Eugène Turpin facts for kids
François Eugène Turpin (born September 30, 1848 – died January 24, 1927) was a French chemist. He spent his life researching and developing explosive materials. Turpin lived in Colombes, a town in France.
Contents
Biography
Early Work with Explosives
In 1881, Turpin suggested a new group of explosives. He called them "panclastites." These were special mixtures. They combined a fuel with a gas called dinitrogen tetroxide. This gas helped the mixture explode powerfully.
Developing Melinite
In 1885, Turpin made another important discovery. He got a patent for using picric acid. This was a very strong chemical. He found a way to press and mold it. This made it useful for blasting rocks. It was also good for filling artillery shells. Artillery shells are large projectiles fired from cannons.
In 1887, the French government started using his invention. They named it Melinite. They added a material called gun cotton to make it even stronger. Other countries also developed similar explosives. In 1888, Britain made a similar mixture called Lyddite. Japan later created an improved version known as Schimose.
False Accusation and Freedom
In 1889, a military officer was accused of stealing Turpin's secret formula. This secret was then sold to Germany. Sadly, Turpin was wrongly accused of sharing secrets with another country. He was put in jail for a short time.
However, a newspaper called Le Petit Journal started a campaign to help him. Because of their efforts, Turpin was pardoned in 1893. This meant he was officially forgiven. Later, in 1901, he was fully cleared of all charges.
The Jules Verne Lawsuit
In 1897, Turpin took the famous writer Jules Verne to court. Turpin believed that a character in Verne's novel Facing the Flag was based on him. This character, Thomas Roch, also invented a powerful explosive. Verne was defended by a lawyer named Raymond Poincaré. The court found Verne innocent. However, a letter from Verne to his brother later confirmed that the character was indeed inspired by Turpin.
The Truth About Turpinite
After World War I, people investigated a supposed war gas. It was called "turpinite." Many thought Eugène Turpin had developed it. However, investigations showed that "turpinite" was actually a fictional gas. It was not a real invention by Turpin.
See also
In Spanish: Eugène Turpin para niños
