George Gore

January 22, 1826 (age 82)

Bristol, United Kingdom

In 1851 Gore moved to Birmingham, where he spent the rest of his life. There he was employed as a chemist by a local firm that manufactured phosphorus. Satisfactory phosphorus matches had been introduced into England only recently, and Birmingham had quickly become a center for their manufacture. At this time Birmingham was also the center of a fast-growing electroplating industry, and Gore’s interest in electricity led him to the investigation of plating techniques. From 1854 to 1863 he published many articles on the electrodeposition of metals and acquired a reputation as a consultant for local manufacturers. Of particular interest was his study on the properties of electrodeposited antimony. Gore published a study of the preparation and properties of anhydrous hydrofluoric acid, which he carried out from 1860 to 1870. In this work he repeated the electrolysis of hydrofluoric acid, using a variety of electrodes, in an attempt to isolate fluorine. In each case a fluoride compound was formed with the material of the anode, but with the use of a special carbon electrode Gore reported that he detected a faint odor resembling that of chlorine. A quantity of fluorine gas sufficient to permit its characterization was not isolated until 1886, by Henri Moissan, who used platinum-iridium electrodes. Gore also conducted an investigation of silver fluoride, which he published in 1870. From 1870 to 1880 Gore was a lecturer in physics and chemistry at King Edward’s School in Birmingham. In 1880 he formed the Institute of Scientific Research and served as its director until his death at the age of eighty-two. During these years he was a consultant to industry and continued his research on electrolysis and voltaic cells. Between 1853 and 1865 Gore published in the Philosophical Magazine, Pharmaceutical Journal, Journal of the Chemical Society, and elsewhere 30 research papers in chemistry and electro-metallurgy. Three dealing with the properties of electro-deposited antimony were published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Gore authored three technical treatises, including The Art of Electro-metallurgy and The Art of Scientific Discovery. He also wrote The Scientific Basis of National Progress and The Scientific Basis of Morality, based on strong materialistic views.

George Gore Edit Profile

educator electrochemist scientist

Background

George Gore was born on 22 January 1826, in Bristol, United Kingdom. He was the son of George Gore, a cooper in the city.

Education

George was educated at a small private school. At the age of twelve, he left school and went to work as an errand boy and later as an apprentice to a cooper. All his life he was an avid reader and during his early years eagerly pursued an interest in science. The University of Edinburgh made him an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1877.

Career

In 1851 Gore moved to Birmingham, where he spent the rest of his life. There he was employed as a chemist by a local firm that manufactured phosphorus. Satisfactory phosphorus matches had been introduced into England only recently, and Birmingham had quickly become a center for their manufacture.

At this time Birmingham was also the center of a fast-growing electroplating industry, and Gore’s interest in electricity led him to the investigation of plating techniques. From 1854 to 1863 he published many articles on the electrodeposition of metals and acquired a reputation as a consultant for local manufacturers. Of particular interest was his study on the properties of electrodeposited antimony.

Gore published a study of the preparation and properties of anhydrous hydrofluoric acid, which he carried out from 1860 to 1870. In this work he repeated the electrolysis of hydrofluoric acid, using a variety of electrodes, in an attempt to isolate fluorine. In each case a fluoride compound was formed with the material of the anode, but with the use of a special carbon electrode Gore reported that he detected a faint odor resembling that of chlorine. A quantity of fluorine gas sufficient to permit its characterization was not isolated until 1886, by Henri Moissan, who used platinum-iridium electrodes. Gore also conducted an investigation of silver fluoride, which he published in 1870.

From 1870 to 1880 Gore was a lecturer in physics and chemistry at King Edward’s School in Birmingham. In 1880 he formed the Institute of Scientific Research and served as its director until his death at the age of eighty-two. During these years he was a consultant to industry and continued his research on electrolysis and voltaic cells.

Between 1853 and 1865 Gore published in the Philosophical Magazine, Pharmaceutical Journal, Journal of the Chemical Society, and elsewhere 30 research papers in chemistry and electro-metallurgy. Three dealing with the properties of electro-deposited antimony were published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Gore authored three technical treatises, including The Art of Electro-metallurgy and The Art of Scientific Discovery. He also wrote The Scientific Basis of National Progress and The Scientific Basis of Morality, based on strong materialistic views.

Achievements

George Gore was a prominent electrochemist who is the discoverer of the amorphous allotrope of antimony and electrolytic sounds. The invention of the safety match has been attributed to his research with phosphorus.