Excerpt from Reports of the Progress of Applied Chemistry, 1920, Vol. 5 The importance of having the best type of plant for chemical processes can hardly be overestimated. The cost of repairs and maintenance is largely dependent on the design of the apparatus, and a balance must be struck between this and the saving in labour and efficiency before a proper decision can be arrived at as to the most economical installation. Naturally, the more elaborate and complicated designs are the more costly to instal and also to main tain, but in many cases simplicity and cheapness are synonymous with failure. It is a great mistake on the other hand to choose an appliance just because it is novel and mechanically attractive. When it is remembered that in some processes the capital charges and costs of depreciation make up about 40 or 50% of the net cost of the product, the value of perfected plant and high efficiency will be fully appreciated. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.