William Gardner Pfann

American metallurgist

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July 23, 2026

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William Gardner Pfann was an American metallurgist who pioneered the technique of zone refining in the early 1950s. Zone refining is a method used to purify elements and compounds by melting a small section of a solid ingot and slowly moving this molten zone along the material. As the zone travels, it redistributes impurities, concentrating them in the molten region and leaving a purer solid behind.12

Pfann's work was crucial in achieving unprecedented levels of purity, particularly with germanium, which was vital for the development of transistors. This technique has since been applied to purify numerous elements and compounds, enabling scientists to study their intrinsic properties.1

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zone melting
Pfann and was first used in the early 1950s to purify germanium for transistors. The purity achieved was hitherto unheard of—less than one part of detectable impurity in 10,000,000,000 parts of germanium. The method was adopted in transistor manufacture around the world.
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Pfann and was first used in the early 1950s to purify germanium for transistors. The purity achieved was hitherto unheard of—less than one part of detectable impurity in 10,000,000,000 parts of germanium. The method was adopted in transistor manufacture around the world.
Read More