This archive film from the early 1950s, made by the former ICI Billingham Film Unit, tells the story of how tonnes of highly explosive metallic sodium used to be made at the Billingham chemicals complex in the Tees valley.

The film provides rare original footage of the Castner process being used in essentially the same way as it was when it was invented in 1890. Vast vats of liquid sodium are manufactured by electrolysis of caustic soda and... ...well, watch the film and find out :)

This is a great film documenting the history of the chemical industry and a great example of chemical engineering in action!