Alfred Nobel: Research Paper Essay Example

improve his business, which led to the creation of dynamite.

Alfred went on to create substantial amounts of factories around the world, all of which made dynamite mostly for construction and mining companies, as well as the military. His research and discoveries in chemistry aided in the creation of rubber, silk, and other materials. Alfred moved from Paris to Sanremo, which became beneficial due to the fact that Alfred had been “suffering from chronic colds and symptoms of scurvy for some time and the balmy, mild climate of the Mediterranean was a welcome relief after the cold and humidity of Paris” (Gozzo) Later nventions were created in Sanremo, where Alfred stayed for the remainder of his lifetime. Upon settling into his villa at Sanremo, Alfred had a laboratory built near the villa, where he employed an Englishman, George Beckett, and Alphonse Tournaud, the lab assistant and mechanic. However, after living a peaceful life, Alfred Nobel succumbed to a stroke and died in his villa on December 10, 1896. . In his last will, Alfred requested a Prize be created which would be awarded to those who benefited mankind greatly. From my point of view, Alfred’s greatest significance was the formation of dynamite.

Alfred Nobel first began his experiments with nitroglycerin, the component responsible for explosions, in 1862. In 1863, Alfred obtained a patent on nitroglycerin for use as an industrial explosive and creates and patents a detonator. When Alfred’s younger brother had been killed in 1864 in a factory explosion in Heleneborg, Stockholm, Alfred sought after a safer way to deal with nitroglycerin. Alfred moved to Germany in order to build his new factory, Alfred Nobel &

Co Factory, which was located in Krummel.

After a large explosion at his factory in Krummel, Alfred discovered that nitroglycerin could be stabilized by adding a component called kieselguh, 3 a form of silica. The mixture of these two components into a malleable paste is what he called dynamite, which was soon patented in 1867. Alfred, who had become a wealthy man, moved to Paris, where he continued to create explosives and obtain more patents, including gelignite, a safer alternative to dynamite. To me, a second significance would be the creation of the Nobel Prize.

When Alfred’s older brother Ludvig died, the newspaper had printed Alfred’s own obituary which read “The merchant of death is dead” (“Nobel Prize”). This led him to change his will. His last will clearly stated that $9 million out of his fortune be contributed towards starting the Nobel Prize, which was to be awarded to those who made significant discoveries and inventions. Because Alfred was a pacifist, he was worried that the explosives he had created would be used dangerously. This was another factor in the creation of the Nobel Prize.

Alfred Nobel specified the Nobel Prize be awarded to those in these five categories: peace, chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, and literature. “Each prize consists of a medal, personal diploma, and a cash award” ("About the Nobel Prizes"). In 1968, Sweden’s main bank established the Prize for Economic Sciences. The Nobel Prize has been given out annually since 1901 by the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Nobel Prize for Economics since 1969. 4 Alfred Noble’s will, which stated 94% of his assets be used towards creation of the Nobel Peace Prize. (“Nobel

Prize”) The lab of Alfred Nobel where chemical experiments were performed. Gozzo) 5 Bibliography "About the Nobel Prizes". Nobelprize. org. Web. 11 December 2011 < www. nobelprize. org>. “Alfred Nobel. ” Google Image Search. Web. 13 December 2011. Ament, Phil. “Alfred Nobel. ” The Great Idea Finder. 18 Oct 2006. Web. 12 December 2011. < http://www. ideafinder. com>. Bellis, Mary. “History of Dynamite. ” About. com. 2011. Web. 8 December 2011. < http://inventors. about. com>. Gozzo, Lorenette. “Alfred Nobel's Final Years in Sanremo. ” Nobelprize. org. Web. 12 December 2011. ; www. nobelprize. org;. “Nobel Prize. ” Wikipedia. 2011. Web. 12 December 2011. ;http://en. wikipedia. org;.