Solvay, Ernest

Solvay, Ernest

(ĕrnĕst` sôlvā`), 1838–1922, Belgian industrial chemist and philanthropist. He originated the Solvay processSolvay process
[for Ernest Solvay], commercial process for the manufacture of sodium carbonate (washing soda). Ammonia and carbon dioxide are passed into a saturated sodium chloride solution to form soluble ammonium hydrogen carbonate, which reacts with the sodium chloride to
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 and established (1863) near Charleroi, Belgium, the first plant for making soda by this process; later, plants were set up in many countries. He founded at Brussels the Solvay institutes of physiology (1893) and sociology (1901) and made large gifts to European universities.