Georg Langbein

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Georg Langbein

Georg Ernst Leopold Langbein (born March 11, 1849 in Grimma ; † May 1, 1909 in Leipzig ) was a German chemist , electroplating technician and entrepreneur.

Langbein was the son of the businessman and later director of the club bank to Grimma Ernst Langbein. He attended the municipal school in Grimma and at the age of 12 switched to the Realgymnasium in Leipzig. Langbein studied chemistry at the University of Leipzig until 1869 and was already Dr. phil.

The Bremen-based company L. Mathias Gildemeister summoned the young chemist to Peru , to enter the local Salpeterbergwerken the Jodgewinnung import from nitric mother liquors. Since Langbein was not yet 21 years old at that time, King John of Saxony first had to declare him of age so that he could start his job and stay in Peru for the next 10 years. After Langbein returned to Germany in 1879, he initially ran a private laboratory in Leipzig, but soon dealt with the relatively new electrochemistry.

In 1881 he founded a chemical factory for electroplating and the metal industry. He developed copper, bronze, brass and nickel electrolytes as well as solutions for coloring metals. In order to be able to show his customers his working methods, he equipped his company with his own electroplating systems. There he also conducted courses for the training of electroplating assistants. In 1883, Langbein was awarded the "first prize for particularly outstanding achievements" in Berlin at the IV. Specialized Exhibition of the Association of German Sheet Metal Workers. In 1885 he received the silver medal for his fully equipped galvanic sample institute exhibited in Nuremberg at the International Exhibition of Works of Fine Metals and Alloys.

In 1886 his “Complete Handbook of Galvanic Metal Precipitation with Consideration of Contact Galvanization, Immersion Processes, Coloring of Metals as well as Grinding and Polishing Methods” appeared, a second in 1889, a third in 1895, a fourth in 1898, a fifth in 1902 and a 1906 sixth edition and thus became a guideline for many newly emerging electroplating companies. The demand for his works was high not only in Germany, but also abroad, so that Langbein translated many of them himself, because he was fluent in written and spoken English, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

In 1890 he moved into a generously equipped new factory, where he developed high-speed processes for electroplating and nickel plating as well as practical processes for electroplating mass parts and thus became the founder of the electroplating industry in Germany. In the following years he opened further branches of his company, for example in Vienna in 1896 to compete with the Wilhelm Pfanhauser company and in Utrecht , in 1897 in Berlin (also for reasons of competition, as Pfanhauser also opened a Berlin branch for his German customers) and in 1898 a production facility in Milan .

In 1907 Langbein founded the Langbein-Pfanhauser Werke in Leipzig together with his previous Viennese competitor Pfanhauser .

Georg Langbein was for several years chairman of the North German Precious and Non-Precious Metal Trade Association in Berlin and a deputy in the chemical-technical commission of the royal Saxon Ministry of the Interior. In 1897 Langbein was awarded the Knight's Cross First Class of the Royal Saxon Order of Albrecht by King Albert of Saxony and in 1901 was appointed Royal Saxon Councilor .

literature

personal data
SURNAME Langbein, Georg
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Langbein, Georg Ernst Leopold
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German chemist and electroplating technician
DATE OF BIRTH March 11, 1849
PLACE OF BIRTH Grimma , Saxony, Germany
DATE OF DEATH May 1, 1909
Place of death Leipzig , Saxony, Germany