Background
Debray was born on July 26, 1827, in Amiens, France.
- Photos
- Works
Gallery of Jules Debray
45 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
Debray studied in Paris at the École Normale Supérieure. In 1850 he began teaching at the Lycée Charlemagne, and in 1855 he received his doctorate.
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Other photo of Jules Debray
45 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
Debray studied in Paris at the École Normale Supérieure. In 1850 he began teaching at the Lycée Charlemagne, and in 1855 he received his doctorate.
- Photos
- Works
book
Cours élémentaire de chimie
https://www.amazon.com/Cours-%C3%A9l%C3%A9mentaire-chimie-Leather-Bound/dp/B07QWQ9C6L/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Debray%2C+Cours+%C3%A9l%C3%A9mentaire+de+chimie&qid=1580119132&sr=8-1
1863
Jules Henri Debray
Edit ProfileEducation
In 1847 Debray began his studies in Paris at the École Normale Supérieure. In 1850 he began teaching at the Lycée Charlemagne, and in 1855 he received his doctorate.
Career
From 1855 to 1868 Debray was an assistant at the École Normale, and from 1868 he was lecturer at the École Polytechnique. He held the latter position until his death, serving at the same time as assayer at the mint. In 1877 he was elected to the Institut de France.
Debray was a talented writer of textbooks. His Cours élémentaire de chimie appeared in eight editions between 1863 and 1871. He undertook his first scientific work in collaboration with St. Claire Deville, a professor at the École Normale. Their first experiments were in the use of an oxyhydrogen blowpipe to melt platinum. They were commissioned by the Russian government to investigate the applicability of platinum-iridium alloys to coinage and ascertained that these alloys resist corrosion even better than platinum does. At their suggestion the standard meter in Paris was made, under their supervision, from an alloy composed of 90 percent platinum and 10 percent iridium.
In further publications Debray reported on investigations of the compounds of tungsten, arsenic, and antimony; on the properties of rhodium; and on the compounds in the platinum metals family and methods of separating them.
Debray also concerned himself with dissociation phenomena. He established that in the dissociation of calcium carbonate the pressure of the carbon dioxide at a given temperature is constant and independent of the degree of dissociation. He made the same finding regarding the water-vapor pressure over hydrated salts. Debray also determined the density of mercurous chloride vapor.
Achievements
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Debray is best remembered for his collaborative research with Sainte-Claire Deville involving the properties of platinum metals, in particular, the melting of platinum and its alloys. Their process for melting platinum remained the chosen method until induction furnaces became available decades later. In 1860, the two scientists were the first to melt an appreciable quantity of iridium.
Works
book
Connections
Nothing is known of Debray's family.
References
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Dictionary of Scientific Biography
Volume 3
1971
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Born
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Died
July 19, 1888 (aged 60) -
Nationality
France -
Ethnicity
Education
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1847 - 1855
Career
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1850 - 1855
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1855 - 1868
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1868 - 1888