energy consumption (Appl, 2000). Today, speculate about possible future developments of the about 85% of all ammonia is used for production of ammonia synthesis loop. nitrogen-containing fertilizers and thereby ammonia plays a central role in sustaining the growing popula- Developments of the Ammonia Synthesis tion of the world. It has been estimated that at least two Loop billion of the current global population can only be nourished through provision of proteins available via Refer to Slack and James (1973), Appl (2000), dinitrogen fixation by the Haber-Bosch process (Smil, Topham (1985), Hooper (1991), Vancini (1970), and 1997). Consequently, a strong driving force for contin- Dybkjaer (1995). The developments by BASF stimu- uously improving the technology exists. In the scientif- lated other researchers to develop alternative synthesis ic community, a massive effort has been focused on the schemes, partly to circumvent the elaborate worldwide understanding of the fundamental details of this cat- patent protection of the German developments and alytic reaction. Thus, ammonia synthesis has been the partly to search for improvements. The first successful cradle and testing ground for chemical concepts since plant outside Germany was started in Terni, Italy in the beginning of the 20th century (Somorjai and 1920. Some of the earliest synthesis loops employed Materer, 1994). Despite these efforts, few fundamen- significantly higher pressures (about 750-1,000 bar) tally new catalysts have been discovered and many than the BASF plants, thereby allowing increased con- controversies regarding the detailed energetics of the version per pass and a simplified ammonia separation. elementary reaction steps remain, although important In the U.S., after the less successful "US Nitrate Plant insight has resulted from single crystal studies No. 1" (using a sodium promoted cobalt catalyst) com- (Somorojai and Materer, 1994; Ertl, 1991; Somorjai, missioned in 1918 in Alabama, a new plant was put 1991; Ertl, 1980). However, during the last few years, into operation in Syracuse, NY in 1921. Early develop- our understanding of the ammonia synthesis reaction ments in Europe included the technology by Fauser, has significantly improved. used in a plant operated with coke oven gas from the Bosch already realized that generation of the pure company Mont Cenis. This process operated at a very synthesis gas would be the largest single contributor to low pressure (100 bar) and featured a catalyst based on the total production cost of ammonia (Bosch, 1933). iron cyanide. The ammonia synthesis process in the Although most of the significant improvements of the form originally developed by Haber and Bosch deliv- ammonia synthesis process during the 20th century ered ammonia with an energy consumption of 80-90 have been in the synthesis gas generation (front end), GJ/t. After this pioneering work, the modern history of we focus this article on the improvements of the ammo- industrial ammonia synthesis can largely be catego- nia synthesis loop that have occurred since the first rized in three eras based on the available synthesis cat- plants were constructed. Some of the recent process alysts, synthesis loops, energy consumption figures, developments rely on new catalysts (US, 1987, 1979) and available production capacities. In the classifica- with significantly higher activities than those of the tra- tion outlined below, the trends are illustrated with some ditional, promoted iron catalysts. Recently, a new of the common catalysts and synthesis loop configura- ruthenium catalyst with an unprecedented activity and tions. AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 213 2002 1965-1985: Integrated plant design utilizing 1930-1965: Small units utilizing internal cooling quench or indirect cooling and iron catalysts and iron catalysts 500-1,200 MTPD, multibed ammonia synthesis 100-500 metric ton per day (MTPD), single bed loops, quench or indirect cooling, Mittasch-type cata- ammonia synthesis loops, internal cooling, Mittasch- lysts, energy consumption between 45 and 32 GJ/t. type catalyst, energy consumption between 80 and 45 