By: Daniel Coleman IIChemistry 5th Hour

Norbert Rillieux

LIFE HISTORY Rillieux was born March 17th ,1806 a

He was well privileged for a Southern

A.A. and he was well educated. Later on Rillieux's father sent Norbert to

France where he studied engineering. He

found a teaching post in applied mechanics

at his Paris alma mater (Place in Paris near

Notre Dame).

He began to do research on

steam and its effects, and began working

on the problem of evaporating moisture .

……. Ten years after Rillieux started his research and observations,

he tested his multi-effect vacuum evaporating chamber. It was a

bulky locomotive-sized apparatus containing a network of condensing

coils for evaporating raw cane juice.

Norbert used it to evaporate the liquid part of sugar cane juice more efficiently and safely, and less

expensively than the open-kettle system. Rillieux was unable to persuade sugar cane plantation owners to buy his machinery for several years. But its superiority became apparent almost immediately once it began to be used.

THE WORKPLACE Norbert worked at a

sugar

refinary where he learned the

process of refining sugar, and

that’s how he discovered how

to make the sugar evaporator.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

His work required the profession

of Engineering, in which he had

because his father, Vincent Rillieux,

was one and he learned his fathers

profession. He also learned a lot from

his Catholic Schools he went to.

The main one was L'Ecole Centrale in

Paris.

Engineering

THE SUGAR MAN Norbert Rillieux soon became

known as

“The Sugar Man” because of his

invention named the multi-effect vacuum

evaporating chamber

THE SUGAR CANE/BEETBack then slaves used to pick

these so-called sugar cane sticks,

and later extract the sugar out of

them.

CHEMICAL PRODUCTS INVOLVED

Norbert’s invention(The Rillieux Evaporator) required vapor and

condensation. Norbert used the process of evaporation to evaporate

moisture from cane juice while lowering heat to produce a whiter, more

refined, sugar crystal. The device heated the sugar cane juice in a partial

vacuum, reducing its boiling point, allowing much greater fuel efficiency.

HISTORY OF THEIR WORK

Refining sugar had been a labor-intensive process, involving the

handling of boiling hot liquids. The slaves on the plantations

performed most of this labor. Rillieux's inventions increased sugar

production and reduced production costs. However, the most

important thing was that his inventions protected lives by ending

the older dangerous methods of sugar production.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS In making the evaporator, Norbert help make the production

of sugar

increase drastically among people and safely saved time and money .He

also saved the slaves a lot of

work that would have needed to be done it the field.

PS : This Invention was made and patented in 1846 so there was a lot of

slavery going on then.

AFFECTING TODAYS LIFE

Norbert’s invention inspired others to make a

product like his so that they can use it to process

sugar faster. We all eat sugar daily even from

breakfast to dinner.

21ST CENTURY There is a new smaller version of

rillieux’s vacuum evaporator. This is the

new device they use to process sugar from

sugar cane and sugar beets.

INTERNET RESOURCES http://www.madehow.com/inventorbios/0/Norbert-

Rillieux.html

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrillieux.htm

http://www.aaregistry.com/detail.php?id=530

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrillieux1.htm (The Patent)

THE END Rillieux returned to France and became

headmaster of the L'ecole Centrale. He began to study Egyptology there and helped deciphere hieroglyphics.

Norbert Rillieux died 1894

By: Daniel Coleman II