ACID INDUSTRY, The The manufac ture of chemicals in the United States began with that of sulphuric acid. The indispensable part that this acid plays in all branches of man ufacturing created an insistent demand that could not be net by importation. From those early days onward the manufacture of acids has steadily increased until, at the present, the tonnage of acids made annually in the United States exceeds the tonnage of any other one product, excepting only fertilizers, which in themselves contain enormous quantities of salts made with the aid of acids..
In gathering statistics of the acid industry it is customary to place the making of sulphuric and nitric acids and their mixture ("mixed acids') under a separate classification, as the production is so very much greater than of other acids, and their use in general manufac tures is so widespread. The Census Bureau in its report on the acid industry for the calendar year 1914 gives the total value of the made for sale in the United States at $30,001, 364. The amount made and consumed is not valued, but was estimated as worth at least as much more.
Sulphuric Acid.— The number of establish-. ments making sulphuric acid was 194—includ ing those plants producing it for conSumption in their regular business of making fertilizers and explosives, refining petroleum and the man ufacture of general chemicals. The total pro duction amounted to 4,047,675 tons, of which 2,337,977 tons were made for sale, in value, $15,395,133—and 1,709,698 tons for consump tion in the factories where produced. In this total all the acid made was reduced to the basis of 50° [tame. It included 1677,649 tons of 50° acid; 795,489 tons of 60° acid: 828,466 tons of 66° acid; and 77,758 tons of oleum or fuming acid. Of the establishments reported, 34 were in Georgia, 18 in New Jersey and 16 in Pennsylvania— the location being governed obviously by proximity to deposits of the pyrites needed as raw material. Prelim inary official figures of the Geological Survey place the 1916 output of sulphuric acid in the United States at about 4,500,000 tons of 50° acid and nearly 1,000,000 tons of acids strong er than 66° Baume. The enormous increase over the production of 1914 has nearly all gone into the manufacture of explosives in this country. The ex .rts of sulphuric acid
for 1916 were only 3001 i tons.
Nitric manufacture of nitric acid engaged 52 establishments, of which 11 were located in Pennsylvania and 10 in New Jersey. The total output was 78,589 tons, of which 14,685 tons were for sale and 63,904 tons for consumption in the making of other products in the plants where produced. The production sold was valued at $1,591,625.
Mixed Acids.— In 1914 there were 37 estab lishments making the mixture of sulphuric and nitric acids known to the trade as (mixed acids,'' and used so largely in the manufacture of explosives. The total production was 112,124 tons, of which 42,725 tons were for sale, and valued at $2,204,480, and 69,399 tons for con sumption by the plants making it. The mixed acid industry showed a notable increase since the previous census of 1909, amounting to 49.4 per cent in quantity. The value, however, in creased only 18.5 per cent.
The quantities of the principal raw materials consumed in the manufacture of sulphuric and nitric acids and mixed acids in 1914 were as follows: Sulphur or brimstone, 62,340 tons, cost ing $1,272,745; pyrites, 918,211 tons, costing $3,928,069; and nitrate of soda, 59,604 tons, costing $2,772,495. In addition, the fertilizer industry used in making acids: 2,041 tons of sulphur; 613,842 tons of pyrites ; and 15,134 tons of nitrate of soda. The explosives indus try used in making acids: 15,832 tons of sul phur; 25,885 tons of pyrites; and 190,960 tons of nitrate of soda. The petroleum industry used in making acids; 2,035 tons of sulphur and 23,669 tons of pyrites.
Of the less important acids separate reports for 1914 were made as follows : Acetic Acid was made in 13 establishments, the output amounting to 75,303,375 pounds, of which 70,617,637 pounds was for sale and valued at $1,272,294. The remaining 4,685,738 pounds were for factory consumption. The in crease in output since 1909 was 24.1 per cent, but the value of the product was less than in 1909 by 4.8 per cent. The bulk of the produc tion was in Pennsylvania, with Massachusetts and New Jersey second.