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Carl Josef Bayer
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<h2 id="personal-life-and-education">Personal life and education</h2> <p>Carl Bayer was born on 4 March 1847 in the <a href="/facts/Austrian_Silesia/F8l9GG84">Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia</a> in the <a href="/facts/Austrian_Empire/AnAU9bdG">Austrian Empire</a>, which is now <a href="/facts/Poland/eXJ7fd0D">Poland</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> He attended <a href="/facts/Heidelberg_University/4IaFa3jD">Heidelberg University</a> in <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a>, where he studied chemistry under <a href="/facts/Robert_Bunsen/HYqSh9tH">Robert Bunsen</a> from 1869-1871, the namesake of the <a href="/facts/Bunsen_burner/Q4BpEuFU">Bunsen burner</a>. He received his doctorate degree in 1871 with a dissertation on the chemistry of <a href="/facts/Indium/zRq3stVb">indium</a>, which had just been discovered in 1863.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> After this he lectured for two years at <a href="/facts/German_Technical_University_in_Brno/r4XWeDd4">Technische Hochschule</a> in <a href="/facts/Brno/jRsKTI4s">Brno</a>, and then left to establish his own research company. Bayer then moved to <a href="/facts/Saint_Petersburg/pNuCBxaM">St. Petersburg</a>, Russia, in 1885 where he flourished as an inventor.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> At age 45 he married the daughter of a Russian politician, Alma Von Witte, and settled in Rietzdorf (modern day <a href="/facts/Re%25C4%258Dica_ob_Paki/y9JkCHLk">Rečica ob Paki</a>, <a href="/facts/Slovenia/EcYU22W4">Slovenia</a>). Together they had six children. He died in 1904 at the age of 57. His wife would survive him until 1962, when she died at the age of 94.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="aluminium-ore-processing-prior-to-bayer">Aluminium ore processing prior to Bayer</h2> <p>Bauxite was discovered in 1821 by <a href="/facts/Pierre_Berthier/s15V3AfV">Pierre Berthier</a> who named it after a village named <a href="/facts/Les_Baux-de-Provence/JJWHsErW">Les Beaux</a> where he found it.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> To obtain the alumina from the bauxite ore, a process was developed that used acid to dissolve aluminium but resulted in a product that contained large amounts of <a href="/facts/Iron/QK1JYy8E">iron</a> and <a href="/facts/Titanium/53ArnDoy">titanium</a> dissolved within which were difficult to remove.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> Due to these impurities, the process was not employed for use, but was an approach that was explored. <a href="/facts/Louis_Le_Chatelier/o99188cX">Louis Le Chatelier</a>, in 1855, created a <a href="/facts/Deville%25E2%2580%2593Pechiney_process/6XNT4xs1">process</a> that produced aluminium hydroxide by heating bauxite with <a href="/facts/Sodium_carbonate/P6RHvIoK">sodium carbonate</a> and then <a href="/facts/Leaching_(chemistry)/hQ5JQhpF">leaching</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> Bubbling through the solution with carbon dioxide precipitated aluminium hydroxide, which when dried, allowed for the recovery of alumina. </p> <h2 id="bayers-contribution-to-aluminium-ore-processing">Bayer's contribution to aluminium ore processing</h2> <p>Bayer worked in the textile industry in Saint Petersburg, where aluminium hydroxide was used to help affix dye to the cotton.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> While working he made two important discoveries regarding processing steps that helped separate the Bayer process from that of Le Chatelier. In 1887, Bayer found that by using a pure seed of aluminium hydroxide, a crystalline precipitate formed that was more economical than that obtained by Le Chatelier.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> He later patented his discovery in Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom in 1887.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> In 1892, Bayer discovered that by using an <a href="/facts/Autoclave_(industrial)/bg1J3cXJ">autoclave</a>, or a pressure leaching vessel, in combination with a <a href="/facts/Sodium_hydroxide/xjtdYtq7">sodium hydroxide</a> leachant the process resulted in a very pure <a href="/facts/Sodium_aluminate/FFxYHM5a">sodium aluminate</a> solution that could be used for his <a href="https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?docid=00382505&PageNum=1&&IDKey=C2A23C63613D&HomeUrl=http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2%2526Sect2=HITOFF%2526p=1%2526u=%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r=1%2526f=G%2526l=50%2526co1=AND%2526d=PALL%2526s1=0382505.PN.%2526OS=PN/0382505%2526RS=PN/0382505">precipitation step</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> that he discovered previously. Both steps are widely used today but have been improved upon as technology has evolved. After discovery, Bayer worked as a startup consultant for alumina manufacturing around Europe. Bayer returned to Austria in 1894 to start an alumina factory but was unable to secure enough capital to fully fund the project.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="importance-to-the-aluminium-industry">Importance to the aluminium industry</h2> <p>Alumina and aluminium production underwent significant changes in processing due to discoveries made by Karl Bayer, <a href="/facts/Charles_Martin_Hall/FHavM9eo">Charles Martin Hall</a>, and <a href="/facts/Paul_H%25C3%25A9roult/tPLhnYVr">Paul Héroult</a>. Hall and Heroult share credit for inventing aluminium electrolysis.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> The <a href="/facts/Hall%25E2%2580%2593H%25C3%25A9roult_process/CgW4b08l">Hall–Heroult method</a> is the primary method of producing modern aluminium and requires high purity alumina to produce aluminium. The Bayer process produces high purity alumina which is then used in the Hall–Heroult process as the main raw material.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> In 1900, aluminium was valued at the equivalent of 100 current US dollars, but over the next 50 years decreased in price to approximately 20 current US dollars.