Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Determinants in the Evolution of the European Chemical Industry, 1900–1939 pp 123–141Cite as

The Development of Chemical Industry in Sweden and the Contribution of Academic Chemistry after 1900

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Chemists and Chemistry ((CACH,volume 16))

Abstract

Until recently historians, chemists and industrialists invariably viewed technology as applied science, with chemical technology as the supreme example of this. Reflecting on the Swedish chemical industry in 1916, the chemical engineer Alfred Larson subscribed to this viewpoint. He used the classical example of Liebig and agricultural chemistry, but he never suggested how science was actually transferred into industrial practice.1 The step just seemed so smooth and self evident. The science of chemistry was the indisputable driving force behind the growth of chemical industry.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Alfred Larson, Sveriges kemiska industri ( Stockholm: Sveriges teknologförening, 1916 ).

    Google Scholar 

  2. See for example T. Thomson, A System of Chemistry,5 Vols. (Edinburgh, 1810), Vol. 1, p. 3, where chemistry is “intimately connected with all our manufactures.”

    Google Scholar 

  3. For a contemporary viewpoint see Ernst von Meyer, A History of Chemistry from Earliest Times to the Present,2nd English edition (London: MacMillan, 1898), pp. 554–580; for a recent version see Fred Aftalion, A History of the International Chemical Industry (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991), p. xxiii, “chemical manufacturers cannot do without the scientific knowhow provided by research chemists.”

    Google Scholar 

  4. Robert Bud and Gerrylynn Roberts, Science versus Practice: Chemistry in Victorian Britain (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1984), p. 165.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cf. Seymour M. Mauskopf, “Introduction,” in Mauskopf, ed., Chemical Sciences in the Modern World (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993); Ernst Homburg, “The emergence of research laboratories in the dyestuff industry, 1879–1900,” British Journal for the History of Science,25 (1992), 91111. The many often excellent studies on laboratory life we have today rarely relate academic work to industrialization.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cf. Bud and Roberts, op. cit. (4), pp. 33, 95.

    Google Scholar 

  7. For an overview see Stockholms superfosfat fabriks aktiebolag 1871–1946. Minnesskrift (Stockholm: Stockholms superfosfat fabriks aktiebolag, 1946); Erik Karlström Agne Wenzel, “Superfosfat - 100ârigt gödselmedel frail moderna fabriker,” Svensk kemisk tidskrift,69 (1957), 547–561. Statistics from Svensk kemisk tidskrift,5 (1893), 183.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Stockholms superfosfat fabriks aktiebolag,op. cit. (7), p. 40; Gösta Bodman, “Klippans superfosfatfabrik 1857–1875. C. Fr. Waern Co gödselmedelfabrik vid Göteborg,” Daedalus,1947, 41–68.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bodman, op. cit. (8), 61f.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Biographical information from Sven Odén, “Oscar Fredrik Carlson,” Svenskt biografiskt lexikon,7 (Stockholm, 1927), 500–511.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Stockholms superfosfat fabriks aktiebolag,op. cit. (7), p. 69.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Stockholms superfosfatfabriks aktiebolag,op. cit. (7),p. 74.

    Google Scholar 

  13. W.A. Campbell, The Chemical Industry (London: Longman, 1971), p. 76, gives a vivid description.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Den svenska cellulosaindustriens utveckling och ekonomiska betydelse (Stockholm: Svenska cellulosaföreningen, 1918), pp. 7–55; Alfred Larson, Den svenska kemiska industrien,2 Vols (Stockholm: AB Hasse Tullberg, 1922), Vol 1, pp. 203–282.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Karl Nyström, “Den norrländska tramasse-och cellulosa industrien” in Norrländskt handbibliotek,10 (Uppsala, 1924), pp. 388–390; Den svenska cellulosaindustriens,op. cit. (14), pp. 23f.; Torsten Althin, Papyrus 1895–1945 (Mölndal: AB Papyrus, 1945), pp. 96–98. According to Nystrom (p. 404) there existed in 1889 twelve small factories, many of which went bankrupt; between 1900–1910 eight new ones were founded, and in 1923, after rationalization, there were still twenty-six sulphate factories. On Munzing see Bosse Sundin, “Alvar Miintzing,” Svenskt biografiskt lexikon,26 (Stockholm, 1987–89), 131–133.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Quoted from Elis Bosaeus, Munksjö bruks minnen (Uppsala: Munksjö pappersbruk, 1953), p. 68.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Cf. John Kenley Smith, “The evolution of chemical industry. A technological perspective,” in Mauskopf, ed., op. cit. (5), pp. 137–157.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Also, this industry grew quickly. Fifteen factories were started between 1881–1890, twenty-four between 1891–1900, thirty between 1901–1910, and six between 1911–1920. Nyström, op. cit. (15), pp. 429f.

