George Dougherty was a metallurgist.  He created formulas to determine the amount of nickel in plate armour steel as well as the vanadium content in steel.  He also discovered how to make oil and fat into soap. He was the first successful deaf person who graduated from a state school for the deaf.

http://www.twu.edu/dsc/doughertyI.htm

TEKS Objective References:

§112.23.b.7.A. (Science 7th grade).  The student knows that substances have physical and chemical properties. The student is expected to identify and demonstrate everyday examples of chemical phenomena such as rusting and tarnishing of metals and burning of wood

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Teaching Resources:

Synthesis Reaction (Rust) Experiment