In 1890 forty-seven Leblanc industry companies in Britain producing alkali, sulphuric acid and bleaching powder, what was known collectively as the heavy chemical industry because of their bulk production, amalgamated to form the United Alkali Company and become the largest chemical company in the world. At the company’s first board meeting in December 1890 the directors agreed to establish a Central Laboratory, probably one of the first industrial research laboratories in Britain, and create the post of head of laboratory. With the existing company laboratories proving unsuitable, a new laboratory was built in Widnes and was completed in 1892. The first head of laboratory was Ferdinand Hurter who had worked in Widnes for many years after training in Zurich and with Bunsen in Heidelberg, and was a much respected industrial chemist. The objective for the new laboratory was to search out new processes and products to replace the obsolete Leblanc process. As with dye manufacturers, scrutiny of patents was seen as key to future opportunities. While some progress was made before WW1, it was probably during the war that the Central Laboratory achieved its greatest success. Government contracts required rapid development of new processes, marked growth in production of many existing chemicals and the adaptation of existing plant for the production of new chemicals. The WW1 period showed UAC and its Central Laboratory at their innovative best. For their leadership, Max Muspratt (chairman) was awarded a baronetcy and George Clayton (director) was awarded a CBE. The paper will review how UAC adapted to the demands of war: developing chemical plant to produce oleum via three variants of the contact process since sulphuric acid produced by the lead chamber process was not sufficiently concentrated for producing explosives; fabricating chemical plant for the production of six poison gases; and devising new reaction pathways and chemical plant for picric acid (an explosive) and ammonium perchlorate (for fuses and detonators).