Abstract :
The establishment of a carbide manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom has brought its own special problems for engineers and chemists to solve, and the object of the paper is to describe a typical factory deriving its electrical energy, which may be regarded as its principal raw material, from a thermal power station. The paper outlines the history of the carbide industry from the discovery of acetylene in 1836 until commercial production commenced in 1892, with some notes on the various investigations carried out in the intervening period. The development of the manufacturing process follows, from the early ingot or batch furnaces to the modern, for the production of ¿run¿ or ¿tapped¿ carbide, with a consideration of the chemical reactions involved. A typical modern process is then described in some detail. It is based on a factory which was built in the United Kingdom by the Ministry of Supply. The plant requirements for self-sufficiency are noted from the preparation of the raw materials, other than electricity, to the dispatch of the finished product. Some notes on furnace design are also given. The electrical distribution system is fully described, particular reference being made to those features which are considered to be peculiar to the industry. Some particulars are also given of the various other services provided in the factory, such as road and rail transport, workshops and special provisions including some made in connection with safety precautions peculiar to the industry.
