James Dewar

Sir James Dewar FRS (September 20, 1842 – March 27, 1923) was a Scottish chemist and physicist. He is probably best-known today for his invention of the Dewar flask, which he used in conjunction with extensive research into the liquefaction of gases.

Life and work

James Dewar was born in Kincardine-on-Forth in 1842, the youngest of six boys. He lost his parents at the age of 15. He was educated at Dollar Academy and the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated. Later Dewar became professor at the University of Cambridge, in 1875, and still later a member of London's Royal Institution, where he became a Fullerian Professor of Chemistry in 1877.

In 1867 Dewar described several chemical formulae for benzene.^[1] Unfortunately, one of the formulae, which does not represent benzene correctly and was not advocated by Dewar, is sometimes still called Dewar benzene.^[2]

Dewar was particularly interested in atomic and molecular spectroscopy, working in these fields for more than 25 years.

In 1891 he discovered a process to produce liquid oxygen in industrial quantities. He developed an insulating bottle, the Dewar flask, still named after him, to study low temperature gas phenomena. He also used this bottle to transport liquid gases such as hydrogen. In 1905 he observed that cold charcoal could produce a vacuum. This technique was quite useful for experiments in atomic physics.

Along with Frederick Augustus Abel, Dewar developed cordite, a smokeless gunpowder alternative.

Dewar died in London in 1923, and his remains were cremated at Golders Green. A lunar crater has been named in his honor.

Selected publications

• Collected Papers on Spectroscopy, G. D. Liveing and J. Dewar, Cambridge University Press, 1915

Notes

External links

• Meiklejohn, William, "Tulliallan: Four lads o’ pairts: Sir James Dewar (1842-1923)" from the Kincardine Local History Group

• Bellis, Mary, "Inventors Sir James Dewar" from about.com

• Armstrong, H. E., Obituary of James Dewar

• Brief biography from the Royal Institution of Great Britain

• Brief biography and picture

• Another brief biography

• Dewar's work on soap bubbles

• Sloan, T. O'Connor, 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)

• Fullerian Professorships

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