100 years of chlorine

Citation

(1998), "100 years of chlorine", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 27 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1998.12927bab.010

100 years of chlorine

100 years of chlorine

ICI recently celebrated 100 years of chlorine production at its Runcorn site. To mark the occasion, a sculpture entitled "Electrolysis" was unveiled by Charles Miller Smith, chief executive officer of ICI, on 12 June 1997.

Created by local sculptors Philip Bews and Diane Gorvin the sculpture represents the key aspects involved in the production of chlorine.

The white portland limestone used for the base of the sculpture represents salt as the foundation of the local chemical industry; its cubic form refers to the crystalline structure of salt, and the fossilised shells visible in the stone recall its marine origin.

The sculpture also carries symbols of humanity, growth, and the important role played by chlorine in modern health and hygiene, in the form of handprints on the surface of a glass sphere. The sphere symbolises the chlorine atom and a stainless steel reproduction of a burette ­ a 50-year-old glass measuring instrument ­ passes through it. Other utensils used in chemical production are also represented, and the boat-like framework recognises the historical importance of water-borne transport.

The sculpture now occupies a prominent position at the entrance to the site's newly developed park area ­ a recently completed project which has reclaimed derelict land and created a pleasing, natural habitat for wildlife, encouraging the harmonious coexistence of nature and industry.