19世纪以前,世界制碱工业虽然已有百余年的历史(1791年法人路布兰首创纯碱),但是中国却还食用质劣价昂的“口碱”。19世纪末,“洋碱”开始倾销我国,致使我国黄金大量外流。1914年8月,第一次世界大战爆发后,“洋碱”减少,民用碱奇缺。
        1911年,范旭东从日本留学回国,被财政部派往欧洲考察盐政,决心先制造标准食盐,然后用盐制碱。
        1913年,范旭东孓然一身来到塘沽考察,1914年9月22日,“久大精盐厂”在塘沽设立,筹股资本金41000元。股东中有很多军政要人,如黎元洪、曹锟、蔡锷、冯玉祥等。1915年6月,在塘沽破土动工设立第一厂; 1916年4月6日,西厂竣工投产。同年9月11日,第一批精盐在天津上市。商标为“海王星”。1919年扩建东厂后,年产量达62000多吨。

        

·1920年久大精盐厂

        1918年11月,永利制碱厂在天津召开成立大会。1920年5月9日,召开第一次股东会,选出周作民为董事长,范旭东为总经理。开始募集资金40万银元(1924年股金达到300万元)。1920年9月,农商部批准永利注册,定名“永利制碱公司”。1919年,正在哥伦比亚大学化工系攻读的侯德榜,欣然接受了邀请,参加了永利碱厂的设计; 1921年侯德榜获得博士学位,出任永利制碱公司的工程师; 同年10月,侯德榜回国,主持碱厂建设。1924年8月13日,永利碱厂开工出碱,揭开了东亚和中国制碱史上的第一页。1926年6月29日,生产出了优质的 “红三角”牌纯碱,开创了中国自己的制碱工业。1926年8月,在美国费城万国博览会上获得最高荣誉的金质奖章; 1930年又一次荣奖比利时工商博览会金奖。1936年,纯碱年产量达55410吨。1937年塘沽沦陷后,永利碱厂南迁四川五通桥,建立永利川厂,并在川发明了“侯氏碱法” ,使永利碱厂更名扬天下。
        1922年8月,在久大精盐厂化验室的基础上,范旭东、侯德榜、李烛尘等人,创办了“黄海化学工业研究社” ,它是中国第一个私立化工研究社。至此,永利、久大、黄海三足鼎立,俗称“永、久、黄” 团体。
        1928年9月,永利碱厂在天津创办了《海王》旬刊。它是“永、久、黄”三团体的喉舌。
        1936年,经《海王》公开征求职工意见后,荟集制定了 “永、久、黄” 团体的“四大信条” :我们在原则上绝对地相信科学; 我们在事业上积极地发展实业;我们在行动上宁愿牺牲个人,顾全团体; 我们在精神上以能服务社会为莫大光荣。
        “黄海” 的同仁们,经过十年的艰苦探索和实践,熟练地掌握了苏尔维法制碱的工艺、设备和管理,积累了一套完整的经验。侯德榜用英文撰写了专著《纯碱制造》,于1933年在纽约出版。冲破了70年来苏尔维法制碱技术的封锁,揭开了制碱技术的奥秘。
        毛泽东主席曾经称赞范旭东为“工业先导,功在中华”。精盐和制碱开创了中国化学工业的先河。
        Since the French invented the method of producing puresoda in 1791,soda-making industry had had a historyof over 100 years well before the beginning of the 19thcentury. However,the "kou soda",which was expensiveand was of poor quality,was still being used in China. Atthe end of the 19th century,westerners started to dumpimported soda in China,causing a great outflow of gold.In August,1914,the First World War broke out,theimport of soda decreased,and table soda was runningshort in China.
        In 1911,Fan Xudong went back to China fromthe graduate school in Japan and was sent to Europeto observe the salt industry there. He decided to firstproduce standard salt and then to produce soda with salt.
        In 1913,Fan Xudong alone went to inspectTanggu district in Tianjin. In September 22nd,1914,"Jiuda salt factory" was founded in Tanggu with a totalcapital of 41000 yuan. Among the shareholders,therewere important people from the military and politicalsociety,such Li Yuanhong,Cao Kun,Cai`e,FengYuxiang and so on. In June,1915,the first factory startedbeing constructed in Tanggu; in April 6th,1916,theconstruction of the western factory was finished and thefactory was put into use. In September 11th of the sameyear,the first batch of refined salt appeared on market inTianjin with the brand "Neptune". In 1919,the easternfactory was expaned and the annual output reached62000 tons.

