Dec 2, 2018 1 min read

Carborundum

Edward Goodrich Acheson was born in Washington March 9, 1856. At an early age, he showed an interest in science, but was forced to forego a formal education to help support his family. After work, he devoted his evenings to scientific pursuits.

In 1880, he traveled to New Jersey in an attempt to sell the design of a battery he invented to Thomas Edison. Edison was so impressed he hired Acheson to work in his Menlo Park laboratory. In 1890, while working for a company in direct competition with Edison to produce electric lamps, Acheson was developing methods to prepare artificial diamonds in an electric furnace when he heated a mixture of clay and powdered coke in an iron bowl. He called the blue crystals that formed carborundum. Today carborundum is more commonly known as silicon carbide. Acheson received a patent on his new material in 1893.

Today, silicon carbide is used in abrasives and cutting tools, ceramic brake pads, electrical systems, nuclear power plants, in steel productions and many more applications.

Clay Kilgore is executive director of Washington County Historical Society.