I believe it was invented by Dr. Fritz J. Hansgirg, an Austrian chemist and metallurgist, in 1935-1936. He then filed patents for the process in Japan, Germany, Austria, Canada, Great Britain and in the U.S. The process then fell into Russian hands in September 1945 when Soviet forces occupied Japanese-occupied Hungnam, North Korea at the end of WWII. (See attached)
Article The study of CECE process at the experimental industrial plant
Bill, according to this page (of the US patent Office):
https://www.google.com.ar/patents/US5591319
there are three patent owners of the CECE process and the patent was registered by Atomic Energy Of Canada Limited, back in 1995
It seems that Fritz J. Hansgirg invented the high-purity magnesium extraction process
This is a link to that story:
http://www.dcbureau.org/201306258778/national-security-news-service/hungnam-north-korea-delving-into-pyongyangs-long-nuclear-past.html
Regards
Tom
http://www.dcbureau.org/201306258778/national-security-news-service/hungnam-north-korea-delving-into-pyongyangs-long-nuclear-past.html
You linked to MY story on Hansgirg! Yes, he was involved in magnesium production but he also invented the CECE process here >> https://www.google.com/patents/US2156851?dq=Heavy+water+Hansgirg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0RZzVamQMIKlgwT52oLIBw&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA
From what I understand, not being a chemist, Hansgirg's process is the CECE process without wet-proof catalysts, So he only considered gaseous water on a catalyst of nickel or platinum_on_carbon. I also understand that a wet-proof catalyst would allow the chemical exchange between hydrogen and LIQUID WATER, which would make the process "so much easier." But this was decades before wet-proof catalysts were invented, so he worked with what he had..
Dear Bill (Mr Streifer),
I found evidence, that Dr. Fritz Johann Hansgirg has developed the carbothermic magnesium process at the Montanuniversität Leoben (the Austrian Mining University), which is not far away from Graz. Obviously there he was called Hans Hansgirg. Hans, in Austria is the common short form of Johann. Therefore he is mentioned there as Dr. H. Hansgirg (attached).
kind regards
Ruediger
Ruediger,
Yes, Hansgirg invented the carbothermic reduction of magnesium process. And Graz is where he was born and where he received his Ph.D. And his full name is Fritz Johann Hansgirg.
Bill
Bill,
Did you know, that he developed the process at the Montanuniverstät Leoben? That was the key information!
Ruediger
Ruediger,
Sorry for the late response (apparently researchgate.net doesn't inform me of new posts).
No, I didn't know he developed the process at the Montanuniverstät Leoben. His first pilot plant to use the process was in 1934 at Radenthein, Austria.
I'm writing his biography (http://www.my-jia.com/index.html) mainly because he invented the heavy water process used at Norsk Hydro, (now) North Korea, Japan, and in Canada during WWII.
Bill
According to that article (I think since I don't speak German), Jeller was a professor between 1908 and 1931. Hansgirg developed carbothermic reduction on a laboratory scale in 1928! This photo was taken between 1942 and 1947.