Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel (1833–1896) was a Swedish chemist, engineer, and inventor who developed dynamite and used his will to establish the Nobel Prizes.
Nitroglycerin: A powerful liquid explosive discovered by Ascanio Sobrero in 1847. Nobel’s work on making this dangerously unstable explosive safer led to dynamite.
Kieselguhr: A porous sedimentary material composed chiefly of fossilized diatoms, also called diatomaceous earth. Nobel used it to absorb nitroglycerin, producing a safer material that could be shaped into dynamite.
Immanuel Nobel: A Swedish engineer and inventor, and the father of Alfred Nobel. His engineering projects and experiments with explosives helped introduce Alfred to the family business.
Nobel family: A Swedish family of engineers, inventors, and industrialists associated with Alfred Nobel and his father Immanuel. The family’s businesses and technical experiments formed the setting for Alfred’s work.
Dynamite: An explosive made by absorbing nitroglycerin into a porous material, patented by Nobel in 1867. This invention brought Nobel international recognition and substantial wealth.
Gelignite: A gelatinous explosive developed by Nobel in 1875, made from nitroglycerin, nitrocellulose, and other ingredients. This later explosive shows how Nobel continued modifying nitroglycerin-based compounds.
Ascanio Sobrero: An Italian chemist who discovered nitroglycerin in 1847. Nobel pursued practical uses for the explosive Sobrero had discovered.
Nobel Prize controversies: Disputes over Nobel Prize selections, omissions, rules, and public interpretation. The awards’ authority has also made their decisions and exclusions subjects of lasting debate.
Blasting cap: A small detonator that initiates a larger explosive charge. Nobel’s improved detonators helped make nitroglycerin explosives controllable.
Nobel Prize: An annual international award established by Alfred Nobel’s will for achievements in designated fields. The prizes are the enduring institution his will set in motion.