Fausto Elhuyar
Encyclopedia
Fausto de Elhuyar was a Spanish
chemist
, and the joint discoverer of tungsten
with his brother Juan José Elhuyar
in 1783. Fausto de Elhuyar was in charge, under a King of Spain commission
, of organizing the School of Mines
in México City
and so was responsible of building an architectural jewel known as "Palacio de Minería". Elhuyar abandoned Mexico
after the Mexican War of Independence
, when most of the Spanish
residents in Mexico
were expelled.
, (La Rioja (Spain)
) son of French parents from Hasparren
(France
) , and died in Madrid
(Spain
).
Between 1773 and 1777, Elhúyar studied medicine, surgery and chemistry, as well as mathematics, physics and natural history with his brother Juan José Elhuyar
in Paris. After graduating, he returned to Spain, where he exercised himself in the study of mineralogy, specially that of the Basque Country and Navarre
, where he resided. In 1781, he was appointed a member of the Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del Pais
(Royal Basque Society of Friends to the Country), an enlightened institution thanks to which he started teaching as professor of mineralogy and metallurgics in Bergara
, the seat of both the Vascongada Society and the University of Vergara (nowadays merged within the University of the Basque Country
). Along this years, he started publishing numerous articles and dossiers about minerals, ways to extract and purify them, etc., that made him famous all along Europe as one of the top experts on those issues. He started working in the Laboratorium Chemicum of Vergara along with François Chavaneau, with whom he was the first to purify platinum
. In the autumn of 1780, after several months, he was the first person to discover and isolate tungsten
, of which he's credited, along with his brother Juan José, as its discoverer. He also collaborated with Joseph-Louis Proust, the famous French chemist at the service of king Charles IV
of Spain, who directed the National Laboratory in Segovia
.
In 1783, he visited several European universities, such as the School of Mines of Freiberg, at which he lectured on metallurgy and mine machinery; the University of Uppsala, where he collaborated with Torbern Olof Bergman; and Köping
, where he visited Carl Wilhelm Scheele
, the one who announced Elhúyar's discovery of tungsten, and for some reason is credited for being made by him himself.
After his return to Spain
, in 1785 he renounced to his professorship and, in July 1786, he was appointed General Director of Minery in México. Before departing to his new office, he toured Europe again from 1786 to 1788 in order to study Born's method on the refinery of silver. During this trip, he married Joan Raab in Vienna
, in 1787. For the next thirty three years, he resided in México City, where he founded the city's School of Mines
(January 1, 1792), and commissioned and directed the construction of that institution's seat, the Palacio de Minería in Mexico City
, which was finished in 1813 and it's considered as one of the jewels of the American neoclassicism
. He also visited and improved several of the existing Royal Mines of Mexico, dramatically increasing their productivity due to the introduction of new methods of exploitation.
After the Mexican Revolution, he returned to Spain, where, due to his wide experience and knowledge of modern minery methods, he was appointed Minister of Minery in 1822, and supervised the modern mining of those mines in Almadén
, Guadalcanal, and Río Tinto
. After falling from his ministry, he was appointed yet again General Director of Minery, and resumed his research activities in chemistry from this quieter office till his death in Madrid on January 6, 1833.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, and the joint discoverer of tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
with his brother Juan José Elhuyar
Juan José Elhuyar
Juan José Elhuyar Lubize was a Spanish chemist and mineralogist, the joint discoverer of tungsten with his brother Fausto Elhuyar in 1783....
in 1783. Fausto de Elhuyar was in charge, under a King of Spain commission
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
, of organizing the School of Mines
School of Mines
A school of mines is a term used for many engineering schools established in the 18th and 19th centuries that originally focused on mining engineering and applied science...
in México City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
and so was responsible of building an architectural jewel known as "Palacio de Minería". Elhuyar abandoned Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
after the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
, when most of the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
residents in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
were expelled.
Life
He was born in LogroñoLogroño
Logroño is a city in northern Spain, on the Ebro River. It is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja, formerly known as La Rioja Province.The population of Logroño in 2008 was 153,736 and a metropolitan population of nearly 197,000 inhabitants...
, (La Rioja (Spain)
La Rioja (Spain)
La Rioja is an autonomous community and a province of northern Spain. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera.-History:...
