Ernest Solvay

Belgian chemist, industrialist, philanthropist (1838-1922)

Ernest Gaston Joseph Solvay (16 April 1838 – 26 May 1922) was a Belgian chemist, industrialist, politician and philanthropist.

Ernest Solvay Mauro
Ernest Solvay (c1900)
Born16 April 1838
Died26 May 1922
NationalityBelgian
Known forammonia-soda process
Scientific career
Fieldschemistry
The portrait of participants to the first Solvay Conference in 1911. Ernest Solvay is the third seated from the left. Solvay wasn't present at the time the photo was taken, so his photo was cut and pasted onto this one for the official release

In 1861, he made the ammonia-soda process to make soda ash. The process was an improvement over the earlier Leblanc process.

He founded the company Solvay & Cie. The first factory was at Couillet in 1863. Soon, Solvay process plants were in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and Austria. Today, about 70 Solvay process plants are still working worldwide.

In 1903, he founded the Solvay Business School which is part of the Free University of Brussels.

He elected two times to the Belgian Senate. He was Minister of State at the end of his life. Solvay, New York and Rosignano Solvay, the locations of the first Solvay process plants in the United States and in Italy, are named after him.

Solvay died at Ixelles.