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Portrait

Louis Vicat (March 31, 1786, Nevers - April 10, 1861) French engineer, inventor of artificial cement.

He graduated from École Polytechnique 1804 and École des Ponts et Chaussées 1806.

Vicat studied setting of mortars and invented new artificial cements (white gold) in 1817. The material was popular but was superseded by Portland cement. He also invented the Vicat needle that is still in use for determination of setting time of concretes and cements. His son, Joseph, founded Vicat Cement, which is today a large international cement manufacturing company.

Member of the Académie des Sciences of Paris.