Chapter 376: A Busy Lavoisier
"If the step of generating sodium bicarbonate at high temperatures is not an issue..." Lavoisier murmured, "Oh, I don't doubt you, Your Highness. It's just that I've never experimented with producing sodium bicarbonate using ammonia before. However, the other processes, like collecting the released ammonia and carbon dioxide, can certainly be done."
What he called "carbonic acid gas" is what we know as carbon dioxide.
He was clearly excited, looking at Joseph, he said, "So, using this method you described to produce soda ash would reduce the cost to just one-tenth of what it is now..."
As the most distinguished chemist of his time, Lavoisier also had a keen business sense. He quickly shook his head and corrected himself, "No, not just one-tenth. Because this method has no raw material limitations—I mean, salt and limestone are easy to obtain—the production could almost be expanded infinitely!
"Your Highness, I must return to my laboratory immediately to verify the method you've described. I swear, if it works, this would be a groundbreaking development in the history of chemistry!"
He wasn't exaggerating. The importance of soda ash in the chemical industry, one of the five foundational chemicals, cannot be overstated. Of these five—sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, soda ash, and caustic soda—sulfuric and hydrochloric acids are relatively easy to produce, while nitric acid was practically out of reach for 18th-century industrial production. This left soda ash as the star of the 19th-century chemical industry.
The French government had previously offered a large reward for anyone who could develop an industrial method for producing soda ash. The prize went to Dr. Leblanc, who used a reverberatory furnace to produce soda ash. While his method was expensive, it was the cutting-edge technology of its time. If Joseph's method could be industrialized, it would leave Leblanc's process in the dust.
As they spoke, the carriage arrived at the Tuileries Palace.
Lavoisier was ready to take his leave to rush back to his lab, but then he saw Mirabeau approaching quickly. The count greeted the Crown Prince with a bow, "Your Highness, I heard that you left Versailles, so I guessed you might be here."
He had a lot of industrial development matters to report to Joseph, but the Crown Prince had been busy at the armory, and as soon as he left there, he had disappeared again.
"It seems you have a lot to discuss with me," Joseph replied with a smile.
"Indeed."
Mirabeau was about to accompany the Crown Prince to the office of the Industrial Planning Bureau when he noticed Lavoisier and quickly acknowledged him, "Ah, the esteemed Monsieur Lavoisier, I see you're here as well."
"Oh yes, but I'm just about to leave," Lavoisier said with a polite bow. "His Highness just told me about a method for producing soda ash, and now I can't wait to fly back to my lab."
"Soda ash?" Mirabeau, who was familiar with the chemical industry thanks to his acquaintance with Du Pont, was impressed. "That's quite remarkable. Soda ash is essential for many chemical industries."
Hearing the phrase "chemical industry," Joseph's interest was piqued, and he gestured for Lavoisier to join them upstairs. "There's no need to rush to your experiments. If we're going to develop a chemical industry, we'll need your expertise."
"But..."
Lavoisier reluctantly followed them into the office of the Industrial Planning Bureau, his mind still churning with thoughts of the "Royal Soda Process"—the new name Joseph had given to the Solvay process, considering that Mr. Solvay had not yet been born.
However, when Lavoisier heard Joseph inquiring about the gas streetlight project, his attention was immediately drawn.
"In that case, we need to accelerate the progress of the coal tar processing lab," Joseph said. "Mr. Murdoch obtained the coal gas distillation patent last month, so we aim to launch the Paris gas streetlight project before the end of the year."
Mirabeau hesitated, "Your Highness, I've already purchased all the laboratory equipment according to the standards of the University of Paris, but none of the chemists have ever heard of this 'benzene' you mentioned..."
Joseph looked over at Lavoisier, who appeared equally puzzled.
A sense of frustration washed over Joseph. It seemed that organic chemistry in this era was still in its infancy; they hadn't even discovered basic organic compounds like benzene.
He patiently explained to Lavoisier that coal tar contained large quantities of benzene, as well as other organic compounds like aniline and phenol, which could be extracted.
Lavoisier's eyes lit up. "Are you saying that coal tar contains a new substance we don't yet know about?"
"Yes, but it's a bit complicated," Joseph replied, realizing that he couldn't easily explain the vast field of organic chemistry. Instead, he opted for a straightforward approach: "If you distill coal tar, the substances that come out at different temperature ranges will include benzene. Oh, and during the process, you'll discover other new substances too."
Lavoisier's breath quickened. For a chemist, discovering a new substance was enough to make a name in the academic world. And here was the Crown Prince casually mentioning that simple procedures could yield multiple new substances!
Either the Crown Prince was talking nonsense, or this was truly divine inspiration!
He instinctively crossed himself and said eagerly, "Your Highness, please allow me to take charge of the coal tar laboratory!"
Joseph hesitated, "I'd really like your help, but you still need to help me design the soda ash production process."
"But..." Lavoisier couldn't bear to give up and quickly added, "My wife can assist, and I assure you, she's an excellent experimentalist. Oh, and I have many outstanding students. I promise it won't delay the production of the Royal Soda Process!"
Joseph smiled. With Lavoisier, his wife, and their students involved, it meant that nearly half of France's chemistry experts were now part of his project.
He nodded to Lavoisier, "Since you're so interested, I'll entrust the coal tar lab to you. You can request any funding you need directly from Count Mirabeau."
Coal tar could yield numerous valuable compounds, such as phenol and aniline, which could be used to produce disinfectants, dyes, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals.
Phenol, in particular, was one of the earliest medical disinfectants, saving countless lives. It was much cheaper than alcohol since it was a byproduct of coal tar processing and could be used to disinfect entire buildings or military camps on a large scale.
Aniline, as a raw material for dye production, was economically invaluable. At that time, purple dyes extracted from plants were so expensive in the fashion industry that they often cost more than the clothes themselves!
Even at Versailles, a fully purple outfit was a symbol of prestige. It wasn't until aniline purple, made from aniline, was introduced that purple clothing became affordable for ordinary people.
If this dye could be mass-produced, it would be a powerful tool for France's textile industry to compete with Britain!
Joseph reined in his excitement; after all, the organic chemical industry was still a long way off. If Lavoisier didn't even know what benzene was, who knew how long it would take to establish the industry?
For now, the priority was to focus on producing soda ash, using it to build a chemical industry chain, and reaping the benefits from it.
(End of Chapter)
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