United Alkali Company

Raschen A process for making sodium cyanide by reacting ammonia with carbon disulfide. Invented by J. B. Raschen at the United Alkali Company in Widnes, England in the early 1900s. 

The manufacture of soap (and glass) soon required a supply of alkali (potassium and sodium carbonates) that far outstripped supplies from natural sources. Forty-five companies merged at the end of the 1800s into the United Alkali Company, a colossal chemical concern based on the synthetic production of alkali. Much of the story of the synthetic alkali industry however begins in the 1700s with the story of the unfortunate chemist Nicolas Le Blanc. 

The first diaphragm cell developed in Great Britain was the Hargreaves-Bird cell, operated in 1890 by the United Alkali Company. Each cell consisted of a rectangular iron box lined with cement. The box was 10 ft long, 4—5 ft deep, and 2 ft wide, divided into... 

The United Alkali Company chose to get as much out of the existing assets as they could. They were not blind to the reality of the situation as they knew that they could not win this battle in the long-term. That does not mean that money could still not be made in fee interim. They gave themselves time to phase out fee technology under feeir own terms. Under fee circumstances, they did a marvelous job. 

The Great Western Electrochemical Company is operating a one-ton unit which had formerly operated as somewhat of an experimental unit at the plant of the Mathieson Alkali Company at Niagara Falls, N. Y. The hydrogen is a by-product of caustic manufacture. It is reported that this plant is to be enlarged by the addition of two more one-ton units. 

ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries). Formed in 1926 by the amalgamation of four major chemical companies, including British Dyestuffs (Kollewe and Wearden, 2007). Two of the other organizations, Brunner Mond and United Alkali, already produced alkalis used as basic components for many chemical processes, particularly washing and dyeing textiles. The last of the four companies, Nobel Industries was founded by Alfred Nobel (of the Nobel Peace Prize) and manufactured explosives. 

This economic feet melted the antagonism between the fearfully competitive companies and pulled them together under United Alkali. 

In addition, a full-scale conversion by United Alkali would have taken an investment unprecedented in the history of the chemical industry. How could such a massive investment been justified Think about this from a logical viewpoint. A CEO announces at the AGM (Annual General Meeting of shareholders) that there will be a multi-million dollar write-off because of a new technology and the company is undergoing a multi-million dollar conversion over the next few years to replace their antiquated processes. By this investment, with some luck, they might be just as good as the competition. This AGM will be his last. 

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