DR. MOND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 10

DR. MOND.

DEATH OF A FOREMOST MAN OF, : science; - -' chemist and inventor; Dr. Ludivig Mo'n'd; tlio distinguished chemist, who died in London after a protracted illness, combined tho power of original research with the executive and commercial' : genius which has turnod discovery to great practical uses. Otherycheniists have made their discoveries, and have left to others their every-day application. Dr. was able himself to carry almost all his inventions to the'point at which they became of'commercial value. The result has 1 been, that he has created vast industries, employing millions of capital and thousands of workmen. .

Under: tlio guidance of Dr: Mend, the firm of Brunh'er, Mond, and Co. (says the "Westminster Gazette") has progressed continuously until to-day it •is tho largest .cpnoern of. the kind in.the world, ahq onb of the representative . British industries. ■ -Of the beginning of, the enterprise in 1873: Sir. John. Brunner recently said that "during; the first. twelve months everything exploded that '.could explode,■ and. everything broke that;could :break,: until the . partners had nothing left but their credit and their, licenses from . Ernest : , Solvay, .of , Brussels,. to manufacture soda by his ammonia..process.. "That, process had .been patented in.-. ignorance of. the fact that .the invention.was -70 ..years old. but'ln the hands of Dr. Mbnd it was"- developed in commercial utility until it became enor-. nioiisly 'successful. ; ■': ■.;•■'" ■Though, he,had long since been a naturalised British subject, 'Dr.'Mond was born ..at: Hesse-Cassel, in Germany, .in 1639, bein" thb eldest:son 0 f a.merchant of that: town. After his ordinary schooling he took,up. chemistry as a special study,, and at Heidelberg.became a pupil of the renowned Robert Bunsen. Subsequently ho hold several appointments in Ichorbical works in, Germany, and later camo .to England to introduce his process for; the recovery "of sulphur .from, alkali waste,.-:which' he 'did:with;success.,Afterwards he .'returned to the Continent again to .take charge*of the erection and management of a Leblane alkali works at'W I recht, ,in Holland. It .was the Leblane process, with',, its'- use of the expensive manufactured salt and the employment of sulphur as-ytno decomposing,.agent, whichw'as. to. be by, tho' Solvay inothod) iri which carbonate cf animonia was, employed; while the salt, was used in the form of brino pumped from the' earth. ' ;By devising tho.prpcess for.thp production of chlorine from, ammonium chloride,' the:-,ammonia soda "process was.mado a "complete ; cycle; leaving, no,waste product of ianv kindi Nor was it only in. connection with his'own special business that Dr.' Mond's . inventive genius found expression,; for ho was responsible for.inany important inventions in other.branches of, applied chemistry.' "From/an early date in his-career, for instance, Dr. Mond bestow-' bd ,special, attention on .the"problem of the '.economical', consumption ,of, coal, aud : .'as-the''result 'of his. researches'he devised a- most ingenious method for,.utilising coal in tho fornrbf gas-and recovering at, the same time, the nitrogen contained in'it in the form of'ammonia.Todby "Mond" gas-is'--being extensively employed in industry, in Staffordshire,' for instance,; the' works;at Dudley. l Port distribute' the gas to" nearly a hundred manufactories .over.' an extensive, area..., .', As:an outcome of,his later researches upon: the. direct production of electricity, Dr. .Mond and- his assistants'brought, to light: a new. series, of ./chemical .-com-. Pounds of; very jieculiar -properties, l now fenown as metallic;c'arbonyls, the,properties, of.which; went., submitted -to-'yery iull: ..investigation,- 'and,; subsequently 'turned to . commercial ...use. -.'From ..study bfatho nickel ■.carbonyl-.,-Dr..,'Mond -was led to'deviso and. work put ..an entirely hew ..process-for. obtaining. nickel from, -its ores, and' this.' in, its turn gave, riso to-an entirely new, industry," Afhich has : already,. ..assumed., great .importance, v In 'numerous other .cases abstract 'research' ■ was ; followed;'by ; some''ingehious applicationOofc tho ..new, principle";discovered 1 to utilitarian: ends. .''..' ;■ v.-..

; Dr. ,:Mond' ; in-'I3SC : founded;:. and - eri-' do\ved the Davy-I'araday Research • 'Laboratory -,;at; thß.i,K6yal«-Institution;'.: In additidu' v -to"-:tliis' ''hd''■'■.'contributed .most generously : to. / the,,prpgress„of:spienco. Hi.s literary ! cpntributibns;■ cbmpi'ise:' a" number of valuable papers' and addresses'on '-his-'researchos-'and on .chemical'-advance ;in;■ general.; Needless ;to say,-V Dr. Mond "lyas.a member of many learned: and scientific, .societies. ■; He' tbok;the : w-armest- in-, tdrestin'the subject, 7 of national education,' arid, nil-that mado "for., the advancement;, moral and material,:' of . the community, while ho; was.' devoted to art and ;inusic.: ; .;:i;:v:'. - : '■'•-.-"■., ; :",. ; ' ■■■'■'■.'..''