    Google Scholar 

  19. On Ekman see Torsten Althin and Karin Forsberg, “Carl David Ekman,” Svenskt biografrskt lexikon, 13 (Stockholm, 1950), 153–157; Althin “Carl David Ekmans liv och person,” Daedalus, 1935, 47–66.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Den svenska cellulosaindustriens utveckling, op cit. (14), p. 13; Althin, op. cit. (19), 52, 57.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Althin, op. cit. (19), 52.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Ewald Granström, “Beskrivning Over Bergviks gamla trämassefabrik,” Svensk papperstidning, 26:8, (154–158); cf. Gunnar Eriksson, Kartläggarna ( Umeä: Umeä universitetsbibliotek, 1978 ), p. 80.

    Google Scholar 

  23. George Spaak, Männen kring Carl David Ekman och tillkomsten av världens första sulfitcellulosafabrik ( Stockholm: Svenska cellulosa-och trämasseföreningama, 1957 ), pp. 44–57.

    Google Scholar 

  24. George Spaak, “Carl Wilhelm Flodquist,” Svenskt biografiskt lexikon,16 (Stockholm, 1964–66), 213.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Spaak, op. cit. (24), 213. See also Myllyntaus, this volume, pp. 348–350.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Spaak, “Victor Folin,” Svenskt biografiskt lexikon,16 (Stockholm, 1964–66), 255–257.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Billerud 1883–1983 (Saffle, 1993), p. 21. This is an extremely hagiographic work.

    Google Scholar 

  28. The historian will of course find it meaningless to look for the `first,’ which is only a question of definition. It is enough here that M insbo was both early and comparatively big.

    Google Scholar 

  29. On the use of water power, see Staffan Hansson, Purjus: En vision far industriell utveckling i övre Norrland (Lulea: Tekniska högskolan i Lulea, 1994), p. 331. One of the first buyers of power from northern Sweden was Stockholms superfosfat, but the attempts to create an electrochemical industry in northern Sweden, however, failed. See Hansson, pp. 226f., 245, 252–260.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Stockholms superfosfat fabriks aktiebolag,op. cit. (7), pp.44–46, 101. See also Bosse Sundin, Ingenjörsvetenskapens tidevary (Umea Umea universitetsbibliotek, 1981), pp. 31ff.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Julius Gelhaar, “45 Sr pa ett industrilaboratorium,” Harald Nordenson 60 dr (Stockholm, 1946), pp. 105–116; Stockholms superfosfat fabriks aktiebolag,op. cit. (7), p. 46.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Stockholms superfosfat fabriks aktiebolag,op. cit. (7), p. 103; see also Sundin, op. cit. (30), p. 32.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Gelhaar, op. cit. (31), p. 111.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Eriksson, op. cit. (22), p. 165.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Spaak, op. cit. (23), p. 53.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Nitroglycerin aktiebolaget (Gyttorp, 1964), pp. 9, 24. The metaphors “the laboratory is a kitchen,” and “chemistry is cooking” are still commonly in use, especially among organic chemists. The significance of this is itself a worthy field for study.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Cf. Peter Klason, “Nägra drag ur en kemikers lefnad,” in Festskrift till Peter Klason (Stockholm: Norstedts, 1910), pp. xliiiff, on the laboratory in Lund during the 1860s.

