Christian Gottlob Gmelin (12 October 1792 – 13 May 1860) was a German
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 ...
. He was born in Tübingen, Germany, and was a grandson of Johann Konrad Gmelin and a great-grandson of
Johann Georg Gmelin.
Scientific career
In 1818, Gmelin was one of the first to observe that
lithium salts give a bright red color in a flame.
In 1826,
Jean-Baptiste Guimet was credited with having devised a process for the artificial manufacture of
ultramarine
Ultramarine is a deep blue color pigment which was originally made by grinding lapis lazuli into a powder. The name comes from the Latin ''ultramarinus'', literally 'beyond the sea', because the pigment was imported into Europe from mines in Afg ...
. Two years later, in 1828, Gmelin published his own process for the artificial manufacture of ultramarine. Since Gmelin was the first to publish this process, he received the recognition for this discovery. In his publication, Gmelin stated that silica, alumina, and soda are the main constituents of ultramarine and the rich color comes from sulfur.
Death
Gmelin died in Tübingen, Germany,
where he spent his entire life, on May 13, 1860.
Works
* ''Einleitung in die Chemie'' . Vol.1&2 . Laupp, Thüringen 1835-183
Digital editionby the
University and State Library Düsseldorf
The University and State Library Düsseldorf (german: Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Düsseldorf, abbreviated ULB Düsseldorf) is a central service institution of Heinrich Heine University. Along with Bonn and Münster, it is also one of t ...
References
1792 births
1860 deaths
19th-century German chemists
University of Tübingen faculty
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