Carl Friedrich Wenzel

Carl Friedrich Wenzel (also known as Karl Friedrich W. written ) (* 1740 in Dresden, † February 26, 1793 in Freiberg ) was a German chemist.

Life and work

He first learned in his father bookbinder 's workshop, where he also worked as a journeyman. In 1755 he began his hometown to leave and went on some trips that also took him to Greenland. He trained as a ship surgeon in the Dutch service. In 1766 he began to study in Leipzig for three years chemistry. In 1780 he became a chemist at the electoral Saxon melting Administration, later in 1785 Oberhütten official assessor in Freiberg and 1786 Arcanist in the Meissen porcelain factory. There, he enhancements to the underglaze cobalt blue ( see glaze ) are attributed.

Wenzel was next Jeremias Benjamin Richter the first one dealt with the problem of chemical affinity theory, the theory of the relationship of the body.

"The strength of chemical affinity is the mass of acting disproportionately. "

He took in this work, the law of mass action anticipated. After this, the chemical effect of a body is proportional to and a function of its reactive or its effective amount or concentration.

Works (selection)

• Introduction to higher chemistry. Leipzig, (1774 )
• Theory of the relationship of the body. Dresden (1777, 2nd edition, 1782);
• Chymical examination of Flußspates. Dresden ( 1783)
• Chymical attempt to disassemble the metals by means of reverberation into its constituent parts. Copenhagen ( 1781)
• About shooting in mines and quarries. Bergmänn. Journal II (1790)
• About the most profitable way to rehearse tin ores. New bergmänn. Journal I, (1795 )