Wollaston's cryophosphorus-precursor of the heat pipe

Abstract

The object of the article is to outline the historical, social and multidisciplinary aspects of the basic mechanisms of the cryophosphorus, invented by William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828). It is written from the viewpoint of the materials scientist for whom the many and varied applications of the vapour pump have served their purposes over the years and continue to point the way to further development.

Easy-To-Make Cryophoruses

“…The enthalpy of vaporization is sufficiently large to cool the liquid to its freezing point. The cryophorus can be considered to be a precursor of the modern heat pipe (2). It is also an example of an endothermic process (3).…”