15 Facts About Ferdinand Hurter

Ferdinand Hurter was a Swiss industrial chemist who settled in England.

Ferdinand Hurter was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, the only son of Tobias Hurter, a bookbinder, and his wife Anna Oechslein.

Ferdinand Hurter's father died when Ferdinand was aged only two and his mother worked as a nurse to support him and his sister Elizabeth.

Ferdinand Hurter later married her late husband's half-brother, David, and Ferdinand developed a strong relationship with his stepfather.

Ferdinand Hurter then attended Zurich Polytechnic before going to Heidelberg University.

Ferdinand Hurter was a pioneer in applying the principles of physical chemistry and thermodynamics to industrial processes and by 1880 was considered to be a world authority on the manufacture of alkali.

Ferdinand Hurter was a strong defender of the Leblanc process against the other methods of manufacturing alkali being developed at the time although he did research the ammonia-soda process but without any success.

Ferdinand Hurter argued against the production of alkali by the electrolysis of brine because of the enormous amount of electrical power this would require although he was later to have second thoughts.

Ferdinand Hurter gave many lectures to try to popularise scientific subjects.

In 1871 Ferdinand Hurter married Hannah Garnett of Farnworth, Widnes, with whom he had six children, one of whom died in infancy.

Ferdinand Hurter remained a Swiss citizen throughout his life and sent his children to receive part of their education in Switzerland.

Ferdinand Hurter enjoyed music and played the clarinet and piano.

Ferdinand Hurter took an interest in photography, collaborating in research with Vero Charles Driffield, an engineer at the Gaskell-Deacon works.

Ferdinand Hurter campaigned for free education and for the introduction of the metric system into Britain.

Ferdinand Hurter died at his home in Cressington Park, Liverpool and was buried in the churchyard of Farnworth church.