People:Acheson, Edward Goodrich
Published: August 28, 2008, 8:18 pm
Updated: August 28, 2008, 8:18 pm
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Peter Saundry Edward G. Acheson (1856–1931) was raised in the coal fields of southwestern Pennsylvania. He left school at the age of 16 to help support his family after his father died, but devoted his evenings to scientific pursuits—primarily electrical experiments. In 1880 he had the temerity to attempt to sell a battery of his own invention to Thomas Edison and wound up working for Edison at Menlo Park. After a year he was sent to Europe to install electrical lighting systems in the Hotel de Ville in Antwerp and La Scala in Milan, among other public places.
In 1884 Acheson left Edison's employ to become an independent inventor; he was soon successful. In 1891 he obtained the use of an electric generating plant of considerable power and tried to use electric heat to impregnate clay with carbon. The resultant mass exhibited some small shiny specks, and he determined that this crystalline substance had value as an abrasive—it was actually silicon carbide, which he called "carborundum."
In 1894 he established the Carborundum Company in Monongahela City, Pennsylvania, to produce grinding wheels, whet stones, knife sharpeners, and powdered abrasives. In 1895 Acheson's electrochemical company was among the first to come to Niagara Falls. In its electric furnace he subsequently produced artificial graphite, another product that he commercialized, and he discovered that various organic substances allowed colloidal suspension of particles of graphite mixed in oil or water. His inventive genius knew no bounds; neither did his entrepreneurial optimism. Like many inventors, he was not a good manager, and his companies were constantly being taken out of his hands by concerned investors. Many of Acheson's original companies live on today, including Carborundum, Inc., UCar International, and Acheson Industries.
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Chemical Heritage Foundation (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Acheson, Edward Goodrich". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 28, 2008; Last revised Date August 28, 2008; Retrieved May 18, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Acheson,_Edward_Goodrich?topic=49502>
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The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) serves the community of the chemical and molecular sciences, and the wider public, by treasuring the past, educating the present, and inspiring the future. CHF maintains a world-class collection of materials that document the history and heritage of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and industries; encourages research in CHF collections; and carries out a program of outreach and interpretation in order to advance an understanding of the ro ... (Full Bio)
Edward G. Acheson (1856–1931) was raised in the coal fields of southwestern Pennsylvania. He left school at the age of 16 to help support his family after his father died, but devoted his evenings to scientific pursuits—primarily electrical experiments. In 1880 he had the temerity to attempt to sell a battery of his own invention to Thomas Edison and wound up working for Edison at Menlo Park. After a year he was sent to Europe to install electrical lighting systems in the Hotel de Ville in Antwerp and La Scala in Milan, among other public places.
In 1884 Acheson left Edison's employ to become an independent inventor; he was soon successful. In 1891 he obtained the use of an electric generating plant of considerable power and tried to use electric heat to impregnate clay with carbon. The resultant mass exhibited some small shiny specks, and he determined that this crystalline substance had value as an abrasive—it was actually silicon carbide, which he called "carborundum."
In 1894 he established the Carborundum Company in Monongahela City, Pennsylvania, to produce grinding wheels, whet stones, knife sharpeners, and powdered abrasives. In 1895 Acheson's electrochemical company was among the first to come to Niagara Falls. In its electric furnace he subsequently produced artificial graphite, another product that he commercialized, and he discovered that various organic substances allowed colloidal suspension of particles of graphite mixed in oil or water. His inventive genius knew no bounds; neither did his entrepreneurial optimism. Like many inventors, he was not a good manager, and his companies were constantly being taken out of his hands by concerned investors. Many of Acheson's original companies live on today, including Carborundum, Inc., UCar International, and Acheson Industries.
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Edward Goodrich Acheson. (Source: The Electrochemical Society)
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