Division: Special Sessions

Title: Symposium--100th Anniversary of the Langmuir Equation, 1916-2016

Lead Community Sponsor:
Cosponsor: SSSA Division: Soil Chemistry, SSSA Division: Soils and Environmental Quality, ASA Section: Education and Extension, SSSA Division: Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition
Community Cosponsor: Undergraduate Education Community
Format: Oral Symposium
Keywords: Langmuir, adsorption modeling, history and interface chemistry

Session Description: Irving Langmuir proposed his well-known equation in 1916. In 1918 he further showed how to optimize it using a linearization of the Langmuir Equation. He received the Nobel Prize in 1932 for his work in surface chemistry and his equation remains the best known adsorption equation in soil chemistry. His contributions greatly helped us understand how to better describe and model adsorption reactions, nutrient availability, and much more. This equation has played a central role in our modern soil chemistry research, and is a required component in all soil chemistry classroom courses across the world. This symposium special session will present a historical overview of soil chemistry before and after Langmuir's Equation, a discussion of Langmuir the man by special guest Roger Summerhayes (Irving Langmuir's grandson), a look at modern developments in adsorption modeling with emphasis on similarities and differences with various principles also present in the Langmuir Equation. Other volunteered short presentations on related subjects will also be presented. We encourage members to submit oral presentations for this session.