Kenneth Henderson Jack facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenneth Henderson Jack
OBE FRS
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| Born | 12 October 1918 |
| Died | 28 January 2013 (aged 94) |
| Education | Tynemouth Municipal High School |
| Spouse(s) | Alfreda Hughes |
| Children | David Hughes Stephen |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | X-ray crystallography Interstitial alloys[ Powder diffraction Silicon nitrides Sialons |
| Institutions | Westinghouse Electric Corporation Thermal Syndicate Limited Newcastle University |
| Thesis | The chemistry and crystal structure of some interstitial alloys (1949) |
Kenneth Henderson Jack (born October 12, 1918 – died January 28, 2013) was a British chemist. He was known for using X-ray crystallography to study and create new materials. This field is called materials science. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Contents
About Kenneth Jack
Kenneth Henderson Jack was born in North Shields, England, on October 12, 1918. He was the oldest of three sons. His father, John Henderson Jack, was a sailor.
Early Life and Education
Kenneth went to King Edward’s Primary School. Later, he attended Tynemouth Municipal High School. He earned a scholarship to study chemistry. He went to Armstrong College, which later became part of Newcastle University.
He graduated with top honors in chemistry. After a short time teaching, he worked on war efforts. He then returned to Newcastle University in 1941.
Working with Materials
In 1945, Kenneth joined the British Iron and Steel Research Association (BISRA). He worked on understanding the structure of materials. He moved to Cambridge for three years. There, he studied X-ray crystallography, which uses X-rays to see the atomic structure of crystals.
He earned his PhD in 1949. After that, he returned to Newcastle. He became a lecturer in inorganic chemistry. He continued his work on "interstitial alloys." These are special metal mixtures where small atoms fit into the spaces between larger metal atoms.
Time in America
In 1951, Kenneth was invited to speak at a conference in Pittsburgh, USA. He also gave lectures at different places. One of these was Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The research director there asked him to join their team.
On August 11, 1952, Kenneth and his family arrived in New York. He started working at Westinghouse. He was in charge of their X-ray lab. He even helped build some new equipment for the lab. After two years, Kenneth and his family decided to return to England.
Back in England
Back at Newcastle University, Kenneth focused on powder diffraction. This is a way to study materials by looking at how X-rays bounce off their powdered form. He enjoyed teaching and doing research.
In 1957, he took a job at Thermal Syndicate Limited. Here, he helped create a much better version of their main product. It was a special type of fused quartz called Spectrosil® WF. This new material was very clear. It was important for making optical fibers used in telecommunications.
Return to Newcastle University
In 1963, Kenneth was asked to return to Newcastle University. In 1964, he became a professor there. He focused on new areas of research.
He studied silicon nitride (Si3N4). He also developed more complex materials called Si-Al-O-N structures. He discovered special zones in metal alloys. This work led to funding for a transmission electron microscope.
His research group became very well known. He traveled to many countries to give lectures. He even created the term "sialon" for the Si-Al-O-N materials. Other universities and companies became interested in his work.
Awards and Retirement
Kenneth Jack received many awards for his work. In 1980, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. In 1997, he was given the OBE award.
Kenneth Jack retired from Newcastle University in 1984. He passed away on January 28, 2013.
Family Life
Kenneth Henderson Jack married Alfreda Hughes in 1942. They had known each other since they were children. They had two sons: David Hughes, born in 1944, and Stephen, born in 1950.
Alfreda Jack sadly passed away in 1974. Kenneth developed health problems around 2007. He died in the hospital in 2013, at the age of 94. He was survived by his two sons.
