Henri Moissan

Henri Moissan , born with Paris the September 28th 1852 and died in Paris the February 20th 1907, is a Pharmacien French. He is mainly known to have isolated the first the Fluor. He also invented the arc furnace. Its work had many applications in industry. He accepted the Nobel Prize of chemistry in 1906.

Studies

He begins his studies with the college of Meaux. After the Common of Paris in 1870, it is registered at the University of pharmacy in Paris, where it obtains its diploma for the occupation of pharmacist of second class. It is interested at the same time in chemistry and joined the laboratory of Edmond Frémy (pulpit of Chemistry applied to the inorganic bodies) with the national Muséum of natural history, where it follows the courses of Henri Holy-Claire Deville and Henri Debray. He also works in the laboratory of Pierre-Paul Dehérain with the practical École of the high studies like at the chemistry laboratory of the Sorbonne. He obtains his license of chemistry in 1874 and his doctorate of chemistry in 1880 with a thesis on the Cyanogène ((CN) ₂) and his reactions to form the Cyanures.

The researcher

He works on the absorption of the Carbon dioxide and the emission of oxygen by the plants. In 1882, it is named qualified schoolteacher at the University of pharmacy of Paris (today, Faculté of pharmacy) and it starts to work there on the chemistry of fluorine in 1883. It isolates fluorine in 1886 by carrying out electrolysis from a mixture of fluoride of hydrofluoric potassium (KF) and Acid (HF). He is then professor of toxicology at the University of pharmacy.

In 1892, it emits a theory showing the possibility of synthesizing diamond. It develops the electric furnace with arc making it possible to reach high temperatures, until: 3500°C), with which it insulates several metals and develops the manufacture of several compounds such as the carbides. It makes the first synthesis of the Carbure of silicon (also called “moissanite” in its honor).

In 1896, it assists Charles Friedel during the creation of the 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of chemistry of Paris, from which he is director of 1899 with 1907. It succeeds Louis Joseph Troost with the pulpit of general chemistry of the Faculty of Science of Paris of 1900 with its death.

He is prize winner of the Davy Médaille in 1896. He receives in reward of his work on fluorine the Nobel Prize of chemistry in 1906.

He dies suddenly of an appendicitis attack on February 20th 1907, little time after his return of Stockholm where he had just received his price.

Henri Moissan was commander of the legion of honor. He was elected member of the Académie of medicine in 1888 and of the Academy of Science in 1891.

The discovery of fluorine

The separation of fluorine by Moissan can be summarized in three experiments which it carried out in 1886.

In 1885, he discovered that a mixture of Fluorure of hydrofluoric potassium and Acid remained liquid at the temperatures lower than 0°C and conducted the heat. All its attempts were vain until the moment when it developed a container out of platinum having the shape of U.

June 26th and July 19th, 1886, it carried out two electrolysis S of hydrofluoric acid under conditions of different temperatures: -50 °C and - 23 °C. It also made vary the electric conditions. It noted with the Cathode a release of hydrogen and with the Anode of a gas that, initially, it described and, in the second time, identified as being gas fluorine or hydrogen perfluorure.

The third experiment enabled him to show that the unknown gas did not contain hydrogen and was thus fluorine. It carried out the electrolysis of a mixture of fluoride of potassium (KF) and hydrofluoric acid (HF), which combine to form salt KHF₂ with the solvent HF. The produced gas was entirely absorbed by iron reddened (iron fluoride formation) without hydrogen release. It showed by its experiment that the increase in mass of the piece of iron corresponded to the hydrogen mass released with cathode.

Publications

Research on the insulation of the fluorine Text in line
Fluorine and its compounds Text in line
the Electric furnace Text in line
Series of the cyanogen (thesis) Text in line

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