Parsons, James Albert Jr.
1900-1989 · Contribution: 1929-1949
Industrial & Mechanical
Developed Durimet 20 (Alloy 20), a corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloy still used across the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, nuclear, and food-processing industries, and held eight patents in noncorrosive metals over a 30-year career as chief metallurgist at the Duriron Company
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1900-1989
- Active since
- 1929-1949
- Category
- Industrial & Mechanical
Impact on the world
Parsons created an alloy that made industrial equipment resist the harshest acids, enabling everything from chemical manufacturing to the atomic program, while leading an all-Black research staff at a time that was almost unheard of.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Source lookupFind
National Inventors Hall of Fame
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