During this period, the concept of integrated plant GJ/t. The first ammonia synthesis loops all used axial design was pioneered. This was achieved through con- flow converters. The first ammonia synthesis converter struction of large single-train plants with high degrees built in Haber's laboratory in Karlsruhe already relied of energy integration. Reciprocating compressors were on an internal feed-effluent heat exchanger. However, replaced by centrifugal compressors and most new electrical preheat of the synthesis gas was necessary. plants were based on steam or naphtha reforming at Soon after, Bosch constructed the first autothermal pressures of 15-30 bar. Instead of internally cooled ammonia synthesis converter (pilot scale) by improved converters, quench cooling or indirect cooling was pri- insulation and heat recovery. These features were gen- marily employed in synthesis loops containing more erally maintained in the industrial ammonia synthesis catalyst beds operating around 150-220 bar. Although converters of this period. Industrially, the heat of reac- most converters of this period had several catalyst tion was removed using internal cooling in either coun- beds, this was not a new development since the early tercurrent (such as TVA-type converters) or cocurrent Fauser-Montecatini reactor used more beds with indi- (such as NEC-type converters) flow in cooling tubes. rect cooling. The promoted iron catalyst was still Throughout the period, only Mittasch-type promoted exclusively used for industrial application. However, iron catalysts were employed. Due to the axial flow use of the inherently more active, smaller catalyst par- configuration, larger catalyst particles were used (typi- ticles (down to 1.5-3 mm) was made possible through cally 6-12 mm) resulting in pressure drops of 15-20 the invention of radial flow and horizontal converters. bar around the synthesis loop and significant rate limi- This decreased the pressure drop hi the synthesis loop tations due to mass transport restrictions.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Die Nationalsozialistische Rezeption Julius Robert Mayers: Alwin Mittasch Und Das Konzept Der Auslösung
    Die nationalsozialistische Rezeption Julius Robert Mayers: Alwin Mittasch und das Konzept der Auslösung M aria Osietzki, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Fakultät für Geschichtswissenschaft, W irtschafts- und Technikgeschichte, Universitätsstr. 150, 4630 Bochum 1 Im Jahre 1942 erschien eine vom Reichsforschungsrat in Auftrag gegebene "Gedenkpublikation zur 100. W iederkehr der Entdeckung des Energieerhal­ tungssatzes".1 In ihr kamen Vertreter unterschiedlicher Disziplinen zu W ort, für die der Energieerhaltungssatz von Relevanz war. Im Stil schloß sich die Gedenkschrift weitgehend an die üblicherweise zur Identitätsstiftung der W issenschaft beitragenden Heroisierungen von W issenschaftlern und den zur Aufwertung der eigenen Disziplin bestimmten Rekonstruktionen ihrer Leistun­ gen an. Die meisten Beiträge lagen in einer Linie mit der Rezeptionsgeschichte Mayers vor 1933 und nach 1945. Stellenweise wiesen sie allerdings Passagen auf, die man als bewußte Verbeugung vor den Ambitionen der Nationalsozia­ listen oder als unbewußte Anpassung an ihre Denkweisen interpretieren kann. Im Unterschied dazu stand eine Publikation in der Gedenkschrift für einen Rezeptionsstrang M ayers, der als typisch nationalsozialistisch zu kennzeichnen ist. Er stammt von dem Chemiker Alwin M ittasch (1869-1953), dem erfolgrei­ chen Katalyseforscher und langjährigem Laboratoriumsleiter bei der BASF, der sich im Ruhestand mit philosophischen Fragen befaßte. Er stieß dabei auf eine kurze Schrift von Mayer aus dem Jahre 1876, in der dieser skizzenhaft das Konzept der Auslösung entwickelt hatte.2 Die Faszination, die M ittasch für die­ ses Konzept empfand, bestand in dessen Ergänzung des Energieerhaltungs­ satzes, der auf dem Prinzip "causa aequat effectum" basierte, während die Auslösung vom Grundsatz "kleine Ursache große W irkung" ausging. In dieser dualen Kausalitätsvorstellung sah M ittasch eine Brücke zwischen M aterie und Geist sowie zwischen Leib und Seele.
