Abraham Darby I

Abraham Darby (* 1676 in Dudley, West Midlands, England; † in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire in 1717; named Abraham Darby I ) was an English ironmaster.

Life

Abraham Darby was the founder of an English family, which over three generations decisively advanced metallurgy and iron finishing in Coalbrookdale (England) in the 17th and 18th centuries. In many scientific works Coalbrookdale is referred to as the cradle of the industrial revolution.

Abraham Darby I was born into a Quaker family. He obtained in 1704 a metal foundry, where he further developed the traditional craft.

Life's work

Abraham Darby's first major invention, the sand mold casting. This process was patented in 1707. The foundry in Coalbrookdale, he leased in 1708, where he produced especially iron goods for domestic use with this method.

Second, with much patience and passionate work he managed the feat to replace in the smelting of iron ore charcoal by coal. In England there was due to the versatility of wood (eg shipbuilding ) a lack of wood; However, coal was available in any quantity. For the use of coal new blast furnaces had to be constructed, which were the requirements. Especially the coal had carbonized ( refined coke ) in order to reach the melting temperature of iron. After many attempts Darby succeeded in constructing a coal-fired kiln, in the absence of oxygen coke was produced. Likewise, he managed to reduce the high sulfur content in the iron, the entails the use of coke with it again by adding lime.

The distribution of the coke furnace in England continued until 1760 a; 30 years later, he has carried the day.

Others

1985 by David CH Austin a rose bred, which was named after the family of Abraham Darby rose.