Joseph Hardtmuth
Encyclopedia
Joseph Hardtmuth was a successful Austrian
architect
, inventor and entrepreneur
.
with a lead-free glaze
for the harness production, the so-called Vienna porcelain. In 1810, he invented an artificial pumice
and years later, a version of stoneware
which was used to make mortars, funnels and other utensils. A flexible, unbreakable blackboard
was also produced from the newly invented stoneware.
In 1792, Hardtmuth established a pencil
factory in Vienna
after he succeeded in creating an artificial graphite
pencil by mixing powdered graphite with clay. Until that time, whole pieces, cut from graphite were glued in between wood and were imported from England
. With the new method graphite of inferior quality could be used in pencil manufacturing, lowering the price and making the product more accessibile for the masses. His company Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth exists until today.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, inventor and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
.
Inventions
In 1789 he invented a new kind of earthenwareEarthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
with a lead-free glaze
Ceramic glaze
Glaze is a layer or coating of a vitreous substance which has been fired to fuse to a ceramic object to color, decorate, strengthen or waterproof it.-Use:...
for the harness production, the so-called Vienna porcelain. In 1810, he invented an artificial pumice
Pumice
Pumice is a textural term for a volcanic rock that is a solidified frothy lava typically created when super-heated, highly pressurized rock is violently ejected from a volcano. It can be formed when lava and water are mixed. This unusual formation is due to the simultaneous actions of rapid...
and years later, a version of stoneware
Stoneware
Stoneware is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic ware with a fine texture. Stoneware is made from clay that is then fired in a kiln, whether by an artisan to make homeware, or in an industrial kiln for mass-produced or specialty products...
which was used to make mortars, funnels and other utensils. A flexible, unbreakable blackboard
Chalkboard
A chalkboard or blackboard is a reusable writing surface on which text or drawings are made with sticks of calcium sulfate or calcium carbonate, known, when used for this purpose, as chalk. Chalkboards were originally made of smooth, thin sheets of black or dark grey slate stone...
was also produced from the newly invented stoneware.
In 1792, Hardtmuth established a pencil
Pencil
A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....
factory in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
after he succeeded in creating an artificial graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
pencil by mixing powdered graphite with clay. Until that time, whole pieces, cut from graphite were glued in between wood and were imported from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. With the new method graphite of inferior quality could be used in pencil manufacturing, lowering the price and making the product more accessibile for the masses. His company Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth exists until today.
External links
- the Koh-i-noor website - current website for the company.
- THE KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH story, a tradition of innovation - ChartPak's write up.