Kings of Chemistry

In 1893, Francis Venable, James Turner Morehead, John Motley Morehead III and William Rand Kenan Jr. discovered — in a Carolina laboratory — an economical process to create calcium carbide and its byproduct acetylene gas.

Calcium carbide made possible the production of steel required for the armor plating of battleships, the frames of skyscrapers, and the development of high-speed tools and stainless steel. Acetylene is used in a variety of everyday consumer products, including tableted drugs, lotions, antiseptics and toothpastes.

Today, their names adorn buildings and programs across the campus. And their legacy of discovery continues at Carolina.

Read the complete Carolina Story from Endeavors

This is story number 202 in the Carolina Stories 225th Anniversary Edition magazine.

The Department of Chemistry in the UNC College of Arts & Sciences celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2018.

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