) son of French parents from Hasparren
Hasparren
Hasparren is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.The name means 'before or down the rock' in Basque. A resident of Hasparren is known as a 'Haspandar'.-External links:...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) , and died in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
).
Between 1773 and 1777, Elhúyar studied medicine, surgery and chemistry, as well as mathematics, physics and natural history with his brother Juan José Elhuyar
Juan José Elhuyar
Juan José Elhuyar Lubize was a Spanish chemist and mineralogist, the joint discoverer of tungsten with his brother Fausto Elhuyar in 1783....
in Paris. After graduating, he returned to Spain, where he exercised himself in the study of mineralogy, specially that of the Basque Country and Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
, where he resided. In 1781, he was appointed a member of the Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del Pais
Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País
The Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country also known as La Bascongada or Bascongada Society was born in the XVIII century to promote the cientific, cultural and economical development of the Basque Country.The founding members were the...
(Royal Basque Society of Friends to the Country), an enlightened institution thanks to which he started teaching as professor of mineralogy and metallurgics in Bergara
Bergara
Bergara is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain.An Enlightened center of education operated by the Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País , it was the place where Faustino Elhuyar discovered wolfram.During the Carlist...
, the seat of both the Vascongada Society and the University of Vergara (nowadays merged within the University of the Basque Country
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country is the only public university in the Basque Country, in Northern Spain...
). Along this years, he started publishing numerous articles and dossiers about minerals, ways to extract and purify them, etc., that made him famous all along Europe as one of the top experts on those issues. He started working in the Laboratorium Chemicum of Vergara along with François Chavaneau, with whom he was the first to purify platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
. In the autumn of 1780, after several months, he was the first person to discover and isolate tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
, of which he's credited, along with his brother Juan José, as its discoverer. He also collaborated with Joseph-Louis Proust, the famous French chemist at the service of king Charles IV
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
of Spain, who directed the National Laboratory in Segovia
Segovia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
.
In 1783, he visited several European universities, such as the School of Mines of Freiberg, at which he lectured on metallurgy and mine machinery; the University of Uppsala, where he collaborated with Torbern Olof Bergman; and Köping
Köping
This article deals with the Swedish denomination for a market town. For the city, see Köping, Sweden. For the municipality, see Köping Municipality....
, where he visited Carl Wilhelm Scheele
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
Carl Wilhelm Scheele was a German-Swedish pharmaceutical chemist. Isaac Asimov called him "hard-luck Scheele" because he made a number of chemical discoveries before others who are generally given the credit...
, the one who announced Elhúyar's discovery of tungsten, and for some reason is credited for being made by him himself.
After his return to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, in 1785 he renounced to his professorship and, in July 1786, he was appointed General Director of Minery in México. Before departing to his new office, he toured Europe again from 1786 to 1788 in order to study Born's method on the refinery of silver. During this trip, he married Joan Raab in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, in 1787. For the next thirty three years, he resided in México City, where he founded the city's School of Mines
School of Mines
A school of mines is a term used for many engineering schools established in the 18th and 19th centuries that originally focused on mining engineering and applied science...
(January 1, 1792), and commissioned and directed the construction of that institution's seat, the Palacio de Minería in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, which was finished in 1813 and it's considered as one of the jewels of the American neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
. He also visited and improved several of the existing Royal Mines of Mexico, dramatically increasing their productivity due to the introduction of new methods of exploitation.
After the Mexican Revolution, he returned to Spain, where, due to his wide experience and knowledge of modern minery methods, he was appointed Minister of Minery in 1822, and supervised the modern mining of those mines in Almadén
Almadén
Almadén, Spain, is a town and municipality in the province of Ciudad Real, within the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The town is located at 4° 49' W and 38° 46' N and is 589 meters above sea level. Almadén is approximately 200 km south of Madrid in the Sierra Morena...
, Guadalcanal, and Río Tinto
Rio Tinto
- Businesses :* Rio Tinto Group, a British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne* Rio Tinto Alcan, a Canadian aluminum mining and production company headquartered in Montreal-Portugal:...
. After falling from his ministry, he was appointed yet again General Director of Minery, and resumed his research activities in chemistry from this quieter office till his death in Madrid on January 6, 1833.
Trivia
- There is a scientific foundation, Elhuyar Fundazioa, which publishes in and develops the terminology of the Basque languageBasque languageBasque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
External links
- Fausto de Elhuyar at the Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...