    [Show full text]
  • CARL BOSCH and HIS MUSEUM Fathi Habashi, Laval University
    Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 35, Number 2 (2010) 111 CARL BOSCH AND HIS MUSEUM Fathi Habashi, Laval University Carl Bosch (1874-1940) (Fig. 1) was for the development of the catalysts. born in Cologne, studied metallurgy Further problems which had to be and mechanical engineering at the Tech- solved were the construction of safe nische Hochschule in Berlin (1894-96), high-pressurized reactors and a cheap then chemistry at Leipzig University, way of producing and cleaning the graduating in 1898. In 1899 he entered gases necessary for the synthesis of the employ of the Badische Anilin- und ammonia. Step by step Bosch went Sodafabrik in Ludwigshafen (Fig. 2) on to using increasingly larger manu- and participated in the development facturing units. In order to solve the of the then new industry of synthetic growing problems posed by materials indigo. and related safety problems, BASF set up the chemical industry’s first When in 1908 the Badische ac- Materials Testing Laboratory in 1912 quired the process of high-pressure to identify and control problems in synthesis of ammonia, which had been materials for instrumentation and developed by Fritz Haber (1868-1934) process engineering. at the Technische Hochschule in Karl- sruhe, Bosch was given the task of The plant in Oppau for the pro- developing this process on an industrial duction of ammonia and nitrogen Figure 1. Carl Bosch (1874-1940) scale. This involved the construction of fertilizers was opened in 1913. Bosch plant and apparatus which would stand up wanted fertilizers to be tested thorough- to working at high gas pressure and high-reaction tem- ly, so that customers were to be given proper instructions peratures.
    [Show full text]
  • Conference Report of the 47Th Jahrestreffen Deutscher
    CHEMCATCHEM CONFERENCE REPORTS DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201402266 German Catalysis on an International Scale in Weimar Juliane Titus,[a] Stefan Kaluza,[b] and Roland Marschall*[c] Dedicated to the memory of Professor Helmut Knçzinger. To Weimar and Beyond In Remembrance of Helmut Knçzinger Over the years, the Annual Meeting of the German Catalysis This year’s conference started with a minute’s silence to honor Society (GeCatS), which traditionally takes place in Weimar, has Prof. Helmut Knçzinger, who died on January 12th, 2014 at the become a constant in the conference calendar of every age of 78. He was a leading scientist in the in situ characteriza- German catalysis researcher. This year’s meeting (March 12th– tion of heterogeneous catalysts. Amongst other roles, he 14th) covered a huge range of catalysis, including recent re- served as chairman of the DECHEMA catalysis section and par- search topics such as thermal, bio-, and photocatalysis. The ticipated in the DECHEMA catalysis working committee. In latter was even put into practice, with the sunshine catalyzing 1998, he was awarded the Alwin Mittasch Medal for his out- scientific discussion and collaborative initiatives in the adjacent standing scientific work. His memory and the resonance of his Weimarhalle park! scientific contributions will remain with us. This year’s conference was not only record-breaking with re- spect to the high temperatures but the scientific program Highlights in Catalysis itself. 582 participants joined this year’s conference (in compar- ison to 519 the year before), in which 38 oral presentations, in- The scientific program began with a plenary lecture by Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Setsuro Tamaru and Fritz Haber: Links Between Japan and Germany In
    Essay DOI: 10.1002/tcr.201402086 Setsuro Tamaru and Fritz Haber: Links THE CHEMICAL between Japan and Germany in Science RECORD and Technology Hideko Tamaru Oyama Department of Chemistry, Rikkyo University, 3-34-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8501 (Japan), Tel./Fax: (+81) 3-3985-2363, E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT: Setsuro Tamaru was my grandfather. He worked with Fritz Haber in Germany on researching the ammonia synthesis process and contributed substantially to the development of scientific research and education in Japan. Although I had never met him, I felt his existence while I grew up, since our house was built by him and had many artifacts brought back from Germany by my grandfather; e.g., a Bechstein upright piano upon which I practiced piano every day and Fritz Haber’s portrait with his handwritten message hung on the wall. This is an account of my grandfather’s life, concentrating on his relationship with Fritz Haber. This story goes back to a time more than a century ago. 1. Early Years in Japan (1879∼1908) Setsuro Tamaru (1879∼1944), shown in Figure 1, was born on November 1, 1879, in Morioka, a region in the northern part of the main island, Honshu, Japan. He was the fourth son of a former clansman of the Nambu clan, Juro (father, 1848∼1892), and Shin (mother, 1850∼1941). His father died when he was 12 years old so his eldest brother, Kinya,[1] sup- ported the big family (his mother, grandmother Koto, and six siblings)[2] by working as a schoolteacher.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Evolution of Catalysts Design and Synthesis
