Hou Debang

Hou Debang

Hou Debang (August 9, 1890 ~ August 26, 1974), male, Qirong, Zhiben, was born in Minhou, Fujian Province. He is a famous scientist, outstanding chemist, founder of Hou's caustic soda process and pioneer of China's heavy chemical industry. One of the founders of modern chemical industry is the authority of the world alkali industry.

In 1920's, he broke through the mystery of ammonia alkali technology and presided over the construction of the first soda plant in Asia; in 1930's, he led the construction of China's first joint enterprise producing synthetic ammonia, nitric acid, sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate; in 1940's and 1950's, he invented a new process for continuous production of soda and ammonium chloride, and a new process for producing ammonium bicarbonate fertilizer by carbonization ammonia process; And made it realize industrialization and large-scale promotion in the 1960s.

In 1926, China's "red triangle" brand soda ash entered the World Expo and won the gold medal. Hou Debang actively spread and exchanged science and technology, cultivated a lot of scientific and technological talents, and made outstanding contributions to the development of science and technology and chemical industry. On August 26, 1974, Hou Debang died in Beijing at the age of 84.

Life of the characters

Hou Debang was born on August 9, 1890 in Minhou County, Fujian Province. From 1903 to 1906, he was supported by his aunt to study in Fuzhou Yinghua Academy. In 1907, he went to Shanghai to study Railway Engineering for two years. After graduation, I got a job on Jinpu road which was under construction at that time. In 1911, Hou Debang resigned and was admitted to Peking Tsinghua preparatory school for studying in the United States. Tsinghua garden is famous for its excellent results in 10 courses and 1000 courses.

In 1913, Tsinghua University announced the list of the first batch of higher education graduates, 16 of whom went to study in the United States. Hou de was on the list and was recommended to study in the Chemical Engineering Department of Massachusetts Institute of technology.

In 1917, he graduated with a bachelor's degree, and then went to Pratt college to study leather making. The next year, he got a diploma in leather making chemist. In 1918, he participated in the research of leather making in the Research Institute of Columbia University. He obtained a master's degree in 1919 and a doctor's degree in 1921. He worked as an engineer in Yongli soda company. Due to his excellent academic performance, Hou Debang was accepted as a member of sigmaxi Science Society and philambda upsilon chemical society. Hou Debang's doctoral thesis "iron salt tanning leather" and "Journal of the American Association of tannery chemists" were published in full, which became one of the classic literatures widely cited in the leather industry.

In 1921, Hou Debang accepted the invitation of fan Xudong, general manager of Yongli soda company, and returned to China from the United States. He took on the technical responsibility of continuing to build the soda plant and became the chief technician of Yongli. With the technology and market of soda production strictly monopolized by foreign companies, Yongli spent a lot of money to buy a brief information of "Solvay method". Hou Debang devoted himself to studying this brief information, led the staff to work hard for a long time, solved a series of technical problems, and achieved success in 1926, producing high-quality soda ash normally. Since 1922, he has been elected as the director and executive director of the Chinese Chemical Industry Association, the director and chairman of the Chinese chemical engineering society, the director and chairman of the Chinese chemical society, the director and chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the Chinese Chemical Industry Association. In 1923, he served as chief engineer and manufacturing director. On June 29, 1926, Yongli produced a high-quality alkali which surpasses that of bonamen. In August of the same year, Yongli's red triangle soda ash was awarded the gold medal at the Philadelphia International Exposition. After successfully sniping the price war of bonamen, Yongli really broke the monopoly of caustic soda. Since 1927, he has been the chief engineer of Yongli chemical industry company and the director of Tanggu alkali plant.

On the basis of summing up his own practice, Hou Debang wrote manu facture soda in English, which was published in New York in 1933 and had a profound impact on the academic and industrial circles. In 1934, Yongli company decided to build Nanjing Kan plant, which also produces synthetic ammonia, nitric acid, sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate, in order to "re develop the chemical industry" and produce chemical fertilizer. Hou Debang was appointed as the plant director and technical director (Chief Engineer), who was fully responsible for the preparation. In January 1937, the heavy chemical complex was built. It was successfully put into operation in one trial run and reached the international level in technology at that time. It provides a good experience for the future introduction of technology to build factories more quickly, better and economically. Together with Yongli soda plant, this plant has laid the foundation for China's basic chemical industry and cultivated a large number of chemical science and technology talents. On February 5, 1937, with the efforts of Hou Debang, ammonium sulfate was produced and nitric acid was put into production smoothly, which indicates that Chinese engineers and technicians can completely control the overall project of sulfuric acid plant, ammonia plant, ammonium sulfate plant and nitric acid plant. During the July 7th incident, the Japanese aggressor forces gradually forced Nanjing. They once threatened "factory safety" three times and demanded "cooperation" in the management of Nanjing Kaichang. Hou Debang and his colleagues refused to "cooperate". At the same time, they actively responded to the Anti Japanese war by using factory facilities to produce materials such as ammonium nitrate explosives and mine shells to support the front line. During this period, he also served as the chief engineer of Nanjing Kaichang.