    Google Scholar 

  38. A. Lundgren “Between science and industry. The formation of the Swedish Chemical Society” (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  39. Om förloppet af näringsämnenas upptagande och dess betydelse for kulturvaxterna,“ Svensk kemisk tidskrift,2 (1890), 53–67.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Cf. the situation in Denmark, Helge Kragh and Hans Jörgen Styhr Pedersen, En nyttig videnskab. Episoder fra den tekniske kemis historie i Danmark (Koebenhavn: Gyldendal, 1995), p. 193; see also Bud and Roberts, op. cit. (4), pp. 59, 109.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Elisabeth Waern-Bugge, En gammal herrglrrd Fami[èpapper ur Baldersnäs arkiv (Stockholm, 1920), p. 177.

    Google Scholar 

  42. K.P. P[eterson], “Natroncellulosa,” Svensk Kemisk Tidskrift, 2 (1890), 9, 70–75.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Klason, “Oregelmässigheter i kokprocessen vid framställning av sulfitcellulosa och dess orsaker,” Arkiv for kemi, mineralogi och geologi, 4: 1 (1910), 1.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Gelhaar, op. cit. (31), pp. 105–116; cf Stockholms superfosfat fabriks aktiebolag,op. cit. (7), p. 103.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Nkgra iakttagelser öfver ammoniumklorat,“ Teknisk tidskrift,1915:2, 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Carlson, “Den elektrokemiska kloratindustriens uppkomst och utveckling med sarskild hansyn till Mdnsbo-fabriken,” Festskrift till Peter Klason,op. cit. (37), pp. 170–171. According to Carlson, scientifically `wrong’ patents had been accepted, which implies that they actually did work (p. 184).

    Google Scholar 

  47. Gelhaar, op. cit. (31), p. 107.

    Google Scholar 

  48. For an earlier example, see the relation between Gay-Lussac and John Glover concerning production of sulphuric acid. Cf. W.A. Campbell, “Industrial chemistry,” in C.A. Russell, ed., Recent Developments in the History of Chemistry ( London: Royal Society of Chemistry, 1985 ), p. 243.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Den Svenska cellulosaindustriens,op. cit. (14), p. 13.

    Google Scholar 

  50. Advertisement for Kem. tekn. experimental-laboratorium (J.E Hällstrand J. Landin), in Svensk kemisk tidskrii t,1 (1889), emphasis in original.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Den svenska cellulosaindustrien, op cit. (14), p. 13.

    Google Scholar 

  52. Bosaeus, op. cit. (16), pp. 475f.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Bosaeus, op. cit. (16), p. 516.

    Google Scholar 

  54. Bosaeus, op. cit. (16), pp. 491, 531.

    Google Scholar 

  55. A branch which might constitute an exception to this general pattern could be mining and metallurgy, which, however, is not treated here.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Gelhaar, op. cit. (31), p. 105.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Without drawing too far-reaching conclusions, there was a similar situation in medicine. Here the increased scientific understanding of body mechanisms did not lead to any therapeutic break through until the end of the century. Cf. W.F. Bynum, Science and the Practice of Medicine in the Nineteenth Century (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994).

    Google Scholar 

  58. For the Institute and the relationship between science and industry see Lundgren, op. cit. (38).

    Google Scholar 

  59. Ramberg thus took part in the important Arsenic Committee, Thomas Hillmo, Arsenikprocessen. Debatt och problemperspektiv kring ett hälso-och miljöjarligt ämne i Sverige 1850–1919 (Linköping: Linkopings universitet, Linköping Studies in Arts and Science, vol. 102, 1994 ).

    Google Scholar 

  60. o Eriksson, op. cit. (22), pp. 89f.

    Google Scholar 

  61. Sundin, op. cit. (30), p. 131. The question of as to what extent governmental money gave more space to science than industrial money needs to be studied in greater depth.

    Google Scholar 

  62. In fact his teacher in Lund, Wilhelm Blomstrand, wanted to keep him at the university, cf. Blomstrand to L.F. Nilson, April 11 1889, The Archives of the Swedish Royal Academy of Science,Nilson papers.