    3 1 Evolution of Catalysts Design and Synthesis: From Bulk Metal Catalysts to Fine Wires and Gauzes, and that to Nanoparticle Deposits, Metal Clusters, and Single Atoms Wey Yang Teoh 1,2 1University of Malaya, Centre for Separation Science and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2The University of New South Wales, School of Chemical Engineering, Sydney 2052, Australia 1.1 The Cradle of Modern Heterogeneous Catalysts The modern discovery of heterogeneous catalysts stretches as far back as 1800 when Joseph Priestley and Martinus van Marum reported the dehydrogenation of alcohol over a heated metal catalyst, although not too much was thought about the role of the metal catalyst at that time except as a heating source. Then in 1813, Louis Jacques Thénard of École Polytechnique in Paris discovered the decomposi- tion of ammonia to nitrogen and hydrogen over “red-hot metals” and recognized that the phenomenon was due to some catalytic reaction [1, 2]. The concept was followed up by Humphry Davy and Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution of London who, in 1817, reported the flameless catalytic combustion of coal gas and air over heated platinum wire producing bright white ignition. Their results were reproducible when using palladium, but not on copper, silver, iron, gold, and zinc [1, 3]. These experiments made clear that there was some form of cat- alytic role associated with the different metals. The discovery soon became the basisfortheinventionofthecoalminesafetylamp,alsoknownastheDavy lamp – although mysteriously but rather practically, the use of inefficient steel iron rather than platinum gauze became the standard for Davy lamps.
    [Show full text]
  • One Hundred Years of Chemical Warfare: Research
    Bretislav Friedrich · Dieter Hoffmann Jürgen Renn · Florian Schmaltz · Martin Wolf Editors One Hundred Years of Chemical Warfare: Research, Deployment, Consequences One Hundred Years of Chemical Warfare: Research, Deployment, Consequences Bretislav Friedrich • Dieter Hoffmann Jürgen Renn • Florian Schmaltz Martin Wolf Editors One Hundred Years of Chemical Warfare: Research, Deployment, Consequences Editors Bretislav Friedrich Florian Schmaltz Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Max Planck Institute for the History of Society Science Berlin Berlin Germany Germany Dieter Hoffmann Martin Wolf Max Planck Institute for the History of Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Science Society Berlin Berlin Germany Germany Jürgen Renn Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Berlin Germany ISBN 978-3-319-51663-9 ISBN 978-3-319-51664-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-51664-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017941064 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017. This book is an open access publication. Open Access This book is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/), which permits any noncom- mercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this book are included in the book's Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the book's Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating the Twentieth Century: Technical Innovations of 1867-1914
    Creating the Twentieth Century: Technical Innovations of 1867–1914 and Their Lasting Impact Vaclav Smil OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Creating the Twentieth Century This page intentionally left blank Creating the Twentieth Century Technical Innovations of 1867–1914 and Their Lasting Impact Vaclav Smil 1 2005 1 Oxford University Press, Inc., publishes works that further Oxford University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Copyright ᭧ 2005 by Oxford University Press, Inc. Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 www.oup.com Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Smil, Vaclav. Creating the twentieth century : technical innovations of 1867–1914 and their lasting impact / Vaclav Smil. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-19-516874-4 ISBN: 0-19-516874-7 1. Technological innovations—History—19th century. 2. Technological innovations—History—20th century. I. Title. T173.8.S615 2004 609'.034—dc22 2004054757 987654321 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper Preface This book has been on my mind for more than three decades.
