Sir James Dewar (20 September 1842 – 27 March 1923) was a British
chemist
A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...
and
physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...
. He is best known for his invention of the
vacuum flask, which he used in conjunction with research into the
liquefaction of gases. He also studied atomic and molecular
spectroscopy, working in these fields for more than 25 years.
Early life
James Dewar was born in
Kincardine,
Perthshire (now in
Fife) in 1842, the youngest of six boys of Ann Dewar and Thomas Dewar, a vintner.
He was educated at Kincardine Parish School and then
Dollar Academy. His parents died when he was 15. He attended the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1 ...
where he studied chemistry under
Lyon Playfair (later Baron Playfair), becoming Playfair's personal assistant. Dewar also studied under
August Kekulé at
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...
.
Career
In 1875, Dewar was elected Jacksonian professor of natural experimental philosophy at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, becoming a member of
Peterhouse. He became a member of the
Royal Institution and later, in 1877, replaced
Dr John Hall Gladstone in the role of Fullerian Professor of Chemistry. Dewar was also the President of the
Chemical Society in 1897 and the
British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1902, as well as serving on the
Royal Commission established to examine London's water supply from 1893 to 1894 and the Committee on Explosives. While serving on the Committee on Explosives, he and
Frederick Augustus Abel developed
cordite, a smokeless
gunpowder alternative.
In 1867 Dewar described several chemical formulas for
benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar ring with one hydrogen atom attached to each. Because it contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms ...
, which were published in 1869. One of the formulae, which does not represent benzene correctly and was not advocated by Dewar, is sometimes still called
Dewar benzene. In 1869 he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposer being his former mentor, Lyon Playfair.
His scientific work covers a wide field – his earlier papers cover topics including
organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J ...
,
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-to ...
and its physical constants, high-temperature research, the temperature of the Sun and of the
electric spark, spectrophotometry, and the chemistry of the
electric arc
An electric arc, or arc discharge, is an electrical breakdown of a gas that produces a prolonged electrical discharge. The current through a normally nonconductive medium such as air produces a plasma; the plasma may produce visible light. ...
.
With
Professor J. G. McKendrick, of the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
, he investigated the
physiological action of light and examined the changes that take place in the electrical condition of the
retina
The retina (from la, rete "net") is the innermost, light-sensitive layer of tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focused two-dimensional image of the visual world on the retina, which the ...
under its influence. With
Professor G. D. Liveing, one of his colleagues at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, he began in 1878 a long series of
spectroscopic observations, the later of which were devoted to the spectroscopic examination of various gaseous elements separated from atmospheric air by the aid of low temperatures. He was joined by
Professor J. A. Fleming, of
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
, in the investigation of the electrical behaviour of substances cooled to very low temperatures.
His name is most widely known in connection with his work on the
liquefaction of the so-called permanent gases and his researches at temperatures approaching
absolute zero.
His interest in this branch of physics and chemistry dates back at least as far as 1874, when he discussed the "Latent Heat of Liquid Gases" before the British Association. In 1878, he devoted a Friday evening lecture at the
Royal Institution to the then-recent work of
Louis Paul Cailletet
Louis-Paul Cailletet (21 September 1832 – 5 January 1913) was a French physicist and inventor.
Life and work
Cailletet was born in Châtillon-sur-Seine, Côte-d'Or. Educated in Paris, Cailletet returned to Châtillon to manage his fathe ...
and
Raoul Pictet
Raoul-Pierre Pictet (4 April 1846 – 27 July 1929) was a Swiss physicist. Pictet is co-credited with French scientist Louis-Paul Cailletet as the first to produce liquid oxygen in 1877.
Biography
Pictet was born in Geneva. He served as profe ...
, and exhibited for the first time in Great Britain the working of the Cailletet apparatus. Six years later, again at the Royal Institution, he described the researches of
Zygmunt Florenty Wróblewski and
Karol Olszewski, and illustrated for the first time in public the
liquefaction of
oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements ...
and air. Soon afterward, he built a machine from which the liquefied gas could be drawn off through a valve for use as a cooling agent, before using the liquid oxygen in research work related to meteorites; about the same time, he also obtained oxygen in the solid state.
