Solvay, Ernest (1838–1922)

Belgian industrial chemist who in the 1860s invented the ammonia-soda process, also known as the Solvay process, for making the alkali sodium carbonate.

Solvay was born near Brussels and had little formal education, but carried out chemical experiments in a small home laboratory. In 1860 he went to work at a gasworks, and there learned about the industrial handling of ammonia both as a gas and as an aqueous solution. Within a year he had discovered and patented the reactions that are the basis of the Solvay process. Trial production failed; for two years Solvay knew he had the chemistry right, but could not solve the considerable problems of chemical engineering. He built his first factories 1863 and 1873.

Solvay soon realized that there was more money to be made from granting licences to other manufacturers than there was in making soda. Throughout the world, the Solvay process replaced the old Leblanc process, which was more expensive and polluting. Solvay became a very rich man and entered politics, becoming a member of the Belgian senate and a minister of state.