Charles Greville Williams facts for kids

Charles H. Greville Williams (born September 22, 1829 – died June 15, 1910) was an English scientist and chemist. He wrote many science papers starting in 1853. Charles was born in Cheltenham, a town in England. He passed away in Horley and is buried in Streatham.

Discovering Rubber's Secrets

A Respected Scientist

Charles H. Greville Williams became a Fellow of The Royal Society in 1862. This is a very important group for scientists in England. Being a Fellow means he was a highly respected scientist.

Unlocking the Mystery of Rubber

During the late 1800s, many chemists tried to figure out what natural rubber was made of. Their goal was to make rubber in a laboratory.

In 1860, Williams studied rubber by heating it very strongly. This process is called destructive distillation. It breaks down a substance into simpler parts. From the rubber, he got a lot of light oil. He named this oil isoprene. Isoprene is a building block for rubber.

For the next 70 years, many scientists tried to make rubber in the lab using isoprene. But they didn't succeed until 1955. That's when a scientist named Samuel Horne finally managed to create rubber using isoprene. Williams' discovery of isoprene was a very important step.

Starting a Business

In 1868, Charles Williams started a company in New York City. It was called Williams, Thomas and Dower. This company made special colors called dyestuffs. These colors were used to dye fabrics. The company closed in 1878. A year later, his two older sons, Rupert and Lewis, started a new dyestuffs factory in Hounslow, England. They got help from people who used to work for their father's company.