Henri Dreyfus
| Henri Dreyfus | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | January 7, 1882 Basel, Switzerland |
| Died | December 30, 1944 (aged 62) |
| Nationality | Swiss, British |
| Occupation | Chemist |
| Known for | Celanese |
Henri Dreyfus (or Henry Dreyfus, January 7, 1882 – December 30, 1944) was a Swiss chemist. He and his brother Camille Dreyfus invented Celanese, an acetate yarn. The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, originally the Henry Dreyfus Foundation, was founded in his honor by his brother.
Henri Dreyfus was born in Basel, Switzerland, in 1882, younger brother of Camille Dreyfus (1878–1856). Their father was involved in the chemical industry. The brothers both went to school in Basel and then studied at the Sorbonne, Paris. In 1904 Henri Dreyfus earned a PhD from the University of Basel with the highest honors.
The Dreyfus brothers began experimenting in a small laboratory in a comer of the garden of their father's house in Basel. Their first achievement was to develop synthetic indigo dyes. In 1908 they turned to developing cellulose acetate, including scientific investigation of the properties of the compound and commercial exploitation. This would consume the rest of their lives. The initial goal was to create a safe and non-flammable alternative to celluloid, then used for motion pictures and photography. By 1910 they had perfected plastic film and acetate lacquers, or aircraft dope.
On 12 December 1912 Henri and Camille Dreyfus, funded by the entrepreneur Alexander Clavel-Respinger, set up a factory in Basel, Cellonit Gesellschaft Dreyfus & Co., to produce fireproof celluloid from cellulose acetate. The Cellonit company, founded in 1913, was innovative in developing new materials. The Dreyfus brothers produced the first acetate continuous filament yarn in 1913. However, most of the production went in film for motion pictures or toiletry items. The Paris-based Pathé cinema equipment manufacturer became a major customer. The company also made lacquers that were used for German Zeppelins and airplanes. Demand for acetate lacquers grew steadily as the aircraft industry expanded.
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