Show SODIUM sodium or yellow of sodium is manufactured from material obtained in the purification of coal gas it is employed extensively in making certain blue colors such as prussian blue chinese blue and paris blue which are used in dyeing textiles and in making paints and printing inks before the war considerable quantities of this compound were imported from england and germany but the general restriction of imports not only increased greatly its production in this country but led to the use of some sodium instead of potassium on account of the scarcity of potash in 1918 the sales of domestic sodium ro in the united states amounted to short tons valued at according to statistics compiled by R C wells of the united states geological survey department of the interior from reports received from six producers these figures show a fair increase over the sales in 1917 which were short tons valued at and the sales of the domestic product in both 1917 and 1918 were much larger than in any previous year the price of sodium was notably higher in 1918 than in 1917 but it has since fallen considerably below that of 1917 and as a consequence the industry is now making little headway no one can predict the prospects of this industry for they maybe may be affected by any one of several possible events the producers in this country are now believed to be able to supply all the domestic requirements |