Who first obtained sugar from sugar beet?
The story of Sugar Beet dates back two centuries. The method of extracting sap from this humble plant to obtain sugar was first discovered by a German chemist named **Andreas Marggraf**. Until that era, sugar beet was a plant whose leaves were only used as vegetables by the poor and which was given to animals as feed.
As soon as it was understood that sugar could be obtained from the sap inside the plant’s tuberous stem, the Germans on one side and the French on the other entered into a feverish effort. The main goal of the research was to find economic methods to improve the quality of the sugar obtained and reduce the cost of production. This truly seemed like an impossible task with the technical means of those years. Moreover, the sugarcane plant grown in tropical countries provided a significant portion of the sugar humans needed. However, European countries without colonies in tropical areas struggled greatly to find sugarcane. Most of these colonies were in the hands of England. Around 1806, England was seen taking a stand against France and its other European allies. This situation gave rise to the danger of Europe being completely deprived of sugar. But, as always and everywhere, people start searching for new possibilities out of necessity. This was also the case with sugar production. A French chemist named Delessert found the method for obtaining sugar from sugar beet economically. This success, which overcame various food impossibilities during a critical period of war in Europe, was the triumph of the sugar beet. Thus, sugarcane lost its dominance.
When was sugar beet first cultivated in Turkey?
The introduction of sugar beet to our country is quite recent. Initial cultivation trials were undertaken at the beginning of the 1900s, and the first sugar factories were established in Uşak and Alpullu in 1926.
How and where is sugar beet cultivated?
The beet is a plant sown every two years. Since it is a plant that removes a large amount of nutrients from the soil and would rapidly deplete the soil, it is not planted every year. In this way, the soil is allowed to rest for a year. Sugar beet thrives in strong, heavily fertilized soil. Among agricultural crops, it requires the most care. Harvesting is done in moist weather. Beet develops quickly in arid regions rather than flat lands.
Who discovered zinc and when?
The ancients were never able to use Zinc on its own. They could only benefit from its alloys with copper and tin. It is said that the first person to discover zinc was a Dominican named **Albertus Magnus in the 13th century**. But the famous Swiss naturalist named **Paracelsus, who lived in the 16th century**, was the first to definitively establish the properties of zinc and give it its name.
It was necessary to wait until the 18th century for this metal to become a sought-after material in industry. Today, since zinc is widely applied in various fields of technology, it has become one of the metals we encounter frequently in our daily lives and know best.
How is zinc obtained?
The oldest method applied to separate zinc from its minerals is the **thermal method**. This is called the **dry method**. The main processes involved in this method, discovered by a priest from Liège (Belgium) named Dony, are as follows:
- Blende, the mineral richest in zinc, is heated up to 900 degrees Celsius. This heating is done in a special furnace under the influence of air. During heating, zinc oxide and sulfuric gases are obtained. These gases are also used separately to obtain sulfuric acid in industry.
- The obtained zinc oxide is heated up to 1000–1250 degrees Celsius, and its oxygen is removed via charcoal. During this process, zinc is released freely in the form of vapor. This is because zinc starts to boil around 920 degrees Celsius.
- The zinc vapors obtained are passed through a condenser: The vapor cools down and liquefies (condenses) here. There is a chamber at the outlet of the condenser. The zinc in liquid form continues to cool, solidifies, and collects in this chamber as powder particles. Zinc oxide dust that has not released its oxygen also accumulates here. The amount of pure zinc in this mixture reaches 99%.
The most modern method for obtaining zinc is **electrolysis**. This is also called the **wet method**. The method is based on the process of sulfuric acid reacting with zinc oxide and passing an electric current through the obtained zinc sulfate solution. Under the influence of the current, zinc sulfate separates, and pure zinc collects on the negative electrode inside the electrolysis cell. The zinc obtained is $99.99\%$ pure. The electrical energy consumed to obtain one ton of zinc reaches four thousand kilowatt-hours.
Where is zinc used?
Zinc has many application areas. Since it is largely unaffected by weather conditions, it is generally used in house eaves and roofing. A layer of zinc is applied onto iron to prevent it from rusting. This is done by passing an electric current through molten zinc in an electrolysis cell. This process is called **galvanizing**.
It is also used in various alloys:
- **Brass** (a copper-zinc alloy) is a very easy-to-process alloy.
- **German silver** (copper – zinc – nickel) is used in the manufacture of compasses and musical instruments. It is also referred to as nickel silver.
- **Zamak** (zinc – aluminum – magnesium – copper) is utilized in the manufacture of cast articles.
- Special **bronze** (copper – tin – zinc) alloys are among the most frequently used zinc alloys.
What is the symbol for zinc? What color is zinc?
The symbol for zinc is “**Zn**”. Its color is **bluish-white and shiny**. Zinc has a specific gravity of $6.9 \text{ g/cm}^3$ and a density of 7. Zinc melts at $420^\circ\text{C}$ and boils at $920^\circ\text{C}$. Zinc is a metal that conducts heat.
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