By 1891, he had designed and built, at the Royal Institution, machinery which yielded liquid oxygen in industrial quantities, and towards the end of that year, he showed that both liquid oxygen and liquid ozone are strongly attracted by a magnet. About 1892, the idea occurred to him of using vacuum-jacketed vessels for the storage of liquid gases – the Dewar flask (otherwise known as a Thermos or
vacuum flask) – the invention for which he became most famous. The vacuum flask was so efficient at keeping heat out, it was found possible to preserve the liquids for comparatively long periods, making an examination of their optical properties possible. Dewar did not profit from the widespread adoption of his vacuum flask – he lost a court case against
Thermos concerning the patent for his invention. While Dewar was recognised as the inventor, because he did not patent his invention, there was no way to prevent Thermos from using his design.
He next experimented with a high-pressure hydrogen jet by which low temperatures were realised through the
Joule–Thomson effect, and the successful results he obtained led him to build at the Royal Institution a large
regenerative cooling refrigerating machine. Using this machine in 1898,
liquid hydrogen
Liquid hydrogen (LH2 or LH2) is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. Hydrogen is found naturally in the molecular H2 form.
To exist as a liquid, H2 must be cooled below its critical point of 33 K. However, for it to be in a fully l ...
was collected for the first time, solid
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-to ...
following in 1899. He tried to liquefy the last remaining gas,
helium
Helium (from el, ἥλιος, helios, lit=sun) is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas and the first in the noble gas group in the periodic ta ...
, which condenses into a liquid at −268.9 °C, but owing to a number of factors, including a short supply of helium, Dewar was preceded by
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (21 September 1853 – 21 February 1926) was a Dutch physicist and Nobel laureate. He exploited the Hampson–Linde cycle to investigate how materials behave when cooled to nearly absolute zero and later to liquefy heliu ...
as the first person to produce
liquid helium, in 1908. Onnes would later be awarded the
Nobel Prize in Physics
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
for his research into the properties of matter at low temperatures – Dewar was nominated several times, but never succeeded in winning the Nobel Prize.
In 1905, he began to investigate the gas-absorbing powers of
charcoal when cooled to low temperatures and applied his research to the creation of high vacuum, which was used for further experiments in atomic physics. Dewar continued his research work into the properties of elements at low temperatures, specifically low-temperature
calorimetry
In chemistry and thermodynamics, calorimetry () is the science or act of measuring changes in ''state variables'' of a body for the purpose of deriving the heat transfer associated with changes of its state due, for example, to chemical re ...
, until the outbreak of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. The Royal Institution laboratories lost a number of staff to the war effort, both in fighting and scientific roles, and after the war, Dewar had little interest in restarting the serious research work that went on before the war. Shortages of scholars necessarily compounded the problems. His research during and after the war mainly involved investigating
surface tension
Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces at rest to shrink into the minimum surface area possible. Surface tension is what allows objects with a higher density than water such as razor blades and insects (e.g. water striders) t ...
in soap bubbles, rather than further work into the properties of matter at low temperatures.
Family
He married Helen Rose Banks in 1871. They had no children.
Helen was sister-in-law to both
Charles Dickson, Lord Dickson
Charles Scott Dickson FRSE LLD (13 September 1850, Glasgow – 5 August 1922) was a Scottish Unionist politician and judge.
Life
Charles was born in Glasgow the son of Dr John Robert Dickson. His elder brother was James Douglas Hamilton Dic ...
and
James Douglas Hamilton Dickson
James Douglas Hamilton Dickson FRSE MRI (1849–1931) was a Scottish mathematician and expert in electricity. He was a Senior Fellow at Peterhouse, Cambridge. Glasgow University elected him an Eglinton Fellow. He was the elder brother of Charle ...
.
His nephew, Dr Thomas William Dewar
FRSE (1861–1931) was an amateur artist, who painted a portrait of Sir James Dewar. He is presumably also the same Thomas William Dewar as mentioned as executor in James Dewar's will, ultimately replaced "unopposed" by Dewar's wife.
