Johan August Arfwedson

Johan August Arfwedson (12 January 1792 – 28 October 1841) was a Swedish chemist. He discovered lithium in 1817 by isolating it as a salt.

 Life and work 
Arfwedson was born in January 12, 1792. His family was very rich. His father was Jacob Arfwedson and his mother was Anna Elisabeth Holtermann. Arfwedson became a student at the Uppsala University in 1803. He completed a degree in Law in 1809 and a second degree in mineralogy in 1812. Later in the year, he received an position in the Royal Board of Mines.

In Stockholm, Arfwedson knew the chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius. He got access to his private laboratory, which is where he discovered lithium in 1817, during analysis of the mineral petalite.

He was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1821.

The rare mineral arfvedsonite was named after him.

References

Category:1792 births
Category:1841 deaths
Category:Swedish chemists