【Haichuan. Pioneers of the Chemical Industry】01 Fan Xudong – The Father of Modern Salt Industry in China
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The following information was collected from the Internet –－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ Mr. Fan Xudong is not only considered the father of modern salt industry in China, but also the father of China’s chemical industry as well as the father of chemical research in China. These are three outstanding achievements in his life, and they are sources of his pride.
This person is absolutely awesome. It’s incredibly amazing.
At the beginning of the last century, the West **explicitly stipulated that salts with a sodium chloride content of less than 85% could not be used as feed； In many parts of China, salt with a sodium chloride content of less than 50% is still used for human consumption. Therefore, some Westerners mock China as a “soil-eating nation.” In 1915, Fan Xudong founded Jiuda Fine Salt Company in Tianjin, where the first batch of fine salt produced in China was manufactured. This salt was of high quality, with a uniform texture and being hygienic; its main varieties included granular salt, powdered salt, and brick-shaped salt. Fan Xudong personally designed a pentagonal trademark for the company, naming it “Neptune”.
The chemical industry is not short of talented people; they just keep a low profile these days
Elder scientists are admired by later generations.
We must respect, remember, and above all, put it into practice!
This gentleman’s name is truly remarkable, fitting him perfectly
The Yellow Sea Chemical Industry Research Society was China’s first specialized chemical research institution. Its funding came from the profits of companies such as Kudo and Yongli, but it was not under the control of these companies; rather, it was an independent research organization. Fan Xudong once said, “The Yellow Sea should be our nerve center.” ”For that time, he specifically established a research and development institution as a source of intellectual strength for the company’s development, which was a very forward-thinking move. The Yongli Alkali Plant, the Juda Fine Salt Company, and the Yellow Sea Chemical Industry Research Society jointly formed the “Yong, Juda, Yellow” chemical industry group. “At that time, chemical industry technology was at the forefront of global science and technology, similar to today’s Internet technology; foreign factories held a monopoly on such technologies and would only allow cooperation with them. To be independent, one had to conduct research on their own. We often talk about the integration of industry, academia, and research these days; in fact, this group is one of the earliest examples of such integration in China,” said Gao Shangrong. Later, Fan Xudong also founded the weekly magazine \"Sea King,\" which served as the voice of the \"Yong, Jiu, Huang\" group. Under Fan Xudong’s leadership, the “Four Tenets” were formulated: First, to have absolute faith in science in principle ； II. Actively pursue career development ； III. In action, prefer to sacrifice the individual for the greater good ； IV. Spiritually, considering it the greatest honor to serve society. “This is China’s earliest corporate culture, and companies and institutions such as Nanjing Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Nanjing Chemical Industry Vocational and Technical College, Xudong Middle School, and those with connections to Nanjing Yongli Tool Factory continue to uphold it to this day. ”Gao Shangrong said.