    [Show full text]
  • Mitteilungen Der Wilhelm-Ostwald-Gesellschaft Zu Großbothen E.V. 14
    Mitteilungen der Wilhelm-Ostwald-Gesellschaft zu Großbothen e.V. 14. Jg. 2009, Heft 1 ISSN 1433-3910 _________________________________________________________________ Inhalt Editorial Zur 47. Ausgabe der „Mitteilungen“.................................................................... 5 Vorlesungen über Naturphilosophie (Vorlesung 16) Wilhelm Ostwald .......................................................................................... 7 Wilhelm Ostwalds „Geschichte der Elektrochemie“ von 1896 und die Entwicklung der Bioelektrochemie seit Luigi Galvani bis heute Hermann Berg .............................................................................................. 18 Fritz Köhler – Universitäts-Mechaniker bei Wilhelm Ostwald von 1897 bis 1904 Ulf Messow, Wolgang Hönle, Ulf Molzahn.................................................. 25 Die Verantwortung des Wissenschaftlers – Manfred von Ardenne, Klaus Fuchs und das atomare Patt Gerhard Barkleit ......................................................................................... 37 Andere über Ostwald Wladimir und Karin Reschetilowski............................................................. 57 Nachruf auf Prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus Wetzel Karl-Peter Dostal......................................................................................... 60 Gesellschaftsnachrichten...................................................................................... 64 Protokoll der Mitgliederversammlung vom 21.02.2009 Autorenhinweise..................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • James, Steinhauser, Hoffmann, Friedrich One Hundred Years at The
    James, Steinhauser, Hoffmann, Friedrich One Hundred Years at the Intersection of Chemistry and Physics Published under the auspices of the Board of Directors of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society: Hans-Joachim Freund Gerard Meijer Matthias Scheffler Robert Schlögl Martin Wolf Jeremiah James · Thomas Steinhauser · Dieter Hoffmann · Bretislav Friedrich One Hundred Years at the Intersection of Chemistry and Physics The Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society 1911–2011 De Gruyter An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libra- ries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access. More information about the initiative can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org Aut ho rs: Dr. Jeremiah James Prof. Dr. Dieter Hoffmann Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Institute for the Max Planck Society History of Science Faradayweg 4–6 Boltzmannstr. 22 14195 Berlin 14195 Berlin [email protected] [email protected] Dr. Thomas Steinhauser Prof. Dr. Bretislav Friedrich Fritz Haber Institute of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society Max Planck Society Faradayweg 4–6 Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin 14195 Berlin [email protected] [email protected] Cover images: Front cover: Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, 1913. From left to right, “factory” building, main building, director’s villa, known today as Haber Villa. Back cover: Campus of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 2011. The Institute’s his- toric buildings, contiguous with the “Röntgenbau” on their right, house the Departments of Physical Chemistry and Molecular Physics.
    [Show full text]
  • Krebs Collection Books (Octavos)
    Special Collections and Archives: Krebs Collection A collection of around 1250 items from the library of Sir Hans Krebs, Lecturer and subsequently Professor of Biochemistry at Sheffield from 1935 to 1954, and Nobel Prize Winner in 1953 for his work, along with Fritz Lipmann, in discovering in living organisms the series of chemical reactions known as the tricarboxylic acid cycle. For further biographical details, see the collection level description for the Krebs Papers (MS 116). The Krebs Collection consists of over 800 books and periodicals, which have been individually catalogued, and over 400 pamphlets, newspaper cuttings and reprints of journal articles, which have been listed. Some of the material has been annotated by Krebs. Books (octavos) International Neurochemical Conference (1965 : Oxford, England) Variation in chemical composition of the nervous system : as determined by developmental and genetic factors ; edited by G.B. Ansell on behalf of the National Committee of the International Neurochemical Conference, Oxford, 1965. - Oxford : Symposium Publications Division, Pergamon Press, 1966. [M0139812SH] Western Bank Library KREBS COLLECTION 1; 200673119 Reference. Inscribed with Hans Krebs' initials on half-title page. Western Bank Library KREBS COLLECTION 2; 200673120 Reference Ardenne, Manfred, Baron von, 1907- Eine glückliche Jugend im Zeichen der Technik ; Manfred von Ardenne. - Leipzig; Jena; Berlin : Urania Verlag, 1965. [M0135153SH] Western Bank Library KREBS COLLECTION 3; 200673014 Reference. Inscription on flyleaf by the author dated 7/7/66, and letter in reply from Krebs dated 14/7/66, pasted in at the back of the book. Ardenne, Manfred, Baron von, 1907- Ein glückliches Leben für Technik und Forschung : Autobiographie ; Manfred von Ardenne.
