Blomstrand  Christian Wilhelm

(20.10.1826 - 05.11.1897)

Swedish chemist.

Born in the university town of Växjö, province of Småland, Sweden.

After a course of local gymnasium, in 1844 he graduated from the University of Lund, where he first devoted himself to the humanities, and after 1850 - chemistry. Starting from a laboratory assistant, Blomstrand in 1854 became an assistant professor, in 1854-1855 he taught chemistry and physics in Malmö, in 1856 became an assistant professor of chemistry and mineralogy, in 1895 - professor.

In 1861, Blomstrand, as a geologist and mineralogist, participated in the expedition to Spitsbergen.

 Blomstrand was a member of many Swedish and Danish societies, including Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. His numerous publications mainly dealt with research in the field of mineralogy and inorganic chemistry. He isolated metallic niobium by reducing its chloride, studied tantalum and its compounds, halide derivatives of molybdenum and platinum-ammonia salts. Also worked in the field of organic chemistry.

Blomstrand developed the theory of E.Ya. Berzelius, which prepared the idea of ​​the electrical nature of valence. Based on electrochemical concepts, he found it possible to clarify and expand the theory of the atomicness of elements. These views are set forth in Blomstrand’s famous work Chemistry of the Present.

Died in Lund, buried in the parish of Lund Cathedral.

Island in Kongsfjorden Bay, West Spitsbergen Island. The coordinates are 78° 50'N  12° 00'E.

Two glaciers on the Land of Haakon VII, the island of Western Spitsbergen. The coordinates are 79° 03'N  12° 05'E and 79° 03.7'N   12° 20.0'E.

Bay in the north of the Kongsfjorden Bay. The coordinates are 79° 00'N   12° 04'E.