John Percy (metallurgist) facts for kids
.jpg)
John Percy (born March 23, 1817 – died June 19, 1889) was an important English scientist. He was known as a metallurgist. A metallurgist is a person who studies and works with metals. They learn how to extract metals from rocks (called ores) and how to make them stronger or more useful. Percy's work helped turn the study of metals into a modern science. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a group of top scientists.
A Life of Discovery
John Percy was born in Nottingham in 1817. His father wanted him to become a doctor. So, in 1834, John went to Paris to study medicine. While there, he also attended lectures on chemistry and botany. He loved learning about science.
In 1836, Percy traveled through Switzerland and France. He collected many interesting rock and plant samples. Later, he went to Edinburgh, Scotland, to continue his medical studies. In 1838, he earned his medical degree. He even won a gold medal for his research. After graduating, he worked at the Queen's Hospital in Birmingham. However, he had enough money not to need to practice medicine full-time.
Focusing on Metals
Living near Birmingham, John Percy became very interested in the local industries. These industries often involved working with metals. This sparked his passion for metallurgy. In 1846, he worked with other scientists to study crystallized slags. Slag is a waste product left over after metals are separated from their ores.
In 1847, John Percy became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a big honor for a scientist. In 1851, he was chosen to teach metallurgy at a new school in London. This school later became the Metropolitan School of Science. His teaching job soon became a full professorship. In this role, Percy had a huge impact on how metallurgy was taught and understood. Many of his students went on to make important discoveries.
One of his most famous contributions was inspiring the Gilchrist–Thomas process. This process made it possible to create strong steel from iron ores that contained phosphorus. This was a major step forward for the steel industry.
Important Projects and Awards
In 1851, Percy also helped analyze many samples of iron and steel. These samples were collected by his friend Samuel Holden Blackwell. Percy's work helped create an early survey of Britain's iron ore resources. This was important for understanding the country's natural wealth.
Around 1864, he started teaching metallurgy to army officers. He also worked on important government committees. These committees looked at things like using iron for defense and how coal could spontaneously catch fire on ships.
In 1876, he received the Bessemer medal. This award is given for important work in the iron and steel industry. He was also the president of the Iron and Steel Institute from 1885 to 1886.
John Percy passed away on June 19, 1889. Shortly before his death, he received the Albert Medal of the Society of Arts. He had a large collection of art and metallurgical samples. His metal samples were given to the South Kensington Museum.
Major Works
John Percy wrote many important books and papers about metallurgy. His most famous work was A Treatise on Metallurgy. This was a multi-volume book published over many years. It was the first modern book of its kind. It had over 3,500 pages describing how metals are processed. It also discussed the chemical problems involved and suggested new areas for research. This book was translated into French and German and became a classic.
Some of his other important works include:
- Experiments [on] the Presence of Alcohol in the Ventricles of the Brain after Poisoning by that Liquid (1839).
- On the Importance of Special Scientific Knowledge to the Practical Metallurgist (1852).
- On the Metallurgical Treatment and Assaying of Gold Ores (1852).
- On the Manufacture of Russian Sheet-Iron (1871).
Percy's research also led to new ways of extracting silver from its ores. These methods were used in places like Joachimsthal and the western United States. He also discovered aluminium bronze, a strong and useful alloy. He even suggested that in many places, the Iron Age might have happened before the Bronze Age.
