Shmuel Raviv

Shmuel Raviv (October 251918 - April 1, 2002) was a French-Israeli scientist, inventor and entrepreneur in the field of physics and electrochemistry who spent most of his career at the laboratory. He is best known for a series of experiments in renewable energy contributing to determination of electrolytic-thermal decomposition of water. Raviv was a member of the one of the founders of the Shimon Peres Nuclear Research Center in the Negev, a member of Israel Atomic Energy Commission and a founder of Limat Electrochemical Metal Polishing Company,
==Biography==
===Education===
Shmuel Raviv was born as Szmuel Reznik in Slonim (then part of Russia, now in Belarus) on October 25, 1918. He was raised and educated there until his move to France, where he settled in Clermont-Ferrand in 1940 and became a French citizen in 1948. Raviv graduated the University of Strasbourg with a degree in physical chemistry and then enrolled for graduate school in engineering. After four years in the program, he moved to, from which he received a Ph.D. in electrochemistry. His doctoral advisor was Professor chemist Paul Pascal and the jury of his thesis consisted the chimist Pierre Jolibois and the mathematician Georges Dramois.
===Scientific career===
Raviv began work as a director of the research in laboratory at Christofle in 1945 and continued there throughout his graduate years. He focused on industrial and applied research in the field of surface treatments for metals.
In 1949, Raviv immigrated to Israel and was appointed manager of the " Michsef " factory. After a few years he joined Israel Mineral Industries as the manager of the chemical department where he developed an electrolytic process for the production of manganese and bromine.
In 1958, he changed his last name to "Raviv", and was recruited by Ernst David Bergman, the father of Israel's nuclear program, to the founding team of Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center. Raviv was a member of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission and was responsible for research and development at chemical laboratories of the center. During this period he published a book on interfacial corrosion called "Double couche", submitted patents, as well as several studies published in International science journals. A concise summary of his research paper and thesis has been collected and mentioned periodically by the Nuclear Science abstracts of the USAEC for use by US government managers, researchers at the National Laboratories and Technology Centers.
Later, Raviv established a private laboratory where in addition to his work on metal treatment, he also performed careful work in electrolytic-thermal, characterizing the kinetics and thermodynamics of decomposition reactions. A method and apparatus for the electrolytic-thermal decomposition of water to hydrogen and oxygen is disclosed. Means for interrupting the current flow between the anode and the cathode yield a mixture of gases liberated and can recovered as a mixture of ignited to yield a hydrogen flame. The energy obtained in the process causes the decomposition of the water makes it possible to produce interphase energy or cold fusion.
During these years he worked on many researches and developments and registered over 30 patents to his credit.
===Entrepreneurship career===
In 1971, Raviv retired from Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center and founded in partnership with Kibbutz Givat Haim Meuchad the Limat company for advanced surface-treatment technology based on a process he invented. The company manufactures machines and supplies the dedicated chemical composition for polishing, brightening and passivation of metals. To date following application have been employed in various plants: pipes and accessories for food, cutlery, surgical needles, hollow-ware and kitchen-ware, automative accessories, watch industry and more.
==Personal life==
Raviv received a Ph.D. in electrochemistry engeniring from was married to Deborah Wilman and the couple had two children, one of whom is CEO. Shmuel Raviv is the nephew of Professor Moses Kunitz known for his contribution to determination that enzymes are proteins.
Category:1918 births
Category:People from Slonim
Category:Scientists
Category:Inventors
Category:Entrepreneurs
Category:2002 deaths