A brief history on vacuum technology

​

460 - 375BC

The Greek philosopher Democritus presumed that empty spaces (a kind of micro-vacuum) through which atoms moved according to the general law of mechanics.



Back then, many saw this concept as the inspiration for the invention of vacuum technology.

​

1640-1644

The concept of vacuum technology was a widely debatable concept for many years. It was  only proven in the "Torricelli" experiment(1644). Evangelista Torricelli, a professor in Florence, demonstrated the presence of vacuum in the space left above the mercury after turning a test tube upside down.



1873 - Now

First Vacuum Flask or the "Dewar Flask"



In 1873, James Dewar saw the need to improve the thermal isolation of his laboratory apparatus and instruments. He attempted to evacuate the volume between the walls of double-walled calorimeters. This was the first experiment that led to a series of studies that ultimately created the Dewar Flask or Vacuum Flask we see today.



Improvements e.g. adding a layer of silver or mercury to reduce heat loss were added onto the Dewar Flask.



James Dewar then decided to commercialize his flask with its great feasibility in household applications. However, as he did not patent his finalized silvered vacuum flask, a similar product was developed by a man named Muller for commercial use in 1904. Subsequently, Muller successfully patented the invention.



Hence, James Dewar did not gain an financial benefits from his own invention. However, today, many chemist still see the invention as the "Dewar Flask" and not the "Thermos Flask".