COPPERAS (Second hand copy in very good condition)

COPPERAS:

An account of the Whitstable works and the first industrial-scale chemical production in England
 
By T. Allen, et al

Second hand copy in very good condition (scarce book)

The copperas industry was an important industry in 18th century Kent and Essex. It was the world’s first industrial chemical process - over a century before the Industrial Revolution.

The industry involved gathering pyrite nodules (known as copperas stones) from beaches, where they had been washed out of the London Clay, and then allowing them to oxidise for several months in open vats. This lengthy and hazardous process converted the nodules to ferrous sulphate (green vitriol), which was an essential chemical for making dyes, ink, and several industrial chemicals such as sulphuric acid.
  
This book documents the history of the industry and describes the many copperas works with numerous maps and illustrations. 
  
Softback. 2004. Black and white and colour photographs and plans. 64 pages. Published by Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Occasional Paper No. 2.