Difference between revisions of "Alfred Nobel"
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==Early Life== | ==Early Life== | ||
| − | Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Sweden on October 21, 1833. He was the third son of Immanuel Nobel, the inventor of modern plywood. At the age of 9 his family moved to St. Petersburg where his father founded a factory to make naval mines for use in the Crimean War. As a wealth and successful industrialist Immanuel was able to give his sons a first-class education by [[homeschooling|private tutors]]. In Russia, Alfred studied chemistry under Professor Nikolay Nikolaevich Zinin. He also achieved fluency in five languages; Swedish Russian, English French and German. Alfred had a wide variety of interests ranging from chemistry and physics to English literature and poetry. In order to widen his son's horizons, Immanuel Nobel sent Alfred abroad for further training in chemical engineering and in a two-year period he visited France, Germany, Sweden and the United States. Paris became his favorite city and | + | Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Sweden on October 21, 1833. He was the third son of Immanuel Nobel, the inventor of modern plywood. At the age of 9 his family moved to St. Petersburg where his father founded a factory to make naval mines for use in the Crimean War. As a wealth and successful industrialist Immanuel was able to give his sons a first-class education by [[homeschooling|private tutors]]. In Russia, Alfred studied chemistry under Professor Nikolay Nikolaevich Zinin. He also achieved fluency in five languages; Swedish Russian, English French and German. Alfred had a wide variety of interests ranging from chemistry and physics to English literature and poetry. In order to widen his son's horizons, Immanuel Nobel sent Alfred abroad for further training in chemical engineering and in a two-year period he visited France, Germany, Sweden and the United States. Paris became his favorite city and whilst working in a private laboratory there he met Ascanio Sobrero, the inventor of the volatile and unpredictable, powerful explosive; nitroglycerine. Alfred took an interest in this unstable compound for which he saw great potential if it could be tamed. |
==The Invention Of Dynamite== | ==The Invention Of Dynamite== | ||
| − | Alfred was requested to return to Russia in 1852 in order help with the family business which was booming because of the munitions being delivered to the Russian Army. In Russia Alfred worked with his father to develop a stable version of nitroglycerine. However, with the end of the war Immanuel Nobel's business was forced into bankruptcy leaving the two eldest sons, Robert and Ludvig, to salvage the company. Returning to Sweden in 1863, Alfred continued his development of nitroglycerine. After several explosions, including one that killed hs brother Emil, the authorities prohibited his research within the Stockholm city limits and he moved to a barge anchored on Lake Mälaren. After starting commercial production of nitroglycerine in 1864 Nobel experimented with different additives. He discoverd that by mixing it with ''[[kieselguhr]]'' the volatile liquid became a realtively stable paste which could be shaped into cylinders for insertion into drilled holes. He patented this material in 1867 under the name '''[[dynamite]]'''. In order to produce an explosion from the stable | + | Alfred was requested to return to Russia in 1852 in order help with the family business which was booming because of the munitions being delivered to the Russian Army. In Russia Alfred worked with his father to develop a stable version of nitroglycerine. However, with the end of the war Immanuel Nobel's business was forced into bankruptcy leaving the two eldest sons, Robert and Ludvig, to salvage the company. Returning to Sweden in 1863, Alfred continued his development of nitroglycerine. After several explosions, including one that killed hs brother Emil, the authorities prohibited his research within the Stockholm city limits and he moved to a barge anchored on Lake Mälaren. After starting commercial production of nitroglycerine in 1864 Nobel experimented with different additives. He discoverd that by mixing it with ''[[kieselguhr]]'' the volatile liquid became a realtively stable paste which could be shaped into cylinders for insertion into drilled holes. He patented this material in 1867 under the name '''[[dynamite]]'''. In order to produce an explosion from the stable compound he also invented the detonator or blasting cap, which could be triggered by the ignition of a fuse. The parallel invention of the diamond drilling crown meant that the costs of major civil engineerng works were dratically reduced. |
Revision as of 21:28, May 15, 2007
Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) was a Swedish chemist, engineer and armaments manufacturer. He is noted for the invention of dynamite and the inauguration of the Nobel Prizes for achievements in the fields of science, literature, medicine, economics and peace.
Early Life
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Sweden on October 21, 1833. He was the third son of Immanuel Nobel, the inventor of modern plywood. At the age of 9 his family moved to St. Petersburg where his father founded a factory to make naval mines for use in the Crimean War. As a wealth and successful industrialist Immanuel was able to give his sons a first-class education by private tutors. In Russia, Alfred studied chemistry under Professor Nikolay Nikolaevich Zinin. He also achieved fluency in five languages; Swedish Russian, English French and German. Alfred had a wide variety of interests ranging from chemistry and physics to English literature and poetry. In order to widen his son's horizons, Immanuel Nobel sent Alfred abroad for further training in chemical engineering and in a two-year period he visited France, Germany, Sweden and the United States. Paris became his favorite city and whilst working in a private laboratory there he met Ascanio Sobrero, the inventor of the volatile and unpredictable, powerful explosive; nitroglycerine. Alfred took an interest in this unstable compound for which he saw great potential if it could be tamed.
The Invention Of Dynamite
Alfred was requested to return to Russia in 1852 in order help with the family business which was booming because of the munitions being delivered to the Russian Army. In Russia Alfred worked with his father to develop a stable version of nitroglycerine. However, with the end of the war Immanuel Nobel's business was forced into bankruptcy leaving the two eldest sons, Robert and Ludvig, to salvage the company. Returning to Sweden in 1863, Alfred continued his development of nitroglycerine. After several explosions, including one that killed hs brother Emil, the authorities prohibited his research within the Stockholm city limits and he moved to a barge anchored on Lake Mälaren. After starting commercial production of nitroglycerine in 1864 Nobel experimented with different additives. He discoverd that by mixing it with kieselguhr the volatile liquid became a realtively stable paste which could be shaped into cylinders for insertion into drilled holes. He patented this material in 1867 under the name dynamite. In order to produce an explosion from the stable compound he also invented the detonator or blasting cap, which could be triggered by the ignition of a fuse. The parallel invention of the diamond drilling crown meant that the costs of major civil engineerng works were dratically reduced.