19世紀以前，世界制堿工業(yè)雖然已有百余年的歷史(1791年法人路布蘭首創(chuàng)純堿),但是中國卻還食用質(zhì)劣價昂的“口堿”。19世紀末，“洋堿”開始傾銷我國，致使我國黃金大量外流。1914年8月，第一次世界大戰(zhàn)爆發(fā)后，“洋堿”減少，民用堿奇缺。
1911年，范旭東從日本留學(xué)回國，被財政部派往歐洲考察鹽政，決心先制造標準食鹽，然后用鹽制堿。
1913年，范旭東孓然一身來到塘沽考察，1914年9月22日，“久大精鹽廠”在塘沽設(shè)立，籌股資本金41000元。股東中有很多軍政要人，如黎元洪、曹錕、蔡鍔、馮玉祥等。1915年6月，在塘沽破土動工設(shè)立第一廠； 1916年4月6日，西廠竣工投產(chǎn)。同年9月11日，第一批精鹽在天津上市。商標為“海王星”。1919年擴建東廠后，年產(chǎn)量達62000多噸。

·1920年久大精鹽廠

1918年11月，永利制堿廠在天津召開成立大會。1920年5月9日，召開第一次股東會，選出周作民為董事長，范旭東為總經(jīng)理。開始募集資金40萬銀元(1924年股金達到300萬元)。1920年9月，農(nóng)商部批準永利注冊，定名“永利制堿公司”。1919年，正在哥倫比亞大學(xué)化工系攻讀的侯德榜，欣然接受了邀請，參加了永利堿廠的設(shè)計； 1921年侯德榜獲得博士學(xué)位，出任永利制堿公司的工程師； 同年10月，侯德榜回國，主持堿廠建設(shè)。1924年8月13日，永利堿廠開工出堿，揭開了東亞和中國制堿史上的第一頁。1926年6月29日，生產(chǎn)出了優(yōu)質(zhì)的 “紅三角”牌純堿，開創(chuàng)了中國自己的制堿工業(yè)。1926年8月，在美國費城萬國博覽會上獲得最高榮譽的金質(zhì)獎?wù)拢?1930年又一次榮獎比利時工商博覽會金獎。1936年，純堿年產(chǎn)量達55410噸。1937年塘沽淪陷后，永利堿廠南遷四川五通橋，建立永利川廠，并在川發(fā)明了“侯氏堿法” ,使永利堿廠更名揚天下。
1922年8月，在久大精鹽廠化驗室的基礎(chǔ)上，范旭東、侯德榜、李燭塵等人，創(chuàng)辦了“黃?；瘜W(xué)工業(yè)研究社” ,它是中國第一個私立化工研究社。至此，永利、久大、黃海三足鼎立，俗稱“永、久、黃” 團體。
1928年9月，永利堿廠在天津創(chuàng)辦了《海王》旬刊。它是“永、久、黃”三團體的喉舌。
1936年，經(jīng)《海王》公開征求職工意見后，薈集制定了 “永、久、黃” 團體的“四大信條” :我們在原則上絕對地相信科學(xué)； 我們在事業(yè)上積極地發(fā)展實業(yè)；我們在行動上寧愿犧牲個人，顧全團體； 我們在精神上以能服務(wù)社會為莫大光榮。
“黃海” 的同仁們，經(jīng)過十年的艱苦探索和實踐，熟練地掌握了蘇爾維法制堿的工藝、設(shè)備和管理，積累了一套完整的經(jīng)驗。侯德榜用英文撰寫了專著《純堿制造》,于1933年在紐約出版。沖破了70年來蘇爾維法制堿技術(shù)的封鎖，揭開了制堿技術(shù)的奧秘。
毛澤東主席曾經(jīng)稱贊范旭東為“工業(yè)先導(dǎo)，功在中華”。精鹽和制堿開創(chuàng)了中國化學(xué)工業(yè)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.

“紅三角商標

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.

·黃?；ぱ芯克?/p>