In 1938, Yongli company planned to build Yongli Chuanxi chemical plant in Wutongqiao, Western Sichuan. Fan Xudong appointed Hou Debang as the plant director and chief engineer. Under very difficult conditions, Hou Debang led the staff to make self-help production and maintain the livelihood of the company's staff; at the same time, he started to prepare for the establishment of Sichuan soda plant. Because the conditions in Sichuan are not suitable for the use of ammonia alkali method, Hou debangte led a team to Germany in 1939 to investigate and prepare to purchase the patent of cha'an method. Under the condition of humiliating the country proposed by the other party, Hou Debang suspended the negotiation and developed a new alkali production method. In 1940, fan Xudong named it "Hou's alkali making process". Later, he led a large number of scientific research and design personnel. After hard work, he developed a new process in 1941, which integrated the cha'an process and combined soda production process with ammonia synthesis process to produce soda and ammonium chloride fertilizer. In 1943, the semi industrial plant test was completed, but because of the war and political chaos, there was no condition to continue to realize industrialization.

In August 1945, shortly after the surrender of the Japanese aggressors, fan Xudong died. Hou Debang took over as general manager and led the work of Yongli chemical industry company. He immediately organized to resume the production of Yongli Tanggu soda plant and Nanjing Kaichang soda plant. The nitric acid equipment of Kaichang was transported to Japan by Japanese aggressors during the war. Hou Debang and Li Zhuchen repeatedly negotiated with the relevant parties. He personally went to Tokyo to find the Allied general command and other relevant parties to argue. Only in 1948 did he return all the equipment and resume nitric acid production, which is still in operation. In 1947, Hou Debang was employed as the consultant chief engineer of Tata company in India. He went to India five times to guide the improvement of the equipment and technology of the company's alkali plant, so as to make the plant operate normally and produce high-quality soda. In this regard, Prime Minister Nehru also praised it during his visit to China, citing it as a model of friendship between the two peoples.

On April 20, 1949, Nanjing was liberated, and the old bourgeoisie and the upper intelligentsia were rapidly and violently divided. After Hou fan Xudong died, at a loss, he avoided India. When Hou Debang went to India for the fifth time, he was very excited to learn that the leader of the CPC Central Committee was very concerned about Yongli's cause and hoped to discuss the national plan with him. He overcame many obstacles and went back to Beijing by way of Thailand, Hong Kong and South Korea. After that, he was successively elected as the first member of the National Committee of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference and the second, third and fourth standing committee member; the first, second and third deputies of the National People's Congress; he was successively appointed as a member of the central financial and Economic Commission, technical adviser of the Ministry of heavy industry of the Chinese Academy of administration, Vice Minister of the Ministry of chemical industry; he was employed as a member of the Ministry of technology and science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, etc. In 1950, he served as a member of the central financial and Economic Commission, a technical consultant of the Ministry of heavy industry, and was elected vice chairman of the all China Federation of natural sciences. In 1952, he was the general manager of Yongli chemical industry company.

In 1953, he participated in the Democratic founding of the people's Republic of China, and was elected as the first and second standing committee member of the Central Committee. He also introduced to the leaders of the Central Committee "the idea of building Yongli's top ten chemical enterprises" and put forward "opinions on reviving industry" and other suggestions.

Since 1954, he has been elected to the first, second and third National People's congresses.

He has been employed as a member of the Ministry of technology and science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences since 1955.

In 1957, in order to develop the small-scale chemical fertilizer industry, Hou Debang proposed the preparation of ammonium bicarbonate by carbonization method. He personally led the team to Shanghai Research Institute of chemical industry to work with technical personnel to make the new process of carbonization nitrogen fertilizer production successful. In the same year, he joined the Communist Party of China. He participated in many important decisions of the national chemical industry and scientific and technological undertakings, and led many major scientific and technological activities in the chemical industry. Under his advice and guidance, he continued to carry out supplementary tests and pilot tests on the new process of combined soda production. In 1962, it realized industrialization and became one of the main methods of soda production and chemical fertilizer production in China.

In 1958, he served as vice minister of the Ministry of chemical industry and was elected vice chairman of the China Association for science and technology. After that, Hou Debang put forward the idea of a new process of producing ammonium bicarbonate fertilizer by carbonization ammonia synthesis process, personally led the design, construction, test and improvement of the demonstration plant, and achieved success in 1965.

After 1972, Hou Debang became more and more seriously ill and was unable to move. He repeatedly asked for factory inspection to help solve technical problems. He also invited scientific and technological personnel to hold meetings at home to discuss the improvement and development of Xiaolian alkali technology. He devoted himself to the last breath of his life.

Hou Debang's life is full of legendary color and highly respected, but in the "Cultural Revolution"

Chinese PinYin : Hou De Bang