Carl Auer von Welsbach

Carl Auer von Welsbach
Born
Carl Auer

(1858-09-01)1 September 1858
Vienna, Austrian Empire
Died4 August 1929(1929-08-04) (aged 70)
Welsbach Castle, Mölbling, Austria
Other namesCarl Freiherr Auer von Welsbach
Alma materUniversity of Vienna
University of Heidelberg
Known forrare-earth elements
discovery of praseodymium
discovery of neodymium
discovery of lutetium
lighting improvements
Spouse
  • Marie Anna Nimpfer[1]
    (b. 1869, d. 1950)[2]: 83 
AwardsElliott Cresson Medal (1900)
Wilhelm Exner Medal (1921)
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry
Doctoral advisorRobert Bunsen
Auer von Welsbach's country house (Schloss Welsbach) in Mölbling, Austria

Carl Auer von Welsbach (1 September 1858 – 4 August 1929),[3] who received the Austrian noble title of Freiherr Auer von Welsbach in 1901,[4][5] was an Austrian scientist and inventor, who separated didymium into the elements neodymium and praseodymium in 1885. He was also one of three scientists to independently discover the element lutetium (which he named cassiopeium), separating it from ytterbium in 1907, setting off the longest priority dispute in the history of chemistry.[6]

He had a talent not only for making scientific advances, but also for turning them into commercially successful products. His work on rare-earth elements led to the development of the ferrocerium "flints" used in modern lighters, the gas mantle that brought light to the streets of Europe in the late 19th century, and the metal-filament light bulb.[7][8] He took the phrase plus lucis, meaning "more light", as his motto.[9]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Siegenfeld was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Adunka was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Karl Auer Dead. Noted Lamp Inventor; Welsbach Incandescent Gas Mantel Made Him Wealthy. A Leading Chemist". The New York Times. August 6, 1929. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  4. ^ Die Umschau (in German). H. Bechhold verlagsbuchhandlung. 1910. p. 177.
  5. ^ Daniel Wolter; Egon Reuter (25 October 2005). Preis- und Handelskonzepte in der Stromwirtschaft (in German). Springer-Verlag. p. 37. ISBN 978-3-8244-0765-1.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lebenswerk was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Fame was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Iles, George (1906). Inventors at Work: With Chapters on Discovery. New York: Doubleday, Page. pp. 155–.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Marshall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).