Christian Friedrich Schönbein (October 18, 1799 – August 29, 1868) was a German-Swiss chemist who is most well-known for his discovery of guncotton. October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years). ... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... A chemist pours from a round-bottom flask. ... Nitrocellulose (Cellulose nitrate, guncotton) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose (e. ...

In 1838, he discovered the principle behind the fuel cell. He also discovered ozone, a form of oxygen, in 1839 during experiments he performed on the slow oxidation of white phosphorus and the electrolysis of water. A fuel cell is an electrochemical device similar to a battery, but differing from the latter in that it is designed for continuous replenishment of the reactants consumed; i. ... For other uses, see Ozone (disambiguation). ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... General Name, Symbol, Number phosphorus, P, 15 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 3, p Appearance waxy white/ red/ black/ colorless Atomic mass 30. ... It has been suggested that Electrolytic process be merged into this article or section. ... Impact of a drop of water Water is a chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life[1]. It covers 71% of Earths surface. ...

It was during these experiments at Basle University in Switzerland where Schönbein had been a professor since 1828, that he first began to notice a distinctive odour.

Ozone has a strong smell. It is this odour - especially occurring in the vicinity of a thunderstorm – that indicates the presence of ozone in the atmosphere. This gave Schönbein the clue to the presence of Ozone during his own experiments. Because of this strong smell, Schönbein coined the term ‘Ozone’ from the Greek word ‘ozein’, meaning ‘to smell’.

Schönbein described his discoveries in a letter entitled "Research on the nature of the odor in certain chemical reactions" presented to the Academies des Sciences in Paris in 1840. City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Although his wife had forbidden him to do so, he occasionally experimented at home in the kitchen; one day in 1845, when his wife was away, he spilled a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid. After using his wife's cotton apron to mop it up, he hung the apron over the stove to dry, only to find it spontaneously ignite and burn so quickly that it seemed to disappear. Schönbein had converted the cellulose of the apron into nitrocellulose; the nitro groups (added from the nitric acid) served as an internal source of oxygen, and when heated, the cellulose was completely oxidized, all at once. 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The chemical compound nitric acid (HNO3), also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen nitrate (anhydrous nitric acid). ... Sulfuric acid, H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid. ... Cotton ready for harvest. ... Cellulose as polymer of β-D-glucose Cellulose in 3D Cellulose (C6H10O5)n is a long-chain polymeric polysaccharide carbohydrate, of beta-glucose [1][2]. It forms the primary structural component of green plants. ... Nitrocellulose Nitrocellulose Nitrocellulose (also: cellulose nitrate, flash paper) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through, for example, exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. ... Nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups (-NO2). ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... The most fundamental reactions in chemistry are the redox processes. ...

Schönbein recognized the possibilities of the compound. Ordinary black gunpowder, which had reigned supreme in the battlefield for the past 500 years, exploded into thick smoke, blackening the gunners, fouling the cannon and small arms, and obscuring the battlefield. Nitrocellulose was a possible "smokeless powder", and from its potential as a propellant for artillery shells, it received the name guncotton. Smokeless powder Gunpowder, whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance that burns very rapidly, releasing gases that act as a propellant in firearms. ... Artillery with Gabion fortification Cannons on display at Fort Point Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Firing of an 18-pound gun, Louis-Philippe Crepin, (1772 – 1851) A forge-welded Iron Cannon in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. ... A shell is a projectile, which, as opposed to a bullet, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage includes large solid projectiles previously termed shot (AP, APCR, APCNR, APDS, APFSDS and Proof shot). ... Nitrocellulose (Cellulose nitrate, guncotton) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose (e. ...

Attempts to manufacture guncotton for military use failed at first because the factories had a tendency to blow up; it was not until 1891 that James Dewar and Frederick Augustus Abel managed to compound a safe mixture that included guncotton, called cordite because it could be pressed into long cords. Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ... For other persons named James Dewar, see James Dewar (disambiguation). ... Sir Frederick Augustus Abel, Bart. ... Cordite is a particular family of smokeless propellants made by combining two high explosives: nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin, i. ...