Scientist. He was an English military chemist who developed a process for reducing gun cotton to a pulp, thus enabling it to be worked and stored in safety. Together with Scottish physicist and ballistics expert Sir Andrew Noble, he developed new and important theories of explosives. He was one of twenty-six original students of the Royal College of Chemistry, enrolling when the institution began in 1845. In March 1852 he succeeded scientist Michael Faraday as lecturer in chemistry at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, England. On July 24, 1854 he became Ordnance Chemist, and two years later was made chemist to the War Department. In 1868 he developed the open-test for determining the flash point of petroleum, which, in 1879 was superseded by the Abel close-test. Ten years later he and Sir James Dewar invented the smokeless propellant cordite, which eventually replaced gunpowder in military use.
Scientist. He was an English military chemist who developed a process for reducing gun cotton to a pulp, thus enabling it to be worked and stored in safety. Together with Scottish physicist and ballistics expert Sir Andrew Noble, he developed new and important theories of explosives. He was one of twenty-six original students of the Royal College of Chemistry, enrolling when the institution began in 1845. In March 1852 he succeeded scientist Michael Faraday as lecturer in chemistry at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, England. On July 24, 1854 he became Ordnance Chemist, and two years later was made chemist to the War Department. In 1868 he developed the open-test for determining the flash point of petroleum, which, in 1879 was superseded by the Abel close-test. Ten years later he and Sir James Dewar invented the smokeless propellant cordite, which eventually replaced gunpowder in military use.
Bio by: s.canning
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