Jabir ibn Hayyan

Jabir ibn Hayyan

Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan was born in 721 in Kufah.

He is known as the father of  Chemistry. He was a Doctor and Chemist. Jabber was the one who laid  the foundations for modern scientific chemistry.

Work and Discoveries:

Jabir ibn Hayyan is widely considered as the father of Chemistry but he was also an astronomer, pharmacist, physician, philosopher and engineer.

He was credited for  the discovery of nineteen different substances which we call element in modern  chemistry.

He was the first person to introduce the experimental method in  chemistry.

Jabir ibn Hayyan

Use of chemical processes:

Jabir perfected the use of various chemical processes used in the modern chemistry laboratories such as distillation, crystallization and sublimation etc. Using some of those methods, he produced concentrated acetic acid from vinegar.

He synthesized hydrochloric acid by heating salt and sulfuric acid and nitric acid by heating saltpeter with sulfuric acid.

By mixing hydrochloric acid with nitric  acid, he invented a super acid called aqua regia which could dissolve  even gold. 

He also isolated citric acid from lemon and tartaric acid from the residue left  after wine making.

Jabir ibn Hayyan

Discoveries and Inventions:

Discovery of “caustic soda” He was First to evoke water gold.He was First to introduce the method of separation of NaOH.He was First to discover nitric acid.He was First to discover hydrochloric acid .He was First to retrieve the sulfuric acid and termed it Alzaj oil.He discovered chemical procedures as significant as crystallization, melting, distillation, calcination, reduction, liquidation, and sublimation.

Aqua Regia:The discoveries of these acids especially aqua regia helped the chemists to extract and purify gold and other metals for the next thousand years.

Jabir ibn Hayyan

Perfume:

People have enjoyed perfume for centuries.

The hard work of two talented chemists, Jabir ibn Hayyan (born 722) and al-Kindi (born  801) helped lay the foundations and established the perfume industry.

Jabir developed many techniques, including  distillation, evaporation and filtration, which enabled the collection of the  odor of plants into a vapor that could be collected in the form of water or  oil.

Jabir ibn Hayyan

Dyeing of cloth and leather, as well as, preparation of steel are also associated with this great Islamic scientist.

His division of substance into three different classes worked as the basis for modern day classification of metals and non metals.

He prepared a lot of chemicals like hydrated mercury and arsenous oxide.

He explained in detail how to prepare arsenic, antimony, and purification of metals  and dyeing of fabrics.

He manufactured incombustible paper.

He made some sort of paint that prevents iron rust.

He was the first to introduce the method of separating gold from silver solution by acids, which is the predominant mode to this day.

Jabir ibn Hayyan

Books and Treatises:

Around 3000 books and treatises are attributed to the name of Jabir bin Hayyan. The topics are diverse in nature; ranging from music, magic, philosophy, logic and metaphysics to chemistry, alchemy, physics, medicine, astrology, geography, and astronomy.

The “Book of Seventy” is a collection of his various works like “Book of Venus”. Other noteworthy works of Jabir bin Hayyan include Book of Stones, Book of 112, Composition of Alchemy, Kitaab-ur-Rahmah, and Kitab-ut-Tajmee.

His research has been translated to many European languages, and has been used in western educational institutions for centuries. This is why he is called the ‘Father of Modern Chemistry’.