Raoul Pictet

Raoul-Pierre Pictet born the April 4th 1846 with Geneva (Suisse), dies the July 27th 1929 with Paris (France) is a physicist who obtains for the first time, the liquefaction of the Azote and of the Oxygène by the action simultaneous of an high pressure and a low temperature. It is at the origin of modern technologies of refrigeration. Raoul Pictet received the Davy Médaille in 1878.

Biography

Third of the five children of the mayor of Plainpalais Auguste Pictet-with Glass of bier, it follows its primary and secondary studies to Geneva before joining the Faculty of Science of the Académie of Geneva where, according to him, will be born in 1866 its interest for the cold following conversations with its professor from physics. It continues then its formation between 1867 and 1868 with Paris, respectively with the Polytechnic school, the Collège de France like with the Collège of Sorbonne.

After having deposited a first patent in 1869, it leaves for the Egypt as secretary Gustave Revilliod for the inauguration the Suez Canal. It then turns over in this country in 1874 as professor of physics and mechanics to the Université of Cairo. In parallel, it designs, manufactures and sells models of machines with Glace with the Egyptian government.

Of Swiss return in in 1875, he becomes practical principal of Geneva grace in particular in support of Guillaume-Henri Dufour. For this reason, it attempts to reconcile theoretical higher education and practical industry, hitherto taught in distinct subsidiary companies.

As with its practice, it continues in parallel its work on the machines with ice, depositing several patents in France and Great Britain (the patent then exists yet neither in Switzerland, nor in Germany). It then created a company with the engineer Theodore Turrettini and the banker Louis Roget, his father-in-law. This company quickly will be made known and to sell many machines, among which that which equips, in 1876, the first artificial Patinoire with Chelsea.

The December 22nd 1877, the Académie of sciences of Paris receives a telegram sent by Raoul Pictet, indicating his success in the liquefaction of oxygen below 320 atmospheres and by combined use of Sulfurous acid and Dioxide carbon with a temperature of -140 degrees Celsius. This advertisement is practically simultaneous with that of Louis Paul Cailletet which will also obtain the liquefaction of oxygen by a different process. The two scientists see themselves jointly allotting the merits of this discovery and Pictet is seen decorated with the Légion of honor in 1878, as well as a Large medal and a gold medal at the time of the Exposition of Paris.

In 1879, the Council of State of the canton of Geneva offers the to him Chaire of industrial physics in the any news Université of Geneva, in seven hours load of course per week against a renumeration of 4500 frank per year. However, he resigns of his load on June 9th, 1885 to protest against the laxism of the cantonal authorities vis-a-vis the lawsuit opposing Pictet and his former associate, Turrettini, both asserting the possession of a patent for a new liquid of refrigeration.

A few months later, it leaves in Germany where it is engaged by the company Rudloff-Grübs . Thanks to the generous renumeration which it receives, it founds an Institute Raoul Pictet of which the aims of research are at the same time liquefaction with large scales and the effects phycho-chemical of the very low temperatures. It returns to Switzerland to take part in the national Exposition of 1896 which is held in Geneva and for which it makes build a house divided into three parts: an amphitheater for the conferences, an engine room where the public can admire its machines with ice and a bar which sells different Sorbet S produced by the machines. At the end of the exposure, the house will be transferred to Freiburg to be transformed into room of gymnastics.

Following the exposure, it remains in Geneva and publishes several works, in particular a Essai of scientific philosophy which will never be published, as well as a critical Étude of the materialism and spiritualism by experimental physics in which it defines its scientific philosophy. In parallel, its business périclitent, as this lawsuit testifies some which it at a cheap rate loses in 1909 with Turin to have sold a manufactoring process of oxygen which does not function.

Publications

Memory on the liquefaction of oxygen, the liquefaction and the solidification of hydrogen: and on the theories of the change of the bodies ; Raoul Pictet; Geneva: J. Sandoz, 1878.
Synthesis of heat, Summary of the communications made with the meeting of the Swiss Company of the natural science held in Saint-Gall, ; Raoul Pictet; Geneva, Basle, Lyon, H. Georg, 1879.
New refrigerating machines based on the use of physicochemical phenomena ; Raoul Pictet; Geneva: Charles Schuchardt, 1885.
experimental Research on the freezing point of the various mixtures of alcohol and water; ; Raoul Pictet; Paris, Gauthier-Villars, 1894.
Influence of the low temperatures on the laws of crystallization ; Raoul Pictet; Paris, Gauthier-Villars, 1894.
On the synthesis of heat. ; Raoul Pictet; Geneva; Basle; Lyon: Georg & Co, 1895.

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