        “红三角商标

        In November,1918,Yongli soda factory wasfounded in Tianjin. In May 9th,1920,a conferenceof shareholders was held for the first time. In thisconference,Zhou Zuoren was elected the president,and Fan Xudong the general manager. In the beginning,400 thousand yinyuan was pooled as the fund (in 1924,the total registered capital reached 3 million yuan). InSeptember 9th,the ministry of agriculture and commerceauthorized the registration of the brand Yongli andthe company was named "Yongli Soda-ProducingCompany". In 1919,Hou Debang,who was by thenstudying chemistry in Columbia University,accepted theinvitation and joined in the plan for Yongli Soda Factory.In October,1921,Hou received doctoral degree and tookup the position of the engineer in Yongli Soda Company.In August 13th,1924,Yongli Soda Factory started toproduce soda and thus started the history of the soda-making in China as well as in theEast Asia.In June 29th,1926,"red triangal",which is thebrand of soda,was startedbeing produced by Yongliand pioneered China`s sodaindustry. In August,1926,thisbrand received the golden medal in the world expositionheld in Philadelphia,US. In 1930,this brand of sodaonce again won the golden medal in the Industrial andCommercial exposition held in Belgium.
        There had been many difficulties Yongli SodaFactory faced. Besides the shortage of funds,one of themain difficulties was its lagging technique. To improvescientific research and to cultivate talents,Fan Xudong,Hou Debang and Li Zhuchen founded HuanghaiChemistry Research Institute on the basis of JiudaRefined Salt Lab in August 1922. It was the first privatechemistry research body in China. Yongli,Jiuda andHuanghai were then also collectively called Yong,Jiuand Huang Group.
        The chairman of the research institute was Dr.Sun Yingchuan. His responsibility,first of all,was tohelp Jiuda and Yongli investigate and analyze raw fuelmaterials,and to do experiment on the application ofChanglu bitterns. Second,he was responsible to explorethe research directions and lay foundation for newproducts of Yongli Soda Factory.
        Huanghai was founded when Soda Factory had notproduced soda powder and was in economic difficulty.Therefore,Fan Xudong donated all the payment he gotfrom Jiuda Salt Company,other founders followed hisexample. Huanghai thus was able to survive.
        In September 1928,Yongli Soda Factory founded ajournal,Neptune,in Tianjin. Issued once every ten days,the journal was the mouthpiece of Yongli,Jiuda andHuanghai. Neptune was led by the joint office of Yongli,Jiuda and Huanghai,its fund was shared proportionallyby the three bodies. Yan Youfu was the chief editor.
        In 1936,after soliciting for public opinions ofemployees,Neptune collected and made Four Articles ofCreed for Yong,Jiu and Huang Group. The Four Articlesof Creed were: 1) we absolutely believe in science inprinciple. 2) We actively seek for developing industriesin career. 3) We prefer team spirit to individualism inaction. 4) We regard serving the people as great gloryin spirit. The Four Articles of Creed were the spiritualsupport of Yongli employees.
        The method of making soda with ammoniabrought Yongli many setbacks in the process of makingsoda,mainly because Solvey Process (the ammoniaprocess for the manufacture of soda) was technicallymonopolized by a British company,Brunner &MondCo. It was afraid that it would lose its market in Chinaonce Yongli succeeded in making soda. It had suggestedcollaborating with Yongli so that it could have achance in taking over it. However,Yongli rejected hissuggestion absolutely.
        Workers in Huanghai mastered the technique,equipment and management of Solvey Process after tenyears hard research and exploration,they accumulatedsufficient experience. To make public Solvey Process tothe world,Hou Debang wrote in English a book,PureSoda Facture,and published it in New York in 1933.The publication of the book broke the seventy-yearblock of monopoly,unveiled the mystery of soda factureand blew fresh air to scientific circle. It won high praiseof experts and scholars worldwide.

        

·黄海化工研究所