Today, I would like to share with you the story of Hou Debang, a famous scientist, an outstanding chemist, and the founder of Hou's alkali-making method, which tells that he repaid his grievances with virtue, and was finally respected and loved by the people of all countries.
Photo of Hou Debang
Let me listen to the author in detail.
First, be diligent and studious, and be determined to save the country scientifically
Hou Debang was born on August 9, 1890, in a small village in Minhou, Fujian Province, the family has been farming for generations, due to family poverty, the young Hou Debang dropped out of school after two years of private school, he dropped out of school and returned home, helping his parents work in the fields, while receiving the careful education of Hou Changlin, a rare reader in the family, and living a life of half farming and half reading.
In terms of learning, Hou Debang showed extraordinary reading talent. When he was idle, he often lay outside the academy to listen to lectures, often the students inside had not yet remembered, he was able to export the recitation outside, and was regarded as a wizard by Mr. Teaching. Even when the farmer is busy, he never forgets to study, and has the reputation of "trailer study".
From 1903 to 1906, Aunt Hou Debangde sponsored the study at Fuzhou Yinghua Academy. From 1907 to 1910, he studied at the Shanghai Minwan Railway Institute. After graduation, he worked as an intern at the British-funded Jinpu Railway. During this period, Hou Debang felt that the imperialists relied on their technological and economic advantages to brutally exploit and oppress the poor and backward China and the people, so he was determined to master science and technology and use science to save China from suffering.
Outstanding chemist Hou Debang
In 1911, Hou Debang was admitted to the Peking Tsinghua Preparatory School for Studying in the United States, and he was honored in Tsinghua Garden with excellent results of 10 homework and 1000 points, and in 1913 he was sent to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States to study in the chemical engineering department. He graduated in 1917 with a bachelor's degree, then studied tannery at Pratt College and the following year received his diploma as Tanner. In 1918, he entered the Columbia University Research Institute to study tanning, receiving a master's degree in 1919 and a doctorate in 1921.
Due to his excellent academic performance, Hou debang was accepted as a member of the Sigma Xi Science Society and the American PhiLambda Upsilon Chemical Society. Hou Debang's doctoral thesis "Iron Salt Tanning Leather" is very creative, and the Journal of the American Tannery Chemists Association is specially serialized and published in full, which has become one of the classic documents widely cited in the tannery industry so far.
Second, invited to return to China to save the country, but was blocked by foreign technology
Hou Debang, who was already well-known in the American chemical industry and the tannery, had not yet had time to fully enjoy the praise of professors and experts when he received an employment letter from his homeland. This letter came from Fan Xudong, an industrialist who worried about the country and the people, who saw a blank space in China's alkali industry at that time and was subject to people everywhere, and he came up with the idea of creating a "Yongli Alkali Factory".
Famous entrepreneurs Hou Debang (left), Fan Xudong (right)
Due to the urgent need for professionals, Fan Xudong sent an invitation to Hou Debang through the recommendation of friends. Hou Debang was inspired by Mr. Fan Xudong's patriotic enthusiasm, resolutely gave up his unlimited tanning career, embarked on the road of science and industry to save the country without hesitation, became the chief engineer of Yongli Alkali Factory, and has since acted as a pioneer in China's alkali industry.
In the middle and late nineteenth century, the Belgian Solvay improved on the basis of the research of the predecessors, made the industrialization of the ammonia alkali method successful, and created the famous "Solvay method", and then European and American countries monopolized the production technology of soda ash, and China's soda ash was completely dependent on imports.
By the end of World War I, the price of soda ash in China was monopolized by British companies. Because soda ash is closely related to people's lives and is an important raw material for industrial production, so with the continuous increase in the price of soda ash (even an ounce of gold can buy a pound of soda ash at the highest time), coupled with the continuous sharp decline in the source of imported foreign alkali, people can only eat sour bread because they cannot get high-priced soda ash, and the factory that uses soda ash as the raw material is even more difficult.
Belgian chemist Solvay
In order to enjoy the results of alkali production technology, the companies that master Solvay's alkali production method have adopted strict confidentiality measures so that outsiders are ignorant of this new technology. Some technical experts try to explore this technical secret, but most of them fail. Although it seems that the principle of Solvay's alkali process is very simple, the specific production process is monopolized by foreign companies, which has become a roadblock for the chief engineer of the Wynn alkali plant.
Third, overcome many difficulties and decide to repay grievances with virtue
In the face of foreign technology blockades, Hou Debang, who is bent on serving the country, not only did not lose heart, but also made up his mind that "although I am crushed to pieces, I will also do it hard." As soon as he arrived at the Wynn Alkali Factory, he threw himself into his work; immersed himself in the brief information that Yong used a lot of money to buy a copy of the "Solvay Method".
Hou Debang mastered first-hand materials by going deep into the scene, personally observing, testing, and operating; he relied on the broad masses of staff and workers, listened to opinions and suggestions, organized and guided them to consult books and periodicals, conducted experimental research, and engaged in treatment plans, and solved many technical problems one by one.
After overcoming many difficulties and hundreds of tests, Hou Debang led the technology and production backbone of the Yongli Alkali Plant to finally produce the first batch of high-quality soda ash in the mainland and even Asia in 1926 - "Red Triangle" brand soda ash, and won the gold medal at the Philadelphia World Exposition held in the same year, won the "symbol of China's modern industrial progress", and also broke the monopoly of Western alkali companies in one fell swoop.
Hou Debang color photo
Wynn Alkali Company has long suffered from others' monopoly of technology and domination of the market, and has been on the verge of collapse many times, hou Debang feels very deeply about this, so after the successful production of the alkali plant, he does not want to see the same encounters suffered by later generations. He adhered to the motto of his teacher, D.D. Jackson: "Science and technology belong to all mankind, and it should benefit mankind." ”
Hou Debang said emphatically: "We will never be the second Solvay, the second Bunemen (the British monopoly company in China at that time)", he decided to publish his experience in alkali technology gained over many years of practice. Fan Xudong greatly appreciated and supported this. In 1933, Hou debang wrote the book Manufacture of Soda in English, which was published in New York as one of the Books of the American Chemical Society.
The publication of this book ends the history of monopoly and blockade of alkali technology by ammonia alkali production, and is highly valued in the academic and industrial circles, and is recognized as an authoritative work on alkali production industry technology. Professor Wilson, a famous American chemist, praised this as "a major contribution made by Chinese chemists to world civilization."
Manufacture of soda by Hou Debang
In recognition of Hou Debang's achievements in breaking through the ammonia alkali technology, In 1930 Columbia University awarded him a first-class medal; in 1933, the Chinese Society of Engineers awarded him an honorary gold medal; in 1943, the Royal Society hired him as an honorary member, which was one of only 12 honorary members in the world at that time.
In short, the outstanding chemist Hou Debang, not afraid of the blockade of foreign technology, dared to overcome difficulties, and after groping for successful experience, he used his amazing deeds to repay grievances with virtue, so that he not only won the respect of his international counterparts, but also was loved by the people of all countries.
While learning from the patriotic scientist Mr. Hou Debang, who is not afraid of hardships and dangers, has the courage to innovate, and wins glory for the country, we must also admire his noble virtues of having a broad mind and looking at all mankind. We will strive to build China into a scientific and technological power.
Bronze statue of Hou Debang
This article is original by "Such as Day Zhongtian 54", welcome to pay attention, learn together, and improve together!