Memoirs and Letters of Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, Inventor [Paperback]

This 1891 publication describes the brief life and important work of the metallurgist and inventor Sidney Gilchrist Thomas.This 1891 memoir describes the fascinating life and work of the metallurgist and inventor Sidney Gilchrist Thomas (18501885), famed for pioneering the method of eliminating phosphorus from pig iron, and thus improving the quality of steel. It covers Thomas' education, career, travels and achievements, and his early death.This 1891 memoir describes the fascinating life and work of the metallurgist and inventor Sidney Gilchrist Thomas (18501885), famed for pioneering the method of eliminating phosphorus from pig iron, and thus improving the quality of steel. It covers Thomas' education, career, travels and achievements, and his early death.First published in 1891, this memoir describes the life of the metallurgist and inventor Sidney Gilchrist Thomas (18501885), best-known for discovering the method of eliminating phosphorus from pig iron which revolutionised the commercial production of steel. Professing a desire to give a 'true' account of a life in contrast to the somewhat hagiographic approach of some contemporary writers, Thomas' biographer, R. W. Burnie, sets out to construct 'a brief history of a very striking and individual character'. The details of Thomas' short life are narrated in 22 chapters, beginning with his early education, his work as a schoolmaster and police clerk whilst studying law and chemistry at night, his career, and his work-related travels, which took him everywhere from central Europe to New Zealand. The memoir also includes a postscript which reveals that Thomas left his considerable fortune to workers in steel production.Editor's preface; 1. Early days; 2. A summer tour; 3. A 'double life'; 4. The problem of dephosphorisation; 5. Years of equipment; 6. The problem theoretically solved  a German tour; 7. 'Technical travel talk'; 8. Experiments  a dash into Switzerland; 9. The basic process publicly announced; 10.lC.