Mór Korach
Encyclopedia
Mór Korach or Maurizio Korach (8 February 1888 − 27 November 1975) was a Hungarian chemical engineer
, founder of the technical chemistry in Hungary, a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
. Residing in Italy
between 1912 and 1952, he was internationally recognized for his ceramic engineering
researches, significantly developing the Italian ceramic industry
.
He was born in Miskolc
, Hungary, and studied at the Budapest University of Technology
until 1911, then migrated to Italy in 1912 because of political reasons. From 1916 until 1932 on he was a teacher in the art school of International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza
, also directed the research laboratory of the museum. After 1925 he was the chairman of the technical chemistry department at the University of Bologna
. During World War II
he joined the Italian Communist Party
and took part in the resistance movement
. Called by the Hungarian government he moved back to Hungary in 1952. He assisted to the foundation of the Central Research Institute for Construction Materials of which he was the first director between 1953 and 1957. From 1960 until 1968 he was acting as founder director of the Research Institute of Technical Chemistry in Budapest.
His main research field was the technical chemistry of ceramic
manufacture, chemical processing of ceramics. In 1928 he was the first to invent and construct an electric tunnel kiln
, later on he worked out a new ceramics firing method (what he named 'sandwich firing'). In addition to this he also made extensive researches on thermal insulators
and technology of glazed tile
manufacture. During the late period of his career he put down the theoretical fundamentals of technical chemistry and successfully adapted mathematical model
s (e.g. graph theory
) to describe chemical processes.
He was a corresponding (1956), then a full member (1958) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
. In Italy he was a popular writer under the name of Marcello Cora. He died in Budapest
, Hungary.
Chemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
, founder of the technical chemistry in Hungary, a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
. Residing in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
between 1912 and 1952, he was internationally recognized for his ceramic engineering
Ceramic engineering
Ceramic engineering is the science and technology of creating objects from inorganic, non-metallic materials. This is done either by the action of heat, or at lower temperatures using precipitation reactions from high purity chemical solutions...
researches, significantly developing the Italian ceramic industry
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
.
He was born in Miskolc
Miskolc
Miskolc is a city in northeastern Hungary, mainly with heavy industrial background. With a population close to 170,000 Miskolc is the fourth largest city of Hungary It is also the county capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and the regional centre of Northern Hungary.- Geography :Miskolc is located...
, Hungary, and studied at the Budapest University of Technology
Budapest University of Technology and Economics
The Budapest University of Technology and Economics , in hungarian abbreviated as BME, English official abbreviation BUTE, is the most significant University of Technology in Hungary and is also one of the oldest Institutes of Technology in the world, having been founded in 1782.-History:BME is...
until 1911, then migrated to Italy in 1912 because of political reasons. From 1916 until 1932 on he was a teacher in the art school of International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza
Faenza
Faenza is an Italian city and comune, in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated 50 km southeast of Bologna.Faenza is noted for its manufacture of majolica ware glazed earthenware pottery, known from the name of the town as "faience"....
, also directed the research laboratory of the museum. After 1925 he was the chairman of the technical chemistry department at the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he joined the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
and took part in the resistance movement
Italian resistance movement
The Italian resistance is the umbrella term for the various partisan forces formed by pro-Allied Italians during World War II...
. Called by the Hungarian government he moved back to Hungary in 1952. He assisted to the foundation of the Central Research Institute for Construction Materials of which he was the first director between 1953 and 1957. From 1960 until 1968 he was acting as founder director of the Research Institute of Technical Chemistry in Budapest.
His main research field was the technical chemistry of ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
manufacture, chemical processing of ceramics. In 1928 he was the first to invent and construct an electric tunnel kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
, later on he worked out a new ceramics firing method (what he named 'sandwich firing'). In addition to this he also made extensive researches on thermal insulators
Thermal insulation
Thermal insulation is the reduction of the effects of the various processes of heat transfer between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Heat transfer is the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature...
and technology of glazed tile
Glazed tile
Glazed tiles were used in China since the Zhou Dynasty as building material for roof top. During the Song Dynasty, the manufacture of glazed tiles was standardized in Li Jie's Architecture Standard...
manufacture. During the late period of his career he put down the theoretical fundamentals of technical chemistry and successfully adapted mathematical model
Mathematical model
A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language. The process of developing a mathematical model is termed mathematical modeling. Mathematical models are used not only in the natural sciences and engineering disciplines A mathematical model is a...
s (e.g. graph theory
Graph theory
In mathematics and computer science, graph theory is the study of graphs, mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects from a certain collection. A "graph" in this context refers to a collection of vertices or 'nodes' and a collection of edges that connect pairs of...
) to describe chemical processes.
He was a corresponding (1956), then a full member (1958) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
. In Italy he was a popular writer under the name of Marcello Cora. He died in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary.
Works
- Elementi di tecnologia ceramica I–III. Faenza, Museo delle ceramiche, 1928, 51 + 48 + 83 p.
- On methodological problems of technology. in: Periodica Polytechnica 1958. 145–171.
- Általános kémiai technológia. [General chemical technology.] Budapest, Tankönyvkiadó, 1967, 327 p.