Alfred Nobel

The CHEMIST who blasted his way into history books Nobel made his fortune by inventing dynamite and other powerful explosives, but his name is now associated with learning and peace.

By the way... I named my explosive dynamite from the Greek word dunamis, which means power.

Nobel as a young man

The young chemist

The son of a skilled engineer, Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1833. The family moved to Russia in 1842, where his father had set up a firm making explosives and equipment for the Russian navy. When Nobel was 17, he travelled abroad to study CHEMISTRY.

What came before...

Looking for a magic potion that would allow them to live forever, the ancient Chinese instead discovered the first chemical explosive – gunpowder. Molecular structure of nitroglycerine Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero discovered the

explosive nitroglycerine in 1847. However, he considered it too dangerous for practical use.

In 1864, one of Nobel’s brothers died in an explosion while working with liquid nitroglycerine – a very unstable explosive.

Nobel became determined to find a way of making nitroglycerine less dangerous. By mixing it with a form of silica, he developed a safer product called DYNAMITE. It became widely used, not only in construction and mining, but also in warfare. Nobel’s invention made him a wealthy man. Did you know? Nobel experimented in making synthetic materials such as rubber. When he died, he held 355 different patents.

Those who are awarded the Nobel Prize receive a gold medal, which shows Nobel on the front.

Dynamite transformed rock blasting, making it much easier to carry out work such as drilling tunnels.

The Nobel Prize

When Nobel died in 1896, his relatives were surprised to find out that he had left most of his vast fortune to fund annual prizes for outstanding achievements in science, literature, and peace. Since 1901, the NOBEL PRIZE has been awarded every year on 10 December, the anniversary of his death.

What came after…

During the 1930s, dynamite was used as a blasting agent in huge engineering projects such as the Hoover Dam in Nevada, USA. Since the 1950s, the explosive ammonium nitrate-fuel oil (aNFo) has largely replaced dynamite in the mining industry. ANFO detonates more slowly and is considered much safer than dynamite.

How he changed the world

Dynamite revolutionized the construction and mining industries, and changed warfare. However, Nobel is best remembered for establishing the awards that encourage achievement.