Charles M. Hall (1863-1914)

Charles Martin Hall (1863-1914) was an American inventor and engineer. He is best known for his discovery in 1886 of an inexpensive method for producing aluminum, which became the first metal to attain widespread use since the prehistoric discovery of iron. Image File history File links CharlesMartinHall. ... Image File history File links CharlesMartinHall. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

Biography

Early years

Charles Hall was born the son of Rev. Heman Bassett Hall and Sophronia H. Brooks in December 6, 1863 in Thomson, Ohio. He had one brother and three sisters, one of whom died in infancy. His family moved to Oberlin, Ohio in 1873, and he graduated from Oberlin High School. In 1880 he enrolled in Oberlin College, where the received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1885. Oberlin College is a small, highly respected liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio. ...

The invention

His discovery was made in his home laboratory and produced the first samples of metal on February 23, 1886. The basic invention involves passing an electric current through a bath of alumina dissolved in cryolite, which results in a puddle of aluminum forming in the bottom of the retort. On July 9, 1886, Hall filed for his first patent. This process was also discovered at nearly the same time by the Frenchman Paul Héroult, and it has come to be known as the Hall-Héroult process. The French scientist Paul (Louis-Toussaint) Héroult (1863-1914) was the inventor of the aluminium electrolysis and of the electric steel furnace. ... The Hall-Héroult process is the major industrial process for the production of aluminum. ...

After failing to find financial backing at home, Hall went to Pittsburgh where he made contact with the noted metalurgist Alfred E. Hunt. They formed the Reduction Company of Pittsburgh which opened the first large-scale aluminum production plants. The reduction Company later became the Aluminum Company of America, then Alcoa. Hall was a major stockholder, and became rich. City nickname: The Steel City Location in the state of Pennsylvania Founded 1758 Mayor Tom Murphy (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 151. ... Alcoa (NYSE: AA) is the world’s leading producer of alumina, primary and fabricated aluminium, with operations in 43 countries. ...

The Hall-Héroult process resulted eventually in reducing the price of aluminum by a factor of 200, making it affordable for many practical uses. By 1900, annual production reached about 8 thousand tons. Today, more aluminum is produced than all other non-ferrous metals combined.

Later years

Hall continued his research and development for the rest of his life and was granted 22 US patents, most on aluminum production. He served on the Oberlin College Board of Trustees. He was vice-president of the Alcoa until his death in 1914 in Tampa, Florida. He died unmarried and childless and was buried in Woodland Cemetery in Oberlin. 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Nickname: Cigar City, The Big Guava, T-Town Official website: http://www. ...

Recognition

Hall eventually became one of the College's most prominent benefactors. Students are fond of the statue of Hall made of aluminum. Because of its light weight, Hall's statue was once known for its frequent changes of location, often due to student pranks. Today the statue is glued to a large granite block and sits more permanently on the second floor of Oberlin's new science center, where students continue to decorate Hall with appropriate trappings on holidays and other occasions.

Hall won the Perkin Medal, the highest award in American industrial chemistry in 1911. The Perkin Medal is an award given annually by the American section of the Society of Chemical Industry to a scientist residing in America for an innovation in applied chemistry resulting in outstanding commercial development. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...

Patents

• US Patent - Process of reducing aluminium from its floride salts by electrolysis -- C. M. Hall, applied 1886, granted 1889.

References

Oberlin College Archives [1]