Background

Paul Heroult was born on April 10, 1863. He passed his childhood in England.

Education

He went to Paris for study at the School of Mines.

Career

While a student at the École des Mines, Heroult began working on the electrolysis of aluminum compounds. Early in 1886 he invented an electrolytic process for the production of aluminum from bauxite.

It was announced just three months after the American chemist Charles Martin Hall had filed original patents on an identical process; both inventors were 22 years old. Their process was one of the first commercial uses to which the electric furnace was put, and it reduced the cost of aluminum from $8 a pound to 53 cents.

Achievements

• Heroult is also noted for designing the "Heroult electric furnace" named for him, which found widespread use in the manufacture of aluminum and ferroalloys, first in Europe and later throughout the world.

References

• Naissance Dans Le Calvados: Paul Heroult, Alain Touraine, Georges Marchais, Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, Octave Mirbeau, Jules Houel