Herbert Brereton Baker
Encyclopedia
Herbert Brereton Baker FRS
(25 June 1862 – 27 April 1935) was a British inorganic chemist.
He was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, the second son of the Reverend John Baker, vicar of St Johns, Livesey, and Caroline Baker and educated locally and at Manchester Grammar School
. He sedured a scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford
, where he was awarded an MA.
He started his career as a schoolmaster at Dulwich College
then moved back to Oxford
as a Reader in chemistry and was later appointed Professor at Imperial College, London.. He conducted pioneering studies on the effects of drying on chemicals and the catalytic effect of moisture in chemical reactions. According to his 1902 FRS application citation he proved that "dry carbon and phosphorus will not inflame when heated in dry oxygen; that dry ammonia and hydrogen chloride when mixed do not unite, and that dry ammonium chloride
and calomel respectively vaporise without dissociation {and} thet dry hydrogen and oxygen mixed together are not ignited by exposure to the temperature of melting silver".
In June, 1902, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1923 was awarded their Davy Medal
"For his researches on the complete drying of gases and liquids"
He was made CBE
in 1917.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(25 June 1862 – 27 April 1935) was a British inorganic chemist.
He was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, the second son of the Reverend John Baker, vicar of St Johns, Livesey, and Caroline Baker and educated locally and at Manchester Grammar School
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
. He sedured a scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, where he was awarded an MA.
He started his career as a schoolmaster at Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
then moved back to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
as a Reader in chemistry and was later appointed Professor at Imperial College, London.. He conducted pioneering studies on the effects of drying on chemicals and the catalytic effect of moisture in chemical reactions. According to his 1902 FRS application citation he proved that "dry carbon and phosphorus will not inflame when heated in dry oxygen; that dry ammonia and hydrogen chloride when mixed do not unite, and that dry ammonium chloride
Ammonium chloride
Ammonium chloride NH4Cl is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4Cl. It is a white crystalline salt that is highly soluble in water. Solutions of ammonium chloride are mildly acidic. Sal ammoniac is a name of natural, mineralogical form of ammonium chloride...
and calomel respectively vaporise without dissociation {and} thet dry hydrogen and oxygen mixed together are not ignited by exposure to the temperature of melting silver".
In June, 1902, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1923 was awarded their Davy Medal
Davy Medal
The Davy Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "for an outstandingly important recent discovery in any branch of chemistry". Named after Humphry Davy, the medal is awarded with a gift of £1000. The medal was first awarded in 1877 to Robert Wilhelm Bunsen and Gustav Robert Kirchhoff "for...
"For his researches on the complete drying of gases and liquids"
He was made CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
in 1917.