Classic Kit

Classic Kit – The column from Chemistry World

Like most trades, chemists use a huge variety of tools, each of which has its own special name. Some, like a funnel, a condenser, or a still head, are almost self-explanatory. Others are words that derive from one or more other languages (e.g. alembic, retort – true, we don’t use either of these much these days – or spatula). But many others are named after people. Have you ever wondered who these people were? Some were famous chemists who made enormous theoretical or practical contributions to the subject. Others, on the other hand, are really obscure, scientists or glassblowers who are now only remembered through that piece of kit. These short essays are therefore a tribute to our chemical ancestors, men (not, I’m sorry to say, too many women so far…. suggestions please?) who changed the way we do our chemistry and related sciences. The list is alphabetical.

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

A

• Abbé’s Refractometer, Chemistry World, November 2008
• Abderhalden’s Pistol, Chemistry World, February 2009.
• Allihn’s Condenser, Chemistry World, May 2009
• Anschütz’s Manometer, Chemistry World, May 2012.

B

• Beckmann’s Thermometer, Chemistry World, December 2007.
• Bridgman’s Seal, Chemistry World, November 2010.
• Büchner’s Funnel, Chemistry World, November 2009.
• Bunsen’s Burner, Chemistry World, November 2007.

C

• Carius’ Tube, Chemistry World, April 2009.
• Castner’s Electrode, Chemistry World, March 2013.
• Claisen’s Flask, Chemistry World, October 2008.
• Coolidge’s Tube, Chemistry World, January 2013.
• Craig’s (not just Büchi’s) Rotavap, Chemistry World, February 2011.

D

• Dean-Stark Trap, Chemistry World, June 2010
• de Saussure’s Cyanometer, Chemistry World, October 2010.
• Dewar’s Flask, Chemistry World, August 2008.
• Drechsel’s Bottle, Chemistry World, June 2008.
• Dufton’s Column, Chemistry World, October 2012.

E

• Erlenmeyer’s Flask, Chemistry World, July 2008.
• Evans’ Balance, Chemistry World, July 2010.

G

• Gadolin’s Condenser, Chemistry World, October 2009.
• Gaede’s Diffusion Pump, Chemistry World, May 2009.
• Geiger’s Tube, Chemistry World, April 2013.
• Gooch’s Crucible, Chemistry World, August 2010.
• Gouy’s Tube, Chemistry World, December 2010.
• Griffin’s Beaker, Chemistry World, August 2011.

H

• Haldane’s Blood Gas Analyzer, Chemistry World, July 2010.
• Hershberg’s Stirrer, Chemistry World, May 2011.
• Hickman’s Still, Chemistry World, January 2012.
• Hirsch’s Funnel, Chemistry World, March 2009.
• Hofmann’s Voltammeter, Chemistry World, January 2010.

K

• Kipp’s Apparatus, Chemistry World, November 2007.
• Kjeldahl’s Flask, Chemistry World, May 2008.

L

• Luer’s Syringe, Chemistry World, September 2012.
• Luggin’s Capillary, Chemistry World, July 2012.

M

• Victor Meyer’s Apparatus, February 2012.
• Mohr’s Burette, Chemistry World, February 2008.
• Morton’s Flask, Chemistry World, July 2010.

O

• Ostwald’s Viscometer, Chemistry World, June 2009.

P

• Pardy’s Apparatus, Chemistry World, April 2011.
• Pasteur’s Pipette, Chemistry World, April 2010.
• Perkin’s(?) Triangle, Chemistry World, January 2009.
• Petri’s Dish, Chemistry World, February 2010.
• Pirani’s Gauge, Chemistry World, April 2012.

R

• Raschig’s Rings, Chemistry World, September 2008.

S

• Scheibel’s Column, Chemistry World, May 2012.
• Schlenk’s Flask, Chemistry World, January 2008.
• Signer’s Dog, Chemistry World, December 2008.
• Soxhlet’s Extractor, Chemistry World, September 2007.
• Sprengel’s Pump, Chemistry World, March 2008.

T

• Töpler’s pump, Chemistry World, January 2010.
• Turing’s machine, Chemistry World, June 2012.

V

• Van de Graaf’s Generator, Chemistry World, September 2011
• Vernier’s Scale, Chemistry World, March 2010.
• Vigreux’s Column, Chemistry World, April 2008.
• Volta’s Pile, Chemistry World, May 2010.

W

• Warburg’s Manometer, Chemistry World, March 2011.
• Wedgwood’s Pyrometer, Chemistry World, January 2012
• Weissenberg’s Camera, Chemistry World, November 2011.
• Wheatstone’s Bridge, Chemistry World, December 2011.

Z

• Zsigmondy’s Ultramicroscope, Chemistry World, March 2012

At the outset I imagined that it might be a bit of a sinecure – that I might “stand on the shoulders of giants” and quick dash off my several hundred words each month and become both rich and famous. The approach of the deadline for the first column soon disabused me of that notion. I came to realize that this would be rather more of an effort than I had anticipated and while some of the pieces were quite easy to write others took much hunting around, trawling of the literature, and archives on the web. I am grateful to a variety of people – Richard van Noorden and Phillip Broadwith, my editors, and countless chemists, glassblowers, historians, German speakers, relatives, and genealogists – who have helped me along the way.

The choice of kit and individuals has always been tricky – I have tried as much as I could to switch between different areas of chemistry – from synthetic to analytical to physical and industrial. I always welcome suggestions. If anyone has ideas, by all means email me: a.sella “at” ucl-dot-ac-dot-uk.