| RefNo | EC/1982/04 |
| Previous numbers | Cert XXI, 48 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Birchall, James Derek: certificate of election to the Royal Society |
| Date | 1981 |
| Description | Citation typed |
| Citation | An industrial chemist with a special interest in materials science, Birchall is distinguished for fundamental work on nucleation and growth of ionic crystals from aqueous solutions which has made possible modern processes of large scale crystallisation of common salt - dendritic salt - and of sodium cyanide. His investigations of flame inhibition based on the lifetime of species in flames led to the development of a new compound and also to the production of the firefighting compound "Monnex". He has developed novel refractory binders and by detailed fundamental study of the solution chemistry of aluminium oxychlorides, made possible the spinning of non-toxic very refractory high strength fibres of "Saffil" - based on aluminium oxide of great utility as a high temperature thermal insulant - used in the U.S. space shuttle. He has recently produced the first definitive study of the effects of porosity on the strength of cements and is making contributions to the materials science of disease. Birchall is a Visiting Professor of the University of Surrey and an Industrial Fellow of Wolfson College. |
| AccessStatus | Closed |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA2122 | Birchall; James Derek (1930 - 1995) | 1930 - 1995 |