1796 von Marum studies the dehydrogenation of alcohols using metals.
1808 Dalton suggests that chemical compounds consist of molecules and molecules consist of atoms. This suggestion is much criticized by H. C. Ørsted and others because Dalton cannot explain why atom stick together to form molecules.
1817 H. Davy studies the oxidation of methane on platinum wires
E. Davy studies the oxidation of methane on platinum dust
1823 J. W. Döbereiner discovers that metals glow in contact with air and combustible gas.
1824 W. Henry studies oxidations catalysed by platinum adsorbed on clay pellets.
1825-1833 Michael Faraday studies the ignition of hydrogen in air at platinum surfaces.
1831 Philips obtains a patent on oxidation of sulphur dioxide catalysed by Pt.
1836 Berzelius formulates the definition of catalysis.
J. J. Berzelius: Ann Chim Phys (Paris) 61 (1936) 146
1847 Hermann von Helmholtz formulates the principle of energy conservation (First law of thermodynanmics) in the book "Über de Erhaltung der Kraft".
For the next 5 years Helmholtz, J. R. Mayer, J. P. Joule and W. Thomson (Lord Kelvin) fight over priority for the discovery.
1865 Rudolph Clausius formulates the 2nd law of thermodynamics.
1875 Squire and Messel develops the industrial oxidation of SO2 catalyzed by Pt.
1879 Invention of the contact process for the synthesis of sulphuric acid
Clemens Winkler
1883 Edwin Reynolds invents Reynolds number
1885 Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler invents the gasoline automobile.
1887 First professor of physical chemistry appointed. Wilhelm Ostwald at Universität Leipzig.
1889 CH4 + H2O = CO + 3H2 catalyzed by Ni. (1989)
L. Mond and C. Langer: Chem. Zentralbl. II (1890) 32. DRP 51572
Industrial synthesis of sulphuric acid using a platinum catalyst
Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik, Germany
1895
Fritz Haber reports the production of small amounts of NH3 from N2+3H2
using an iron catalyst.
1901 Ostwald discovers that 2NH3 + 5/2O2 = 2NO + 3H2O is catalyzed by Pt.
1902 Sabatier, Sanderens
Hydrogenation of alkenes catalyzed by Ni (1902-5).
Nitric acid synthesis by oxidation of ammonia Wilhelm Ostwald
1903 Fritz Haber and Walther Nernst realize that high pressures the key to ammonia synthesis.
The reaction rate increases but the equilibrium concentration decreases with increasing temperature. The equilibrium concentration increases with pressure. A compromise with high reaction rate and high equilibrium concentration can be obtained at high temperature and high pressure.
1906 Walther Nernst concludes that T=0 is unreachable for entropy reasons.
Irving Langmuir obtains his PhD under Nernst at Göttingen.
1908 Carl Bosch starts his development of the industrial synthesis of ammonia at Badishe Anilin und Sodafabrik.
1909 Mittach develops industrial catalyst for NH3 synthesis at BASF.
First preparation of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen Fritz Haber.
Wilhelm Ostwald recieves the Nobel prize in chemistry for his work on catalysis, chemical equilibrium and the rate of chemical reactions.
Steam reforming patent by O. Dieffenbach and W. Moldenhauer
1910 The BASF plant in Ludwigshafen produces ammonia by the Haber process.
1912 Paul Sabatier recieves the Nobel prize in chemistry for the development of the hydrogenation of organic compounds catalyzed by small metal particles.
1913 Invention of the high pressure synthesis of ammonia. Fritz Haber and Karl Bosch.
Industrial ammonia synthesis plant opens in Oppau, Germany. The purpose is mainly to supply the raw materials for the production of explosives.
BASF manufactures nitric acid by the Ostwald process on an industrial scale.
Irving Langmuir invents the gas filled light-bulb.
1914 Max von Laue recieves the Nobel prize in physics for the discovery of diffraction of x-rays by crystals
1915 Langmuir formulates a theory of adsorption. The theory is based on the idea that the bonding of the gas at the surface is caused by unsaturated valence forces at the surface. This idea was first formulated by Fritz Haber. The Langmuir isoterm is a part of Langmuirs theory.
Industrial ammonia plant based on the Haber-Bosch process opens in Merseburg, Germany.
William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg (father and son) receives the Nobel prize in physics for the invention of x-ray structure analysis. Chlorine is used as poison gas in the battle at Ypres. Fritz Haber had a leading role in the development of chemical warfare. His wife commits suicide when he refused to abandon this work.
