Friedrich Bergius

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Friedrich Bergius

1884-1949

German chemist who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1931 for his research into the effects of high temperature and pressure on chemical reactions. One of the processes he pioneered involved using coal and hydrogen gas to produce oil. This method, called coal liquefaction, was used to produce gasoline in Germany during World War II. Bergius also developed a method of converting cellulose, a compound found in wood, to sugar.