KERPELY, Anton von
* 5. 2. 1837, Curtici-Kürtös, Romania
† 22. 7. 1907, Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia
Metallurgical engineer
In 1862 K. finished his studies at the Academy of Mining and Forestry in Banská Štiavnica. After that he worked in the ironworks in Anina, Oravica, Ruska Montana (Romania) and at the ironworks complex Hronec-Podbrezová. Moreover, since his young years he would upgrade his knowledge at a number of study trips.
From 1868 to 1881 he was a professor at the Academy of Mining and Forestry in Banská Štiavnica, where in 1872 the first metallurgy department was founded. For the first time K. was teaching about the ironworks and about fuel and conducted experiments on the Bessemer process for steelmaking in laboratory conditions. He analyzed the raw materials for ironworks and ores in Hungary, studied the macro-and microscopic structure of iron and steel, developed a method for determining the strength of metals and filed several patents in European countries. His most important works were published during his stay in Banská Štiavnica; among them are works, published in Leipzig which contained his reports on the progress in metallurgical science.
As General Director of state ironworks in Hungary and as a Ministerial Adviser between 1881 and 1896, he conducted extensive research and modernization of the metallurgical plants in Podbrezová. K. is the founder of modern metallurgical literature and of systematic teaching of metallurgy in Hungary. He published 158 scientific works in the mining and metallurgical newspapers, including the Austrian newspaper of Mining and Metallurgy, Dingler's Polytechnic Journal, as well as in Bányászati és Kohászati Lapok, Akadémiai Értesítő, Magyar Mérnök - és Építész Egylet Közlönye und Nemzetgazdasági Szemle.
