ric acid, nitric acid, in factories for making stearine, explosives, German
yeast, and many other articles. In 1912 there were 8 sulphuric acid
factories with 1 2 1 workmen and an output of 126 7 4 9 0 0 0 kilograms (50°
B.), of the value of 2 921 000 kronor. During the seventies of last century,
1 he production amounted to only 4 000 000 kilograms a year, during the
eighties to 1 1 20 0 0 00 kilograms, and in the first half of the nineties to
28 0 00 0 0 0 kilograms a year. For some years there has also been a manufacture
in Sweden of fuming sulphuric acid, so-called “Oleum”, mostly for
the preparation of explosives. Thé import in 1913 amounted to 1 113 000
kilograms of the value of 61 2 0 0 kronor; the export amounted to about
40 000 kronor. Iron pyrites, the raw material for sulphuric acid, which is
also used in the manufacture of sulphite pulp, was imported in 1913 to
the extent of 141 005 000 kilograms (mostly with about 3 % of copper),
of the value of 3 525 000 kronor. The import of .sulphur, which is mostly
used for the production of sulphite pulp, was in the same year no less than
39 715 000 kilograms, of the value of 3 574 000 kronor.
The manufacture of sulphuric acid is given in the following table:
Annnally Tons Annnally
1866—1870 . . . . . . . . 751 1901 1905 ................
1871—1875 . . . . . . . . 2 994 1906—1910 . . . . . .
1876—1880 . . . . . . . . 5 044
1881—1885 . . . . . . . . 9 357 1910......................... .
1886—1890 . . . . . . . .13127 1911........................
1891—1895 . . . . . . 30025 1912 . . . . . . . . . .
1896-1900 . . . . . . . . 37289
Tons
126 810
Chlorates.
Chlorate is an indispensable ingredient in the manufacture of matches,
fireworks,, and certain kinds of gunpowder; since the electrolytic method
of manufacturing has become known, the electric energy required for
its manufacture has been generated with the aid of water power. The
first chlorate factory, which was at the same time the first eleotroTchemical
factory in Sweden, was established in 1893, at the instigation of Director
Oscar Carlson, by the Stockholms Superfosfatfabriks Aktiebolag at
Mansbo, in A vesta, at one of the waterfalls of the river Dalaiven. In
1898 was erected at A lby, in Vasternorrland Lan, another chlorate factory,
deriving power from the waters of the Ljungan, which flows past the
factory. By means of the electric current, chlorine is liberated from an
alkaline chloride and, by acting on the alkali which is at the same time
liberated, forms chlorate.
In 1912 th e two factories above mentioned employed together 185 workmen
and about 5 700 horse-power.
Kg Kr.
Production, mostly potassium chlorate.................... 3 418 000 1 859 000
Im p o r t........................................................................... 227800 132 000
E x p o r t............................................................................... 1653 000 794 000
In 1913 the imports and exports were 253 400 and 1 423 000 kg respectively.
In order to produce this quantity, 2 222 000 kg of potassium chloride, with a
value of 440 000 kronor, were imported in the same year (1912).
The chlorate factory at Alby_is owned by the Alby Nya Kloratfabriks Aktiebolag,
all the shares of which are in the hands of the Jonkôpings och Vulcans
Tandsticksfabriks Aktiebolag.
Since 1895 a factory has existed at Bengtfors for the electro-chemical production
of caustic soda and potash and chloride of lime (bleaching powder). The
value of the output amounts to about 235 000 kronor per year.
Artificial Fertilizers.
The manufacture of fertilizers containing phosphoric acid, in the form
known as superphosphate, commenced about the year 1871, since when
this industry has undergone considerable development. The pioneers in
Sweden for this industry, which has now attained such, considerable dimensions,
are Director O. Carlson, of- Stockholm, and Consul N. Persson; of
Halsingborg. Although both conglomerates and apatite containing phosphorus
occur in Sweden in such a pure state as to supply a suitable raw
material for the manufacture of superphosphate, it has nevertheless proved
necessary to. cover the demand of the factories for raw phosphate to a
great extent by importation, principally from America. The phosphates
of lime obtainable from Florida, Carolina, and other recently discovered
sources of supply are to be had at prices which exclude all possibility of
competition. Sweden possesses at the présent time (1912) 6 superphosphate
factories with 579 workmen and an output of 168 478 tons, valued
at 9 253 000 kronor.
The production of superphosphate is shown by the following figures:
Annually • Tons Annnally Tons
1871 1875 . . . . . . . . 2 993 1901 1905 . . . . . . . 98154
1876—1880 . . . . . . . . 8 698 1906—1910 . . . . . . . .146 220
1881—1885 . . . . . . . .28 943
1886—1890 . . . . . . . . 42965. 1910 . . . . . . . , ............ 167103
1891—1895 . . . . . . . . 54057 1911........................ . . . . 184 883
1896—1900 . . . . 1912 : ................< . . . . 168 478
Sweden possesses excellent possibilities-for. an extensive manufacture of
Thomas phosphate (basic Bes'semer slag)", as the iron ores containing apatite,
which occur in many places, particularly in Grangesberg and Norr-
botten, on being worked by the basic Bessemer process, yield phosphate as
a by-product in and with the slag. This process was applied for the first
time in 1892, at Domnarvet, for the manufacture of iron from Grangesberg
ores. In 1912 there existed one factory for the manufacture of Thomas
phosphate, and the entire output amounted to 14 978 tons.
The manufacture of bone meal was carried on in 1912 in 15 larger and
smaller factories and bone-grinding mills in several provinces of Sweden.
In addition to bone-meal, some of them also produce bone-fat, bone-glue,
and bone-charcoal. .