Richard Maling Barrer FRS (16 June 1910 – 12 September 1996) was a New Zealand-born chemist. His areas of research included gas permeability of

membrane A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. B ...

s and

zeolite Zeolites are microporous, crystalline aluminosilicate materials commonly used as commercial adsorbents and catalysts. They mainly consist of silicon, aluminium, oxygen, and have the general formula ･y where is either a metal ion or H+. These pos ...

science, of which he was a founding figure; he also gave his name to the zeolite

Barrerite Barrerite is a tectosilicate mineral and a member of the zeolite family. It is one of the rarer zeolites. It was named for Richard Barrer, a New Zealand-born chemist. Barrerite crystal are white to pinkish, with a vitreous-glassy luster. The cry ...

. The

Barrer Barrer is a non- SI unit of gas permeability (specifically, gas permeability) used in the membrane technology and contact lens industry. It is named after Richard Barrer. Definition \rm \ barrer = \frac Here the 'cm3STP' is standard cubic c ...

, a unit of gas permeability, is also named after him. The son of New Zealand sheep farmers, his undergraduate degree was from Canterbury College (now

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

), in Christchurch, New Zealand. He followed this with a master's degree titled ''Studies in catalytic hydrogenation: the system HCN + 2H2=CH3NH2'', completed in 1931. In 1932 he received an 1851 Exhibition Scholarship which allowed him to study at

Eric Rideal Sir Eric Keightley Rideal, (11 April 1890 – 25 September 1974)Rideal, Sir Eric Keight ...

's Colloid Science Laboratory in

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. At Cambridge he was also a keen cross-country runner, winning the 1934 Oxford-Cambridge race and being awarded a

Full Blue A blue is an award of sporting colours earned by athletes at some universities and schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of blues began at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England. They are now awarded at a number of other ...

for Athletics. He received his PhD from Cambridge in 1935 and

DSc DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

's in 1937 (New Zealand) and 1938 (Cambridge). He was a research fellow at

Clare College Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...

, Cambridge 1937–1939, head of chemistry at Bradford 1939–1946, taught at Bedford College, University of London 1946–1948, professor of chemistry at

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

1948–54, and professor of physical chemistry at

Imperial College Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

, London 1954–76. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1956. He wrote over 400 papers, 3 monographs and held 21 patents. Barrer was the first to create a synthetic

with no naturally occurring counterpart, in 1948. The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society for Chemical Industry give a Richard Barrer Award every three years for work in porous inorganic chemistry. He died on 12 September 1996 at

Chislehurst Chislehurst () is a suburban district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies east of Bromley, south-west of Sidcup and north-west of Orpington, south-east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater L ...

, London from cancer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrer, Richard Maling 1910 births 1996 deaths New Zealand chemists New Zealand Fellows of the Royal Society New Zealand expatriates in the United Kingdom Alumni of the University of Cambridge Deans of the Royal College of Science