Hermann Johann Philipp Sprengel
Quick Summary
Hermann Johann Philipp Sprengel was a British chemist born in Germany who lived until 1906. He is associated with two inventions: the Sprengel pump and Sprengel explosives.1
The Sprengel pump is a type of air pump that uses falling drops of mercury in a narrow tube to trap and remove gas bubbles, thereby creating a vacuum.2
Sprengel explosives are a class of high explosives created by mixing an oxidizing agent, such as nitric acid or potassium chlorate, with a combustible ingredient, like nitrobenzene, immediately before use. Neither component is explosive on its own.1
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