See also: Berthier
Pierre Berthier , born with Nemours the July 3rd 1782 and dead the August 24th 1861, is a mineralogist and geologist French which discovered the properties of the Bauxite in 1821 in the village of the Beam-of-Provence.
Biography
After secondary studies with the college of Nemours, it enters to the central school of Fontainebleau in 1797, then the following year with the Polytechnic school (X1798 Promotion), where it has inter alia as school-fellows Monge, Berthollet and Fourcroy. In 1801, it is allowed with the école des Mines. One year after, the school is moved with Moûtiers in the old department of the Mont Blanc. He traverses the the Alps and publishes some memories on the blast furnaces and steel-works of the Isere. He becomes engineer in December 1805.
In 1806, it works at the laboratory of the école des Mines where it assists Hippolyte-Victor Collet-Descotils in his research on the Docimasie, or the study of the quality and the quantity of useful metals in the ores. It publishes several memories in the Journal of the mines .
Of 1808 with 1816, Berthier works in the departments, initially the Haute-Loire, the Cantal and the Lot, then, after its nomination as engineer of 1 class in 1811, in those of the Nievre, the Cher and Allier, to which the Saône-et-Loire is added after its nomination as chief engineer of the Corps of the Mines.
He becomes chief of the laboratory of the school of Mines and professor of docimasy after the death of Descostils in 1816. Pushed by Arago, he is elected member of the Academy of Science in 1825. In 1828, it is made knight of the Légion of honor. In 1836, it is named general inspector and directs Western division while continuing its research and its teaching. In 1848, it takes its continuous retirement of professor but to hold his laboratory. In 1859, for its work on phosphatic minerals and its analyzes of ashes of plants, undertaken 40 years before, he is medal-holder by the imperial Société of agriculture.
After an accident which leaves it paralyzed in 1858, it must give up its laboratory. He dies the August 24th 1861.
Work
One remembers especially him for his discovery of Alumine in ore coming from the Beam-of-Provence. Hitherto, it is considered that this ore contains Fer. It gives him the name of alumina ground of the Beams , Armand Dufrénoy re-elects it beauxite in 1844, then Deville Bauxite in 1861, date from which its industrial exploitation starts.
Its work touches several fields, geology, mineralogy and chemistry mainly.
He studies “useful minerals”, iron ore, coppers, zinc, etc, as well from the chemical point of view as physical. This basic research leads in many cases to improvements of the processes of extraction and refining.
Its research on the phosphatic minerals is used to rationalize the Agriculture and he discovers new sources of phosphates.
Publications
More than 150 publications enamel its career, mainly in the Annales of the Mines .- Treated tests by the dry roads, or, of the properties, the composition and the test of the metal substances and the fuels (4 volumes, Paris, 1834)
Homages
Its name is registered on the Eiffel Tower.
External bonds
- Biography and presentation of its work
- Biographical note
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