Brunner Mond and Co. Part 1

Brunner, Mond and Co 

The Building of a Major Chemical Business

Part 1

Bob Roach, Dave Hornby and Walter Blackstock

The  November Sci Bar at the Hillcrest, was presented by Bob Roach, Dave Hornby, and Walter Blackstock. However probably the most important factor was the excellent level of participation from the (as always) well-informed audience. In particular, the additional historical artifacts (which will be discussed later) from Ian Campbell and the archival insights from the Catalyst's own Paul Meara. The topic was an informal consideration of the circumstances leading to the formation of one of the most successful ventures in commercial chemistry: The Brunner Mond Company. The two slide sets can be viewed from the side bar, but I thought it might be useful for those who couldn't make it, to get a feel for the meeting through this post. The presentation was divided into four parts:

1. An introduction to Chemistry and the leading lights of the 1800s (The Preamble, Hornby)

 2. A break for conversation and the an audience participation challenge to provide individual written definitions of the term "Science", in an attempt to reprise the concept of the Qu'est-ce que c'est Club. (The answers will be added shortly as scans and transcriptions) (The Qu'est-ce que c'est club Hornby and Blackstock).

 3. The story of the meeting of Mond and Brunner and the early challenges of making the Leblanc process pay its way and the incorporation of the Solvay process into the company (The Business, Roach)

4. Q & A session and lovely anecdotes concerning John Hutchinson's friendship with the parish priest of St. Bedes and the fall out at his works, from John Hutchinson's early death at the age of 40. (Discussion, everyone)

The Preamble Ludwig Mond arrived in Widnes in 1862 and was hired by John Hutchinson to strengthen his Leblanc plant, and to facilitate Mond's "independent" development of a sulphur recovery process. Through the company's technical manager, Henry Brunner, he was introduced to his younger brother (Sir) John Brunner, with whom he would go on to establish the Brunner-Mond Company. By chance, Mond relocated from his grim lodgings at the epicentre of the Hell on Earth that was West Bank at this time, to the much more "cosmopolitan" Appleton Village, on the way to Farnworth. Here he would develop a small social and cultural coterie.  During the mid-late 19th century, Chemistry in Germany was influenced heavily by Robert Bunsen (in Heidelberg) and Justus von Liebig (in Giessen). Both were innovative analytical chemists who made major contributions to the development of Chemistry itself, and were also responsible for training and mentoring some of the Continent's greatest Chemists, including Mond, Hurter, Muspratt, to name a few locals!
 
There are some fundamental lessons to learn from the Brunner Mond story that go beyond the translation of applied chemistry into an industrial setting. There are interesting insights into the vision of the young John Hutchinson, in siting his works in Widnes, and his ability to attract some of the brightest, continental scientists to join him. Much of the successes of the pioneers of the Industry were based on a rather flimsy scientific base, a newly proposed Periodic Table and a very rudimentary understanding of chemical reactivity.

The Sci Bar becomes the QCQC Club for one night only The audience at the SciBar meeting held at the Hillcrest Hotel on November the 9th (2016), over 145 years after the last QCQC Club meeting was held in Widnes, were asked to provide a definition for "Science". At the QCQC club meeting on March 27th 1870, Science was defined (and finally agreed) as follows.

Science is the study of the sequence of phenomena  (Paulatim)
Science is the term applied to those branches of human knowledge  which are, or are supposed to be, conformable to law . (Nemo)
Science is systematised experience (Unversagt)
Science is knowledge classified. (Palmam qui meruit ferat)
Science is the pursuit of the sequence of ascertained facts (Erin go Bragh)
Then,  agreed to unanimously:
Definition proposed;  Knowledge systematised


I am in the process of transcribing the individual "definitions", which will appear shortly as a supplement to this post. Thank you so much for the many of you who participated! Watch this space!

Over a beer or wine, the audience were treated to access to some artifacts that included a marvellous print of Brunner and Mond in a conversational pose, translated correspondence from Frida Mond (Ludwig's incredibly supportive wife), Brunner Mond Newsletters and documents relating to the gift of original art from the Mond estate to the National Gallery. It was a treat! 


The Business Bob began his talk with a a guided tour of the Leblanc process: the chemical nuts and bolts, the inefficiencies, the key requirement for imported sulphur and the dire problems of the Galligu dumping! The theme that emerged was Mond's obsession with eliminating waste and recycling products: all in the name of revenue protection and generation. However, no profits: no jobs! Bob gave us an overview of the Solvay process and the shrewd negotiations and implementation orchestrated by Mond, which led to the establishment of the process, not at the by now "spent" Widnes, but Winnington near Northwich. The combination of Brunner's financial and strategic business skills and Mond's creative and tenacious approach to Chemical Engineering, made this extraordinary partnership into a phenomenal success. Bob finished with the threat of a Part 2......

Discussion I for one thoroughly enjoyed the anecdotes from Mrs Campbell, the tantalising glimpse into the somewhat different attitude to money shown by Hutchinson junior, after his father's death....I hope Paul can be persuaded to talk about the Hutchinson papers sometime in the (near) future? There was a lively feel to the close of the meeting and I hope this post goes someway to capture that, for those who couldn't make it! Don't forget the slides are on the right and the definitions of Science will follow soon.