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Group
    Historical Group OCCASIONAL PAPERS No 7 Nitrogen, Novel High-Pressure Chemistry, and the German War Effort (1900-1918) Anthony S. Travis (Sidney M. Edelstein Center for the History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) The Seventh Wheeler Lecture Royal Society of Chemistry, 22 October 2014 April 2015 Introduction “The story still is told of a Minister, a member of the War Cabinet, who, finding the conversation at a certain dinner turning to the sinister menace of the submarine campaign, then at its height, and its effects especially on the Chile communications, turned to his neighbour with the enquiry: ‘Tell me, what is this nitrate they are all making such a fuss about?’” Stanley I. Levy, “The Status of Chemists and Chemistry”, in Chemistry and Industry, no. 11 (14 March 1924): 285-6. Apocryphal or not, this extract from the correspondence columns of the then new British journal Chemistry and Industry in 1924 exposes the apparent general ignorance in Britain, and also for a time in Germany, of a crucial and even desperate episode in the conduct of what became known as the First Great War. “Nitrate”, a commodity essential to the production of modern explosives employed in warfare, mainly aromatic nitro compounds such as TNT and picric acid, was common currency to all belligerents. Nevertheless outside of scientific and industrial circles the critical roles of what was in fact Chilean nitrate (Chilean saltpetre, or sodium nitrate), extracted from the mineral caliche, and the other nitrogen-containing chemicals of commerce, such as calcium cyanamide and ammonia, as sources of vast destructive power, was generally given little, if any, prominence at the start of the war in early August 1914.
    [Show full text]
  • 75 Anhang. -75
    \VILHELM OSTWALDS Auslosungslehre. 75 Die hohen und hochsten Werte des Menschenlebens, vor aHem in Wissenschaft, Kunst, Moral und Religion bleiben in ihrem Wesenskern yom Begriff "Energie" unbertihrt; das "geistige Prinzip", das schon ROBERT MAYER neben oder besser tiber den Energiebegriff gesetzt hat, ist jeder Energetik unzuganglich. Es ist, als ob WILHELM OSTWALD seIber die Zustandigkeits­ grenzen des Begriffes "Energie", vor allem hinsichtlich Wertungen, mehr und mehr empfunden hatte. Hat er sich ja in seiner letzten Lebensepoche fast ausschliel3lich der Farbenlehre und der "Schonheit des Gesetzes" (siehe "Lebenslinien" III) gewidmet, und mit dem daselbst herrschenden Begriff der Harmonie die Er­ orterung eines Gebietes angeschlagen, in welchem die Begriffe "Energie" und "Aus16sung" nur noch die Rolle untergeordneter dienstbarer Geister zu spielen vermogen. Hier fiihrt die Psyche das Wort, und ein Ausblick eroffnet sich auf eine wahre "Philo­ sophie der W erte" . Fassen wir OSTWALDS Aus16sungslehre im ganzen ins Auge, so gilt, daB sie deutlich den Charakter einer bedeutsamen Uber­ gangserschein ung zeigt, gekennzeichnet durch die Vorztige und Nachteile einer ausgesprochen energetischen Betrachtungs­ weise. Es handelt sich urn einen Ubergang von oberflachlichem Mechanismus zu einem tieferschtirfenden universellen Dynamis­ m us, wie ein solcher sich in der abendlandischen Wissenschaft unserer Tage mehr und mehr durchringt. Das neue Weltbild wird dynamische Naturanschauung sein, nicht mechanische. WILHELM WUNDT. Anhang. Einiges zur Gesamtentwicklung des Aus16sungsbegrifles. A. Von den Anfiingen bis zu Wilhelm Ostwald und Friedrich Nietzsche. Schon im alltaglichen Leben macht sich hinsichtlich des Begriffpaares Ursache-Wirkung eine Zwiefaltigkeit geltend, die den Keim fUr die Unter­ scheidung von Umsetzungs- oder Erhaltungskausalitat (E.K.) und Aus­ losungs- oder AnstoBkausalitat (A.K.), von energetischen Wirkkraften und energetisch mehr oder minder belanglosen Au s los un g s - un d S t e u e­ rungskraften bildet.
    [Show full text]