LeBlanc N
Name: Nicolas Leblanc
Achievements: First artificial manufacture of soda
Born: December 6, 1742; Ivoy-le-Pre, France
Died: January 16, 1806; Paris, France (Aged 64)
Field & Discipline: Science; Chemistry; Chemist
Language: France
Father: Unknown
Mother: Unknown
Siblings: Unknown
Spouse: Unknown
Children: Unknown
Education: School of Surgery, Paris
Major Work:
“Crystallography” (1802)
Life & Times:
Leblanc studied surgery and in 1780 became surgeon to the Duke of Orleans. He had the time and facilities for research and he began to study crystallization. In 1789 he discovered what became known as the Leblanc process for the artificial preparation of soda.
Soda was much in demand for industry and there were already doubts about how long traditional sources (such as potash or the Spanish shrub barilla) could keep up with demand. The French Academy of Science offered a prize for the best method of preparing soda from salt.
Leblanc’s process used a much less limited source: seawater. He extracted salt from the seawater by decomposing it with sulfuric acid. This produced sodium sulfate which was then mixed with chalk and charcoal before being heated. The resulting black ash was leached with water, and the soda was retrieved by evaporation.
Leblanc’s discovery affected other products used in industry. It increased the already-great demand for sulfuric acid in industrial countries such as Britain – a demand which was first met in that country by [invention affected] Joshua Ward*.
It also reduced the demand for kelp as a source of soda, although the kelp industry was then revived by [work related to] Courtois’* discovery of iodine in 1813.
Leblanc patented his discovery and in 1791 the Duke of Orleans funded the construction of a factory at Saint-Denis to manufacture soda on an industrial scale according to Leblanc’s process. Unfortunately, the project never took off. Work was abandoned because of the shortage of sulfuric acid due to war; and in 1794 the duke was sent to the guillotine and the factory was nationalized. The final blow came when Leblanc’s process was published by the Committee of Public Safety as part of the French war effort.
Leblanc attempted to get compensation and in 1800 was given provisional control of the factory. However, he did not have sufficient capital to revive the industry and when his claim was finally settled in 1805, the money he received was too little to be of help. Shortly afterwards, Leblanc shot himself.
Use of the Leblanc process spread to England where it was first manufactured by [techniques used by] Muspratt* in 1823 and to Scotland where [technique used by] Tennant* employed the Leblanc process.
Extra Connections: His technique was used by [technique used by] Archibald Cochrane*
Assessment: Leblanc discovered the process of making soda from salt. This was a vital tool in alkaline production and the expansion of the chemical industry.
Oneliner: Nicholas LeBlanc, whose soda process accelerated the Industrial Revolution
Bibliography:
- Dictionary of Scientific Biography.
- Singer.