Edward Goodrich Acheson (1856-1931),US chemist. Acheson had a limited formal education,attending the Bellefonte Academy,Pennsylvania,USA,for three years (1870-2). After work as a railroad surveying assistant,he was employed from 1880 to 1884 by Thomas Edison,carrying out research on carbon,carbon arc lights,and electric furnaces. Acheson's research led to what is now called the Acheson process,a method to produce silicon carbide (carborundum) and graphite. Acheson was a member of the Electrochemical Society. He was awarded the Franklin Institute's John Scott Medal (1894 and 1901) and the Perkin Medal (1910) |