    Google Scholar 

  63. Klason, “Bidrag till kännedom om de kemiska processerna yid sulfitcellulosa-tillverkning,” Teknisk tidskrift, 1893, 49.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Larson, op. cit. (I), pp. 131 ff.

    Google Scholar 

  65. Nyström, op. cit. (15), p. 420.

    Google Scholar 

  66. Sundin, op. cit. (30), pp. 154–162.

    Google Scholar 

  67. As for A.W. Friesteds tekniska kemiska industri, see Sveriges industriella etablissementer,2 Vols (Stockholm, 1872–79), vol I, p. 16

    Google Scholar 

  68. E. Rinman, Om triazol, bitriazol och tritriazol-föreningar (Uppsala, 1902); on Rinman see A. Lundgren, “Erik Ludvig Rinman,° Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  69. Nyström, op. cit. (14), p. 446; on Ekström see “Gustaf Ekstrom,” Svenska man och kvinnor,2 (Stockholm, 1944), 377.

    Google Scholar 

  70. `Birger Carlson,“ Svenska man och kvinnor,2 (Stockholm, 1944), 33.

    Google Scholar 

  71. Svensk kemisk tidskrijt, 1 (1899),123.

    Google Scholar 

  72. Spaak, op. cit. (25), p. 98.

    Google Scholar 

  73. See Lundgren, op. cit. (38).

    Google Scholar 

  74. Larson, op. cit. (1). pp. 53f.

    Google Scholar 

  75. Carlson, op. cit. (46), p. 246.

    Google Scholar 

  76. Eriksson, op. cit. (22), p. 60; Spaak, op. cit. (25), p. 89. This causes evident difficulties for historians seeking sources. The problem of patents in relation to the spread of scientific results is critical in this context, but is not treated here.

    Google Scholar 

  77. Eriksson, op. cit. (22), passim; Sundin, op. cit. (30), p. 31. Althin, op. cit. (15), pp. 200f.

    Google Scholar 

  78. Bosaeus, op. cit. (16), p. 531.

    Google Scholar 

  79. Billerud 1883–1983,op. cit. (27); 1. Schyman, Christian Storjohann: Mannen som byggde Billerud (Stockholm: Bok och bild, 1968), pp. 60f. Both sources are hagiographic and should be checked before use.

    Google Scholar 

  80. Minnesskrift utgiven med anledning av Aktiebolagets Ethyls 10-driga tillvaro (Stockholm: Aktiebolaget Ethyl, 1920).

    Google Scholar 

  81. Kranzberg’s thesis had been applied to the synthetic rubber industry. Peter J.T. Morris, The American Synthetic Rubber Research Program (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1989), p. 89, from which Kranzberg is quoted.

    Google Scholar 

  82. A. Lundgren, Vetenskap till vardags. En historia kring Xylocain (Stockholm: Stiftelsen Bengt Lundquists minne, 1995). The expression “patent research” was actually used by the scientists involved.

    Google Scholar 

  83. A. Ihde The Development of Modern Chemistry (New York: Dover, 1964, reprinted 1984), quotations from pp. 679, 683, 685, respectively

    Google Scholar 

  84. Ramberg to Bror Romberg, 1918 Archives of Lund University LibraryHolmberg papers

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for History of Science and Ideas, Uppsala University, Slottet Ingång A0, S-752 37, Uppsala, Sweden

    Anders Lundgren

Authors
  1. Anders Lundgren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sidney M. Edelstein Center, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Anthony S. Travis

  2. University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany

    Harm G. Schröter

  3. Rijksuniversiteit Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Ernst Homburg

  4. Science Museum, London, UK

    Peter J. T. Morris

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lundgren, A. (1998). The Development of Chemical Industry in Sweden and the Contribution of Academic Chemistry after 1900. In: Travis, A.S., Schröter, H.G., Homburg, E., Morris, P.J.T. (eds) Determinants in the Evolution of the European Chemical Industry, 1900–1939. Chemists and Chemistry, vol 16. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1233-0_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1233-0_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4972-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-1233-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation