14. Vaclav Smil, Enriching the Earth, MIT Press, (2001), p. 78, his reference;
‘Zur Geschichte der Ammoniaksynthese’, (The History of the Ammonia
Synthesis), Chemiker-Zeitung, 90, 105, (1966).
15. F. Haber and R. Le Rossignol, ‘Über die technische Darstellung von
Ammoniak aus den Elementen’, (The technical production of Ammonia
from the elements), Z. Elektrochem. 19, 53–72, (1913). There was also a
more concise English version abstracted from the above viz., The Production
of Synthetic Ammonia, Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 5,
328–321, (1913).
16. The ‘patent’ number was D.R.G.M 376.829, Haber, op. cit. (note 15). The
German Patent Office currently records two patents by Kirchenbauer, in
1914 and 1922, but D.R.G.M. 376.829 was not strictly a patent, rather it
was a ‘registered design’, a Deutsches Reichsgebrauchmuster, a form of basic
copyright protection which lasted initially for three years, extendable to six,
the same level of protection afforded to Robert’s valve design. However,
Chirnside’s transcript contains the dialogue; [RC] ‘I had always understood
that your contribution to the final success of the work included the fact that you
had designed and made the high-pressure joints etc., with your own hands?’ …
[RLeR] ‘That is right, I designed and made this pump …’, which in turn
suggests that Robert certainly had some input to what was finally credited to
Kirchenbauer. The ‘transcript’ referred to here is of a conversation Chirnside
had with Robert on 29 March 1976. The transcript remains with the family.
See also Chap. 18.
17. Geoffrey Martin and William Barbour, Manuals of Chemical Technology III,
Industrial Nitrogen Compounds and Explosives. Crosby Lockwood and Son,
London, (1915), p. 56.
18. Eventually, none of these sources were to prove suitable for the industrialisation of the process.
19. A closed circulation process inevitably meant that the level of residual argon
would rise. Feed-stocks with minimal %argon were therefore preferred.
20. BASF 1908. Patentschrift Nr 235421; ‘Verfahren zur synthetischen
Darstellung von Ammoniak aus den Elementen’, (Process for the Synthesis of
Ammonia from the Elements), Kaiserliches Patentamt, Berlin, (June 8,
1911), Smil, op. cit. (note 14), p. 79 and p. 278. According to Robert
however, Haber did all the patent work. Robert simply signed the documents
before the various national consuls and patent lawyers. This comment is
contained in the transcript of Le Rossignol’s conversation with Joh. Jaenicke
on 16 September 1959 held at the Max Planck Gesellschaft, Archiv der
MPG, Va. Abt., Rep. 0005, Fritz Haber. Haber Sammlung von Joh.
Jaenicke. Nr. 1496.
21. Vulcan fibre is still in wide use today as an electrical insulator and in making
seals. Invented in 1859 it was made from cotton and/or cellulose fibre soaked
in zinc salts. It is a ductile, tough, non splintering material.
8 The Big Fix …
181
‘Zur Geschichte der Ammoniaksynthese’, (The History of the Ammonia
Synthesis), Chemiker-Zeitung, 90, 105, (1966).
15. F. Haber and R. Le Rossignol, ‘Über die technische Darstellung von
Ammoniak aus den Elementen’, (The technical production of Ammonia
from the elements), Z. Elektrochem. 19, 53–72, (1913). There was also a
more concise English version abstracted from the above viz., The Production
of Synthetic Ammonia, Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 5,
328–321, (1913).
16. The ‘patent’ number was D.R.G.M 376.829, Haber, op. cit. (note 15). The
German Patent Office currently records two patents by Kirchenbauer, in
1914 and 1922, but D.R.G.M. 376.829 was not strictly a patent, rather it
was a ‘registered design’, a Deutsches Reichsgebrauchmuster, a form of basic
copyright protection which lasted initially for three years, extendable to six,
the same level of protection afforded to Robert’s valve design. However,
Chirnside’s transcript contains the dialogue; [RC] ‘I had always understood
that your contribution to the final success of the work included the fact that you
had designed and made the high-pressure joints etc., with your own hands?’ …
[RLeR] ‘That is right, I designed and made this pump …’, which in turn
suggests that Robert certainly had some input to what was finally credited to
Kirchenbauer. The ‘transcript’ referred to here is of a conversation Chirnside
had with Robert on 29 March 1976. The transcript remains with the family.
See also Chap. 18.
17. Geoffrey Martin and William Barbour, Manuals of Chemical Technology III,
Industrial Nitrogen Compounds and Explosives. Crosby Lockwood and Son,
London, (1915), p. 56.
18. Eventually, none of these sources were to prove suitable for the industrialisation of the process.
19. A closed circulation process inevitably meant that the level of residual argon
would rise. Feed-stocks with minimal %argon were therefore preferred.
20. BASF 1908. Patentschrift Nr 235421; ‘Verfahren zur synthetischen
Darstellung von Ammoniak aus den Elementen’, (Process for the Synthesis of
Ammonia from the Elements), Kaiserliches Patentamt, Berlin, (June 8,
1911), Smil, op. cit. (note 14), p. 79 and p. 278. According to Robert
however, Haber did all the patent work. Robert simply signed the documents
before the various national consuls and patent lawyers. This comment is
contained in the transcript of Le Rossignol’s conversation with Joh. Jaenicke
on 16 September 1959 held at the Max Planck Gesellschaft, Archiv der
MPG, Va. Abt., Rep. 0005, Fritz Haber. Haber Sammlung von Joh.
Jaenicke. Nr. 1496.
21. Vulcan fibre is still in wide use today as an electrical insulator and in making
seals. Invented in 1859 it was made from cotton and/or cellulose fibre soaked
in zinc salts. It is a ductile, tough, non splintering material.
8 The Big Fix …
181