Chemical Engineer Norbert Rillieux Revolutionized the Sugar Refining Industry
Norbert Rillieux was an African American inventor and engineer who lived in the 19th century. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1806. Rillieux revolutionized the sugar refining industry with his invention of a multiple-effect evaporator and has gained recognition for it. Before Rillieux’s invention, sugar refining was a difficult and time-consuming process that required a large amount of fuel and manpower. Rillieux’s multiple-effect evaporator made the process much more efficient by using a series of evaporators. The sugar syrup vaporized and condensed by setting each at a lower pressure than the preceding one. In the end, the result was a much purer form of sugar.