Payen Technologist and Chemical Manufacturer

Versatile Payen was both a curious scientist and practical technologist. Even when searching for new 

In 1792 Jean Payen, the father, established a factory at Crenelle, France for the production of sal ammoniac (from the destructive distillation of bones and other animal byproducts), sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, borax, sulfur. 

In 1820, following his father s death, the 25-year old Payen inherited the full responsibility for managing several factories, one of which manufactured beet sugar. 

Payen developed a decolorimeter for evaluating the decolorizing ability of various lots of charcoal. Charcoals of the general types developed by Payen have been utilized down through the years for important uses, including gas masks in World War I and various refining and purification procedures. 

Payen s book (1826) entitled, Treatise on the Potato described the preparation of various materials from the potato, including foods, feeds, starch, syrup, sugar, and alcohol. The Central Agricultural Society of France gave Payen a gold medal in 1823 in recognition of this work. 

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