Joseph Aspdin

Joseph Aspdin (* 1778, † March 20, 1855 in Wakefield ) was the inventor of the Portland cement.

As the oldest child of Thomas Mason Aspdin in Hunslet District in Leeds, he joined his father's business in 1811 and married Mary Fotherby. In 1817 he opened his own shop in the center of Leeds. Here he must have been experimenting in the next few years with the production of cement. In 1824 he received the patent on Improvement in the Mode of Producing of Artificial Stone, where he used the term Portland cement.

Shortly thereafter, in Kirkgate, Wakefield, he and neighbor William Beverley a production facility and moved his family there. In 1825 he received a second patent for the manufacture of lime. In 1838 he had to move with his company, as the area was claimed by the railroad. At this time his eldest son James worked as an accountant in Leeds and his younger son William (1815-1864) operated the factory until he was gone in 1841. 1844 Joseph retired from professional life and entrusted James the company's shares.

Aspdins Portland cement was suitable for mortar and stucco. He called him that because of the mortar should be similar to the one-time popular Portland stone.

Williams finances were chaotic. He had gone to London and was founded in Rotherhithe a factory. He had a new cement mixture, burned with more limestone and harder that was suitable as concrete ( cf. cement clinker ). This was used by Brunel's Thames Tunnel. 1857 William sold his business, moved to Germany, where he founded the first cement factory in Altona and Lägerdorf and died in Itzehoe.