Technikatörténeti szemle 25. (2001-02)

Papers of the Third International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Budapest, 2–4 July, 1999) – First Part - Lichocka, Halina: Ignacy Mościcki (1867–1946) in the history of science and technology

application the absorbtion of nitric oxides, at a possibly smoll loss, requires special technological methods. Moscicki solved this problem by constructing absorbtion towers of his own invention, patented and later used in many countries. The towers found their application in the production of nitric acid, as well as in other branches of chemical industry. In 1903, in Fribourg a prototype of a small test factory of nitric acid was established, in which new absorbtion towers were installed with condensers of high tension, the latter having been patented by Moscicki separately. In the autumn of the same year Moscicki built a bigger factory of nitric acid at Vevey. The output of that factory proved however unsatisfactory, so efforts had to be made to improve the method. They resulted in the invention of a furnace provided with an arrangement of many electric arcs. The technical test of the furnace took place in Fribourg in 1905. The device, with next improvements, was covered by Austrian patents. The furnace produced a continuous and almost automatic work. It had the shape of an isolated column, in which from the bottom to the top heated air was passing, in the flame of electric arcs subjected to chemical reaction leading to the synthesis of nitric oxide. The latter was sent at the furnace's top to the absorbtion towers where, combining with water, it turned into nitric acid. The evaluation of a small factory of nitric acid, built again, was done in 1906 by William Crookes who came to Fribourg. He expressed a very good opinion of it. Crookes' expertise with a technical description was published in specialist European journals which contributed to the popularity of the method. The factory produced the nitric acid above then the required purity, and was moreover almost completely automatized. The necessary materials, that is air and water, were supplied continuously, so once set in motion it had only to be guarded. Moscicki was trying continuously to improve the factory, because the use of energy in the production of the nitric acid seemed to him too big. So he had the idea of improving the performance of the electric arc by placing the flame of the gas burner between the electrodes. The ionization caused by the flame increased the electric discharge. The device received a Swiss patent. Moscicki's next invention was a rotating electric arc. It consisted in the treatment of the arc as a conductor through which variable current was flowing and in placing it within the magnetic field with lines of forces running perpendicular to the arc's direction. The electrodes were supplied by variable current of 4,5 kV and of about 60 Hz frequency. Consequently the arc was set in a rotational movement resulting in a rotating flame. This ensured high and even temperature within the furnace. Many electric furnaces of Moscicki's design were then installed in Switzerland and other countries. In Poland the design was used in the "Azof factory at Jaworzno. In 1907 the "Aluminium Industrie" firm concluded an agreement with the Nitric Acid Society on the purchase of Moscicki's patents in Switzerland and Austria. In other countries the two corporations were supposed to appear as co-owners. The "Aluminium Industrie" asked Moscicki, in 1908, to build a big nitric acid factory in