Roger Bacon (physicist)

Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon
Born	April 16, 1926; inventor
Children	2

Roger Bacon (April 16, 1926 – January 26, 2007) was an American

graphite fibers in 1958.^[1]^[2]

Bacon was trying to measure the

µm in diameter and 3 cm long. Bacon estimated the production cost of the whiskers at the time as $10 million per pound.^[3]

After more than a year of research on the fibers, Bacon published his results.

resistivity were as much as 2000 kg/mm² (19,600 MPa), 7×10¹² dyne/cm² (700 GPa) and 65 μΩ·cm, all comparable to the single-crystal values. The triple-point of carbon was confirmed as approximately 100 atm and 3900 K. The strength and modulus for the best steels

are typically 2000 MPa and 200 GPa, resp.

Invention of the carbon nanotube is credited to Sumio Iijima in 1991, but Figure 8 in Bacon's paper^[4] shows a carbon nanotube derived from a whisker subjected to heavy current that caused the outer layers to explode. Iijima's invention^[5] is a seamless tube of diameter <30 nm, as opposed to Bacon's scrolled sheet.

Bacon won several awards for his invention, including honors from the Franklin Institute in 2004 and the University of Delaware. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2003, the American Chemical Society recognized the development of carbon fibers as a National Historic Chemical Landmark.^[3]

Bacon was born in Cleveland on April 16, 1926. He earned a bachelor's degree at

Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, from 1959 to 1971. He died of leukemia at his home in Oberlin, Ohio, on 26 January 2007, and was survived by his wife Agnes, two children and five grandchildren.^[6]

References

^ R. Bacon, "Filamentary Graphite and Method for Producing the Same," US Patent # 2 957 756, Issued 25 Oct 1960.
^ R. Bacon, G.E. Cranch, R.O. Moyer Jr. & W.H. Watts, "Process for Manufacturing Carbonaceous Textile Material," US Patent # 3 305 315, Issued 21 Feb 1967.
^ ^a ^b "High Performance Carbon Fibers". National Historic Chemical Landmarks. American Chemical Society. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
^ ^a ^b R. Bacon, “Growth, Structure and Properties of Graphite Whiskers,” Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1960, p 283-290.
^ S. Iijima, "Graphite filaments having tubular structure and method of forming the same," US Patent # 5 747 161, Issued 5 May 1998.
^ J. Pearce, “Roger Bacon, 80, Researcher Known for Aerospace Innovation, Dies,” New York Times, 12 Feb 2007.

[1] R. Bacon, "Filamentary Graphite and Method for Producing the Same," US Patent # 2 957 756, Issued 25 Oct 1960.

[2] R. Bacon, G.E. Cranch, R.O. Moyer Jr. & W.H. Watts, "Process for Manufacturing Carbonaceous Textile Material," US Patent # 3 305 315, Issued 21 Feb 1967.

[ACS_Landmark-3] "High Performance Carbon Fibers". National Historic Chemical Landmarks. American Chemical Society. Retrieved August 24, 2016.

[Bacon-4] R. Bacon, “Growth, Structure and Properties of Graphite Whiskers,” Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1960, p 283-290.

[5] S. Iijima, "Graphite filaments having tubular structure and method of forming the same," US Patent # 5 747 161, Issued 5 May 1998.

[6] J. Pearce, “Roger Bacon, 80, Researcher Known for Aerospace Innovation, Dies,” New York Times, 12 Feb 2007.

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