1916 Chemical bonding interpreted as interaction between electrons in the outer electron shells.
Walther Kassel, Gilbert Newton Lewis and Irving Langmuir. Large scale industrial manufacture of ammonia and urea at Leunawerke, Germany. Irving Langmuir invents TPD
I. Langmuir: Phys. Rev. 8 (1916) 149.
1917 The Chemical Construction Co. builds an industrial nitric acid plant based on the Ostwald process
1918 Fritz Haber recieves the Nobel prize in chemistry for the synthesis of ammonia from the elements. Many people object loudly due to Fritz Habers involvement in the chemical warfare during World War I.
1920 Walther Nernst receives the Nobel prize in chemistry for his work on thermochemistry.
The Department of Chemical Engineering opens at the Massachusetts Instutute of Technology
The Standard Oil Co (New Jersey) starts industrial production of isopropanol from petroleum
1921 Albert Einstein recieves the Nobel prize in physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
4,500 t of ammonium nitrate and sulphate explodes at Oppau. 600 are killed and 1500 are injured by the blast and fire. Researchers at General Motors discover tetreethyl lead as an anti-knock additive to gasoline.
1922 Invention of hydrocarbon synthesis from carbon monoxide and hydrogen at atmospheric pressure
Frantz Fischer and Hans Tropsch.
1924 Quantum mechanics is invented by Werner Heisenberg, Pascual Jordan and Max Born
Frenkel publishes a theory of adsorption
The danger of tetraethyl lead is realized when 12 workers from the Standard Oil Refinery, General Motors and DuPont become insane and then die.
1925 H. S. Taylor Theory of catalysis.
Invention of hydrocarbon synthesis from carbon monoxide and hydrogen at high pressure
Frantz Fischer and Hans Tropsch.
1926 DuPont and Commercial Solvents begin production of synthetic methanol
1927 Langmuir and Hinschelwood formulates the principles of Langmuir-Hinschelwood kinetics
1930's Hougen and Watson at the University of Wisconsin introduce thermodynamics as the foundation of chemical engineering. Damköhler (Germany), Danckwerts (England) and Denbigh (England) and Van Heerden (Netherlands) start their systematic studies of chemical reactors.
1930 First industrial steam reformer installed at Baton Rouge by Standard Oil of New Jersey
1931 Carl Bosch and Friedrich Bergius recieve the Nobel prize in chemistry for their work on chemical processes at high pressures.
1932 Lennard-Jones publishes his picture of adsorption ( J. E. Lennard-Jones: Trans. Faraday Soc. 28 (1932) 333). Irving Langmuir recieves the Nobel prize in chemistry for his work on surface chemistry.
Werner Heizenberg recieves the Nobel prize in physics for the creation of quantum mechanics.
Igor Tamm studies electron states localized at metal surfaces.
1935 Gurney publishes a model of the electronic structure of adsorbates at metal surfaces.
1936 John Bardeen describes the electronic structure of a metallic surface.
The Houdry process is used for catalytic cracking of petroleum.
1940 The Temkin-Pyzhev kinetics for ammonia synthesis is published by Temkin and Pyzhev
1945 USA splits I.G. Farben into BASF, Bayer and Hoechst
1947 A barge loaded with ammonium nitrate explodes at Texas City. 576 are killed.
1950's Amundson and Rutherford Aris, University of Minnesota, introduce mathematical modelling as the foundation of chemical engineering.
Bird, Stuart and Lightfood, University of Wisconsin, begins their systematic studies of transport processes.
1953 Gulio Natta continues the study initiated by Karl Ziegler on metal-organic catalysts for polymerization of alkenes.
1957 Kisliuk publishes a theory of precursor kinetics for chemisorption (P. Kisliuk: J. Phys Chem. Solids 3 (1957) 95 )
Montecacini begins to manufacture isotactic polypropylene using the Ziegler-Natta catalyst.
1962 First industrial steam reformer operating at high pressure (15 atm). ICI.
1969 Dennis Newns publishes the Newns-Anderson model of chemisorption (D. M. Newns: Phys. Rev. 178 (1969) 1123)
1975 Steven Holloway and John Beeby publish a model of desorption (S. Holloway and J. L. Beeby: The theory of atomic desorption witin the harmonic approximation
J. Phys. C8 (1975) 3531.)
Catalytic converters are introduced in new cars in USA.
1984 Release of toxic gas from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India kills over 2000.
1985 Per Stoltze and Jens K. Nørskov publish a microkinetic model of an industrial reaction
Full acknowledgement goes to the author: Per Stoltze. His web site contains more information than this although these extracts deal directly with catalysis.