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> This decrease is attributed to the increase in the ease of manufacturing associated with aluminium after Bayer, Hall, and Heroult’s discoveries. </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Electrometallurgy/TGQJSMQs">Electrometallurgy</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/History_of_aluminium/eUEE3YA1">History of aluminium</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Hydrometallurgy/RUW4cffs">Hydrometallurgy</a></li></ul> <h3>Sources</h3> <ul><li>United States Patent Application 20050238571: Process and apparatus for the production of alumina.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Seetharaman, Seshadri (2014). Treatise on Process Metallurgy Volume 3: Industrial Processes, Part A. United Kingdom: Elsevier. p. 841. ISBN 978-0-08-096988-6. <a href="978-0-08-096988-6" target="_blank">978-0-08-096988-6</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Lerner, K. Lee; Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth, eds. (2003). "Aluminum". World of Earth Science. Vol. 1. Thomson-Gale. ISBN 9780787656829. <a href="9780787656829" target="_blank">9780787656829</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Budd, Geoff. "Resources and Production of Aluminium" (PDF). Training in Aluminium Application Technologies. European Aluminium Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2005. Retrieved March 1, 2006. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050929162751/http://www.eaa.net/education/TALAT/lectures/1101.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20050929162751/http://www.eaa.net/education/TALAT/lectures/1101.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Habashi, Fathi (October 2004). "Karl Josef Bayer and his time - Part 2". CIM Bulletin. 1083: 62–66. <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Habashi, Fathi (October 2004). "Karl Josef Bayer and his time - Part 2". CIM Bulletin. 1083: 62–66. <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Habashi, Fathi (1995). "Bayer's process for alumina production: a historical perspective" (PDF). Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. 17–18: 15–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2019. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Habashi, Fathi (1995). "Bayer's process for alumina production: a historical perspective" (PDF). Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. 17–18: 15–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2019. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Habashi, Fathi (September 2004). "Karl Josef Bayer and his time- Part 1". CIM Bulletin. 1082: 61–64. <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Habashi, Fathi (September 2004). "Karl Josef Bayer and his time- Part 1". CIM Bulletin. 1082: 61–64. <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Habashi, Fathi (1995). "Bayer's process for alumina production: a historical perspective" (PDF). Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. 17–18: 15–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2019. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Habashi, Fathi (2005). "A short history of hydrometallurgy". Hydrometallurgy. 79 (1–2): 15–22. doi:10.1016/j.hydromet.2004.01.008. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Habashi, Fathi (1995). "Bayer's process for alumina production: a historical perspective" (PDF). Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. 17–18: 15–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2019. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Habashi, Fathi (1995). "Bayer's process for alumina production: a historical perspective" (PDF). Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. 17–18: 15–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2019. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"Process of Obtaining Alumina". utpto.gov. May 8, 1888. <a href="https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?docid=00382505&PageNum=1&&IDKey=C2A23C63613D&HomeUrl=http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2%2526Sect2=HITOFF%2526p=1%2526u=%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r=1%2526f=G%2526l=50%2526co1=AND%2526d=PALL%2526s1=0382505.PN.%2526OS=PN/0382505%2526RS=PN/0382505" target="_blank">https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?docid=00382505&PageNum=1&&IDKey=C2A23C63613D&HomeUrl=http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2%2526Sect2=HITOFF%2526p=1%2526u=%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r=1%2526f=G%2526l=50%2526co1=AND%2526d=PALL%2526s1=0382505.PN.%2526OS=PN/0382505%2526RS=PN/0382505</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Habashi, Fathi (1995). "Bayer's process for alumina production: a historical perspective" (PDF). Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. 17–18: 15–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2019. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20190413043758/https://acshist.scs.illinois.edu/bulletin_open_access/num17-18/num17-18%20p15-19.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>"Primary Production | The Aluminum Association". www.aluminium.org. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20191002060746/https://www.aluminium.org/industries/production/primary-production" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20191002060746/https://www.aluminium.org/industries/production/primary-production</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>"Primary Production | The Aluminum Association". www.aluminium.org. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20191002060746/https://www.aluminium.org/industries/production/primary-production" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20191002060746/https://www.aluminium.org/industries/production/primary-production</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Inflationmonkey (May 7, 2012). "Inflation in the UK: Aluminium the Metal that has Never been so Inexpensive – Inflation Adjusted Historical Aluminium Price since 1900 in Pounds Sterling and US Dollars". Inflation in the UK. Retrieved April 19, 2019. <a href="http://inflationmonkey.blogspot.com/2012/05/aluminium-metal-that-has-never-been-so.html" target="_blank">http://inflationmonkey.blogspot.com/2012/05/aluminium-metal-that-has-never-been-so.html</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>