. The Spanish-American republics . s of three main and important operations —i. The dissolution of the caliche in water. 2. Separation by filtrationor decantation of the substances held in suspension in the liquid, andwhich are less soluble salts, earthy matter, or secondary productsoriginating in the chemical process itself. 3. Crystallization of thenitrate from the clear and pure liquid. We need not describe thevarious methods which have been hitherto employed in these opera-tions, and the gradual modifications and improvements which havebeen introduced. In no modern industry have more costl
. The Spanish-American republics . s of three main and important operations —i. The dissolution of the caliche in water. 2. Separation by filtrationor decantation of the substances held in suspension in the liquid, andwhich are less soluble salts, earthy matter, or secondary productsoriginating in the chemical process itself. 3. Crystallization of thenitrate from the clear and pure liquid. We need not describe thevarious methods which have been hitherto employed in these opera-tions, and the gradual modifications and improvements which havebeen introduced. In no modern industry have more costly experiments been madethan in that of nitrate-making, and doubtless there is yet much to bedone in the way of simplification and economy. However, we willtake the best machinery employed to-day, and see how it works. Wehave, then, the highest point (1), where the mule-carts tip the blocksof caliche into the crushers, or chaiicadoras (2),which are set in motion by a steam-engine (3),and which discharge the small cubes of caliche. into trucks (4). These trucks are pushed by hand along rails overthe boiling tanks, or cachuchos (5). The boiling is effected byShankss lixiviating system, first introduced into nitrate manufactureby Mr. I. T. Humberstone, the manager of La Primitiva, causing acontinual circulation of the liquid from tank to tank. The cachuchosare arranged in sets, side by side. They are boxes of sheet-iron, eachprovided with a coil of pipes and appropriate valves and siphons forcommunication with the main steam-pipe, with the other tanks, and THE NITRATE DESERT OF TARAPACA. 169 with the canal for running off the liquor. Each coil receives steamfrom the boilers by the pipe a, and returns the condensed steam tothe boilers by the pipe g m m 11. The cachticho has a false bottompierced with holes fifteen centimetres from the real bottom, and onthis perforated plate, called a crinoline, the crushed caliche rests. Intheory the manufacture of nitrate consists simply in diss
Size: 3417px × 731px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidgrispanishameri00chil
