Ernst Becker (engineering scientist)

Ernst Becker (born February 10, 1955 in Stuttgart ; † August 7, 2019 there ) was a German scientist , inventor and entrepreneur .

Life

Immediately after graduating from high school in 1975 at Salier-Gymnasium Waiblingen , Ernst Becker did military service with the helicopter supply service in Ulm . He then studied process engineering at the University of Stuttgart and completed his studies in 1981 with a thesis on the subject of flotation and a thesis on optimal cyclone construction . As a research assistant, from 1983 as a senior research assistant, Ernst Becker initially stayed at the University of Stuttgart and worked in the fields of chemical and mechanical process engineering until 1986.

From 1986 the qualified engineer worked as an independent entrepreneur and consultant in international mechanical and plant engineering as well as in environmental measurement technology. At the University of Applied Science and Art , HAWK in Hildesheim, Ernst Becker has been teaching conservation / restoration since 2011. From 2003 to February 2014, Becker was chairman and treasurer of the Friends of the Berlin State Library and is a founding member of the association for the promotion of the conservation and restoration of works of art on paper, archival and library material at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart (Förderverein Papierrestaurierung Stuttgart ); from 2008 to 2014 he was its advisory board member and treasurer.

Ernst Becker had two grown children and had lived mostly in Berlin since 2013. Shortly before his death, he returned to Stuttgart at the instigation of his children.

activity

Ernst Becker's scientific expertise as well as his interest in ecologically and economically optimized production processes with the necessary, practical mechanical and plant engineering led him to the fields of environmental technology , occupational safety and conservation as early as the late 1980s . Since then, Becker has developed a large number of technical systems and innovative process technologies; Until 2012 alone, his protected inventions comprised a total of more than 20 patent families that are used worldwide.

In addition to environmentally friendly processes for the industrial separation of z. B. Amalgams , dioxins , coke particles , acids and the development of platinum-free catalysts , Becker's inventions are mainly used in the restoration and preservation of historically valuable books, graphics and files: In particular, his analysis of the usual, purely mechanical and mostly manual work methods for preservation From bibliophile manuscripts, documents, paintings and rolled or folded cartographies , Ernst Becker led to the development of new technologies such as B. Paper splitting systems using the paper splitting process and aerosol generators . The procedures ensure the restoration that preserves the substance as well as sustainable conservation and archiving ; They also protect employees and users from dangerous spores and mold .

The restoration of documents with water and / or mechanical damage, the restoration of the autographs by Johann Sebastian Bach , which are affected by ink corrosion due to iron-containing ink, and the restoration of damage from library fires are considered significant applications of Ernst Becker's process engineering . The restoration systems developed on the basis of Ernst Becker are among others. a. in Leipzig, Berlin and St. Petersburg as well as in Asia and the USA.

Publications (selection)

• Frank, M., Schultz, J., Becker, E., Hähner, U., Petersen, K., Brückle, I .: Electrostatic Removal of Loose Particulate Surface Contamination from Historical Photographs. Restorer, Vol. 34, No. 3, De Gruyter, 2013
• Becker, E., Hähner, U., Petersen, K., Banik, G .: Electrostatic cleaning of surfaces: A new method for the gentle handling of historical documents. Surface cleaning manual, Dr. Paul-Bernhard Eipper, Verlag Dr. C. Müller-Straten Munich, 3rd edition, 2013, ISBN 978-3-93270424-6
• Becker, E., Reikow-Räuchle, M., Banik, G .: A New Mass Scale Surface Cleaning Technology for Collections of Historical Maps. Restorer, Vol. 32, No. 2, De Gruyter Saur, 2011, ISSN  0034-5806
• Glück, E., Banik, G., Becker, E., Kühner, M .: Air-Stream Drying of Paper. Restorer, Vol. 32, No. 1, De Gruyter Saur, 2011
• Becker, E., Reikow-Räuchle, M., Banik, G .: Electrostatic dust removal from historical maps and documents using the example of the Justus Perthes map inventory of the University and Research Library Erfurt / Gotha. Paths to Conservation Science, Ed. Gerhard Banik, Verlag Siegl, Munich, 2010
• Glück, E., Banik, G., Becker, E., Kühner, M .: Air-flow drying of paper. Paths to Conservation Science, Ed. Gerhard Banik, Verlag Siegl, Munich, 2010
• Schrems, M., Ebner, G., Liebner, F., Becker, E., Potthast, A., Rosenau, T .: Side Reactions in the System Cellulose / 1-Alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium Ionic Liquid. ACS Symposium Series, American Chemical Society: Washington DC, 2010
• Reikow-Räuchle, M., Banik, G., Becker, E., Ernst, E., Kreienbrink, Ch .: Dust removal from flat paper objects: A new automated method. Dust removal from flat paper items: A new automated method. Poster Abstract, in: Summaries of the Contributions of the 11th IADA-Congress, Birgit Reissland, Anna Bühlow and Andrea Pataki (eds), Göttingen: IADA, 2007
• Reikow-Räuchle, M., Banik, G., Thobois, E., Becker, E .: The estate of the architect Leopold Bauer - a standardized working concept for the efficient development of extensive plan collections. Paper restoration, communications from IADA, Vol. 1, No. 4, 2000
• Saur-Aull, B., Hassel, B., Becker, E., Banik, G .: Construction and use of a light bleaching system. 9th International Congress of IADA, Copenhagen, August 1999
• Zimmer, F., Hassel, B., Becker, E., Banik, G .: “Board Slotting” - a machine-aided book restoration method. 9th International Congress of IADA, Copenhagen, August 1999
• Wächter, W., Becker, E., Liers, J .: Paper splitting by machine at the Deutsche Bücherei, Leipzig. IPC proceedings, ed. J. Eagan. 4th International Conference of the Institute of Paper Conservation, London. Worcester, England: Institute of Paper Conservation, pp. 224-230, 1997
• Wächter, W., Liers, J., Becker, E .: Paper Splitting at the German Library Leipzig. Restaurator 17, pp. 32-42, 1996
• Becker, E., Wächter, W .: Construction and testing of a prototype for the automated restoration of damaged library and archive material using the paper split method. BMFT report, 1993
• Becker, E. - Becker Process Engineering Dipl.-Ing. E. Becker GmbH & Co. KG: Comments to "The determination of the size of amalgam particles in dental treatment waste - provisional results. Dutch dental association, Nieuwegein 1993". Handout for ISO / TC 106 / SC 6th Session of the Working Group 2, September 7, 1993 in Stockholm. Korb, 1993

Web links

• Card cleaning University of Erfurt / Gotha

• Electrostatic cleaning system, mechanical electrostatic cleaning and digitization of cultural assets in one operation, HAWK - University of Applied Science and Art

• Dusting in the library, Deutschlandfunk

• Progress in the automated cleaning of archival material, restauro

• Pulverization of culture, TAZ

• The paper gap process, Becker Preservotec, page 82 ff.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ernst Becker's memorial page | ZVW mourning. Accessed August 30, 2019 (German). 
2. ↑ Cleaning system for Bibliophilia Perthes. (PDF) University of Erfurt, accessed on February 5, 2014 . 
3. ↑ Aerosol generator: the 'Becker Machine'. (PDF) Retrieved February 5, 2014 . 
4. ↑ Restoration of the Bach autographs. Berlin State Library, accessed on February 5, 2014 .