Person

Dewar, Robert Alfred (1908 - 1981)

FTS

Born
1908
Died
1981
Occupation
Industrial chemist

Summary

Robert Dewar spent most of his working life with Imperial Chemical Industry of Australia and New Zealand Limited, ending his career as Associate Research Manager of the Central Research Laboratories. He was educated at the University of Western Australia (BSc, MSc) and then went on to work for the Western Australian Railways and later the Education Department. In 1940 Dewar joined ICI Australia and was seconded to the Government to help make TNT during World War II. After that he returned to ICI working at the Deer Park and Yarraville development laboratories in Victoria. With Ian McWilliam he invented flame ionisation detector, a key component of gas chromatography, which was licensed for use world-wide. Other notable included optical resolution of tetramisole, a heterocyclic, optically active veterinary drug which was used widely and commercially successful; the use of sulfuric acid to harden urea; redesign of chlorine diaphragm cells; and the manufacture of sulfamerazine. Dewar received the Grimwade Prize in Industrial Chemistry (twice) and the H. G. Smith Memorial Medal in 1967. In 1975 Dewar was appointed a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTSE).

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Details

Chronology

1931
Education - BSc, University of Western Australia
1940
Education - MSc, University of Western Australia
1940 - 1943
Career position - Industrial chemist, seconded from Imperial Chemical Industry of Australia and New Zealand Limited to Government Explosives Factory no. 5 (Albion), Deer Park, Victoria
1943 - 1945
Career position - Research Officer, Imperial Chemical Industry of Australia and New Zealand Limited
1946 - 1952
Career position - Development Officer, Imperial Chemical Industry of Australia and New Zealand Limited
1952 - 1956
Career position - Section Leader, Imperial Chemical Industry of Australia and New Zealand Limited
1956 - 1970
Career position - Industrial chemist (later Associate research Manager), Central Research Laboratories, Imperial Chemical Industry of Australia and New Zealand Limited
1962
Award - Grimwade Prize in Industrial Chemistry (with I. G. McWilliam), University of Melbourne
1967
Award - H. G. Smith Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute, for his role in inventing the flame ionization detector
1968
Award - Grimwade Prize in Industrial Chemistry (with V. E. Maier and M. A. Riddols), University of Melbourne
1970
Life event - Retired
1970 - c. 1975
Career position - Part time consultant, Central Research Laboratories, ICI Australia
1975 - 1981
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS)

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Journal Articles

  • Dewar, R. A., 'The flame ionization detector: a theoretical approach', Journal of chromatography, 6 (1961), 312-23. Details
  • Ettre, Leslie S., 'The invention, development, and triumph of the flame ionization detector', LcGc North America, 20 (1) (2002), 49-60. Details
  • Kolm, J., 'Obituary: Robert Alfred Dewar', Australian Academy of Technological Sciences annual report, 6 (1981), 26-7. Details
  • McWilliam, I. G.; and Dewar, R. A., 'Flame ionization detector for gas chromatography', Nature, 181 (4611) (1958), 760, https://doi.org/10.1038/181760a0. Details
  • Whitton, William I., 'Robert Alfred Dewar, 1908-1981', Chemistry in Australia, 48 (4) (1981), 64. Details

Resources

See also

Rosanne Walker and Helen Cohn

Created: 30 June 1997, Last modified: 7 October 2025

EOAS ID: biogs/P002872b.htm

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