Rillieux, Norbert
1806-1894 · Contribution: 1843
Multiple-effect evaporator for sugar refining
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Impact on the world
His evaporator revolutionized sugar refining, making it safer, cheaper, and more efficient; the technology is still used in chemical processing industries today.
Life & background
An engineer and inventor born to a wealthy white plantation owner and an enslaved mother, Rillieux developed the multiple-effect evaporator, a device that transformed sugar refining and remains foundational to modern industrial evaporation technology.
Sources
- National Inventors Hall of Fame; American Chemical Society (National Historic Chemical Landmark, 2002); 64 Parishes (Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities)
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