Nikodem Caro
Nikodem Caro (* May 23, 1871 in Łódź, Congress Poland, † June 27, 1935 in Rome) was originally derived from the part of Poland dominated by Russia German chemist and industrialist.
Life
Caro came from a prominent Jewish family in Germany (Silesia ) and Poland with famous rabbis among their ancestors. He studied chemistry at the Technical College of Charlottenburg (today the Technical University of Berlin) and the University of Berlin and received his doctorate in 1892 at the University of Rostock. He then founded his own public laboratory in Berlin.
Together with Adolph Frank he developed in 1895 was named after him Frank - Caro process for industrial production of calcium cyanamide, as they conducted research into the production of cyanogen compounds of carbides. In the same year, they received a patent for the synthesis of cyanides. The first led in 1899 to the founding of the Cyanidgesellschaft involving Caro, Adolph Frank, Fritz Rothe, Siemens, Deutsche Bank and Degussa. 1901 suggested Albert Frank ( son of Adolph Frank) and Hermann Freudenberg to use calcium cyanamide ( calcium cyanamide ) as fertilizer. The first factory was built in 1905 in Piano d' Orta in Italy. 1908 was - after separation from Degussa - the founding of the Bavarian nitrogen works ( from 1939 Süddeutsche Kalkstickstoffwerke AG, SKW, later SKW Trostberg AG) with a factory in comfort Berg, whose Director General Caro from 1907 was. Funding was by a bank consortium led by Deutsche Bank. Caro also strengthened the hydropower plants in southern Bavaria. During the First World War, the establishment of large Kalkstickstoffwerke followed in Piesteritz and Chorzow. He also developed from 1914, the Ostwald process for the catalytic oxidation of ammonia on an industrial scale (together with the Berlin- Anhalt Maschinenfabrik, BAMAG ). The Frank - Caro process was actually less favorable (higher energy ) than this, standing in competition Haber- Bosch process, nevertheless succeeded Caro in particular by exploiting cheap energy sources (hydropower) to keep his process competitive.
After the seizure of power by the Nazis in 1933, he emigrated as a Jew to Switzerland after Zurich. He died in Rome, but was buried in Zurich.
According to him, the hydroelectric plant of SKW III was named in Shepherds 1921. He was also an honorary citizen of 18 Bavarian communities, Honorary Senator of different universities, two honorary doctorates and Consul General. He received the title of professor and was Privy Councillor. He was a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
He has published and conducted research also on the catalytic oxidation of ammonia, which is part liquefaction of water gas and the Torfvergasung.
The Caro's acid is named after its namesake, Heinrich Caro. This, however, is not closely related with Nikodem Caro, even though he like Nikodem Caro led back his lineage to the famous rabbi ancestors mentioned above.