Thomas-Graham-Prize (21.12.1805 - 11.9.1869, Professor at “Royal College of Science and Technology” in Glasgow)
Thomas Graham was a Scottish physical who investigated many types of colloidal systems. Since 1826 he studied the diffusion of gases and stated the famous Graham's law of diffusion. Later on, he explored the structures of phosphates and arsenates. The chemical compound Sodiumpolyphosphate is still today denoted as "Grahams Salt". During his extensive studies of dialysis Thomas Graham noticed that some substances diffused quite quickly through membranes and formed crystals when dried (crystalloids). Other chemical compounds, however, diffused only very slowly and did not form crystals in a dry state (colloids). Graham gave the name "colloid" to substances that do not diffuse through a semipermeable membrane. The term colloid was derived from the Greek word "kolla=kolla", which describes the characteristic properties of glues. Graham defined the terms sol, gel, and colloid. He also worked on dialysis which he developed to separate colloids from salts. In 1837 Thomas Graham was appointed full Professor of Chemistry at University College, London, and in 1841 he was the first president of the Chemical Society of London.
Nowadays, the German Colloid Society can offer the Thomas-Graham-price for special merits in the area of national or international colloid science or international scientific cooperation. The price consists of a document and a memorial-coin.
Laureates 1926 – 2007
1926 Wolfgang Ostwald (1883 - 1943), Zoologe, Leipzig
1969 Hans Erbring (1903 - 1983), Chemiker, Bensberg
1975 H. W. Kohlschütter (1905 - 1985), Chemiker, Darmstadt
1985 Egon Matijević (geb. 1922), Chemiker; Potsdam, N. Y. (USA)
1995 Hans Lyklema (geb. 1930), Chemiker, Wageningen (NL)
1997 Armin Weiß (geb. 1927), Chemiker, München
2001 Milan Schwuger, Chemiker, Jülich
