The Role Of Michael Faraday In The Development Of Contemporary Chemical Engineering

The origins of contemporary Chemical Engineering (i.e. transport phenomena, thermodynamics, kinetics . ..) lie in the first three quarters of the nineteenth century. Michael Faraday was responsible for more than a half-dozen historically significant studies which were subsequently incorporated into chemical engineering practice and which form the standard chemical engineering curriculum. Here we focus on those traits of Faraday which led to his reputation of the greatest experimental scientist. These traits are illustrated with a discussion of three of his seminal works in the foundations of chemical engineering. These are his papers on heterogeneous catalysis, the manufacture of optical glass, and the liquefaction of gases. In this paper we discuss the background in which Faraday worked, and the consequence which resulted from the study.