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International Conferences, and an Adriatic Cruise

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Nitrogen Capture

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Abstract

The expansion of the post-war nitrogen industry had been fostered mainly by strategic concerns: economic nationalism and security in case of war. However, the accelerating trend towards large-scale production posed certain challenges that were less based on these concerns than on the markets and, in particular, the often slow uptake of novel fertilizers in agricultural sectors. Notwithstanding their rivalries, the European manufacturers established networks of communication for those engaged in what had become the globalized nitrogen business. The “First International Nitrogen Conference,” to discuss issues arising took place at Biarritz, France, in April 1926. Overproduction of nitrogen products and regulation of competition were high on the agenda. However, there was little agreement. Thus in 1927, IG Farben attempted to get ICI to hold back on expansion at Billingham, but Pollitt, passionately engaged with the new high-pressure technology, refused [1].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sidney M. Edelstein Center for the History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Anthony S. Travis

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  1. Anthony S. Travis
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Travis, A.S. (2018). International Conferences, and an Adriatic Cruise. In: Nitrogen Capture. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68963-0_13

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