Bernhard Neumann (chemist)

Bernhard Heinrich Neumann (born May 1, 1867 in Seifhennersdorf , † December 15, 1953 in Freiberg ) was a German technical chemist .

Life

Bernhard Neumann was born on May 1, 1867 in Seifhennersdorf as the son of the teacher and cantor Karl-Heinrich Neumann (1841-1918) and Amalie Auguste born Augustin. Neumann attended grammar school in Zittau , but left it without a degree. He then completed his apprenticeship as a pharmacist and practiced in Swiss and Italian pharmacies between 1887 and 1888.

As a result, from 1890 Neumann took the chemistry and natural sciences studies at the University of Leipzig . Here he became a member of the Zittavia gymnastics club . He passed the pharmaceutical state examination and received his doctorate in 1894 under Wilhelm Ostwald with a thesis "On the potential of hydrogen and some metals" . He was then appointed assistant at the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry and Electrochemistry at the TH Aachen . He also worked for a year in the lead and zinc smelting works in Stolberg .

Bernhard Neumann habilitated after being in 1899 casting the High School had made up, at the Technical University of Darmstadt from 1899 to 1903 in succession for the subjects electrochemistry, metallurgy and chemistry before 1904. Titular was appointed and in 1906 for systematic associate professor of Ferrous Metallurgy. In 1914 Neumann was given the chair of chemical technology at the TH Breslau , which he also headed as rector between 1932 and 1933 .

After his retirement in 1935, Neumann lived in Darmstadt again until 1944, before he returned to his home in Upper Lusatia after his house had been destroyed by bombs . In 1946 he finally settled in Freiberg. From 1948 to 1951, he temporarily took over the chair for organic chemistry and organic chemical technology at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg .

Bernhard Neumann, brother of the doctor Rudolf and the zoologist Günther Neumann, married Maria, the daughter of the general manager Gerhard Quadflieg, in 1906 . He died on December 15, 1953 at the age of 86 in Freiberg.

Act

In many publications, Neumann made important contributions to the scientificization of chemical process engineering, which previously was often based on purely empirical methods. The focus of his scientific work was on research into electrometallurgy , gas analysis and the sulfuric acid contact process.

He also investigated other catalytically controlled processes such as ammonia combustion , the Deacon process for producing chlorine and water gas production. Neumann was able to show that the chlorinated lime is a defined compound that, depending on the reaction conditions, arises in two distinct forms.

He studied the ammonia-soda process , the catalytic conversion of acetylene to acetaldehyde and acetic acid and the formation of methane from carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Furthermore, Bernhard Neumann dealt with the history of science and technology in a number of publications.

Fonts

• Electrolysis as a tool in analytical chemistry, 1896
• Theory and Practice of Analytical Electrolysis of Metals, 1897, English 1898
• The metals, history, occurrence, extraction statistics, 1903
• Electrometallurgy of iron, 1907, Russian 1908
• Around 200 articles in specialist journals - Editor: Chemical-technical analysis, founded by Julius Post. 2 volumes, 3rd edition 1908/09, edited by Bernhard Neumann
• Textbook of chemical technology and metallurgy, 1912, 3rd edition 1939, French 1914
• Daily questions from science and technology, chemistry, metallurgy etc. department, 1914–1925
• The oldest methods of producing technical iron. 1954

literature

• Ernst Terres: Bernhard Neumann on his 65th birthday . In: Zeitschrift für Elektrochemie, Volume 38, 1932, pages 259-260. doi : 10.1002 / bbpc.19320380503
• Anton Lissner: In: Chemische Technik, Volume 6, 1954, pages 317-320
• Hans-Georg Schäfer: In: Chemiker-Zeitung, No. 78, 1954, page 158
• Hans-Georg Schäfer: In: Bergakademie, No. 6, 1954, page 26 f.
• Hans-Georg Schäfer: In: Fuel Chemistry, No. 35, 1954, page 64 ff., With catalog raisonné
• Hans-Georg Schäfer: In: Bergakademie, Freiberger Forschungshefte, Volume 6, 1954, pages 93-107, with catalog raisonné
• Directory of professors at TH Darmstadt, edited by Christa Wolf, Volume I , 1977
• Wolfgang-Hagen Hein and Holm-Dietmar Schwarz (editors): Deutsche Apotheker-Biographie, supplementary volume, 1986, page 334
• Claus Priesner:  Neumann, Bernhard. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 19, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-428-00200-8 , pp. 135 f. ( Digitized version ).