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
Dewar was invited to deliver several
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are a series of lectures on a single topic each, which have been held at the Royal Institution in London each year since 1825, missing 1939–1942 because of the Second World War. The lectures present sc ...
:
:''A Soap Bubble'' (1878)
:''Atoms'' (1880)
:''Alchemy in Relation to Modern Science'' (1883)
:''The Story of a Meteorite'' (1885)
:''The Chemistry of Light and Photography'' (1886)
:''Clouds and Cloudland'' (1888)
:''Frost and Fire'' (1890)
:''Air: Gaseous and Liquid'' (1893)
:''Christmas Lecture Epilogues'' (1912)
Honours and awards
Whilst Dewar was never recognised by the
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy ( sv, Svenska Akademien), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish language authority. Outside Scandinavia, it is bes ...
, he was recognised by many other institutions both before and after his death, in Britain and overseas.
The Royal Society elected him a
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemati ...
in June 1877 and bestowed their
Rumford (1894),
Davy (1909), and
Copley Medal (1916) medals upon him for his work, as well as inviting him to deliver their
Bakerian Lecture
The Bakerian Medal is one of the premier medals of the Royal Society that recognizes exceptional and outstanding science. It comes with a medal award and a prize lecture. The medalist is required to give a lecture on any topic related to physical ...
in 1901. In 1899, he became the first recipient of the
Hodgkins gold medal of the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Found ...
, Washington, DC, for his contributions to knowledge of the nature and properties of atmospheric air.
In 1904, he was the first British subject to receive the
Lavoisier Medal of the French Academy of Sciences, and in 1906, he was the first to be awarded the
Matteucci Medal of the Italian Society of Sciences. He was knighted in 1904 and awarded the Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize for 1900–1904 by the
Royal Society of Edinburgh, and in 1908, he was awarded the
Albert Medal of
The Society of Arts. A
lunar crater
Lunar craters are impact craters on Earth's Moon. The Moon's surface has many craters, all of which were formed by impacts. The International Astronomical Union currently recognizes 9,137 craters, of which 1,675 have been dated.
History
The w ...
was named in his honour.
A street within the
Kings Buildings
The King's Buildings (colloquially known as just King's or KB) is a campus of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Located in the suburb of Blackford, the site contains most of the schools within the College of Science and Engineering, ...
complex of the University of Edinburgh was named in memory of Dewar in the early 21st century.
Later life
Dewar died on 27 March 1923 aged 80 and was cremated at
Golders Green Crematorium in London. An urn with his ashes still resides there.
Character
Dewar's irascibility was legendary. Rowlinson (2012) called him "ruthless", particularly with his colleague
Siegfried Ruhemann.
[Pippard 1993; Salzman 2000]
Selected publications
* , G. D. Living and J. Dewar, Cambridge University Press, 1915
*Pippard, Brian. 1993. "Siegfried Ruhemann (1859-1943), F.R.S. 1914-1923." Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London 47 (2): 271–76.
*Rowlinson, Sir J. S. 2012. Sir James Dewar, 1842–1923: A Ruthless Chemist. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
See also
*
Timeline of hydrogen technologies
*
Timeline of low-temperature technology
References
Further reading
*
* Bellis, Mary, "
Inventors Sir James Dewar'" from about.com
* Meiklejohn, William, "
'" from the Kincardine Local History Group
*
* , ''Liquid Air and the Liquefaction of Gases'', Norman W. Henley and Co., New York, 1900, second edition (extensive description of Dewar's work on the liqufaction of gases)
External links
Brief biographyfrom the
Royal Institution of Great Britain
Another brief biography*
Correspondence with H.A. Kamerlingh Onnes Dewar's competitor in the race to liquid helium.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dewar, James
1842 births
1923 deaths
People from Kincardine, Fife
People educated at Dollar Academy
Jacksonian Professors of Natural Philosophy
Fellows of Peterhouse, Cambridge
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Cordite
Scottish chemists
Scottish inventors
Scottish physicists
Fellows of the Royal Society
Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences
Presidents of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
Recipients of the Copley Medal
Knights Bachelor
Golders Green Crematorium
Recipients of the Matteucci Medal