Sapozhnikov, Aleksei Vasilevich

Born Mar. 15 (27), 1868, in Perm’; died July 23, 1935, in Leningrad. Soviet chemist.

Sapozhnikov graduated from the Mikhail Artillery Academy in 1892. He became a professor at the academy in 1899. From 1908 until 1930, retaining his position at the academy, he was also a professor at the St. Petersburg (Leningrad) Institute of Railroad Engineers and other educational institutions.

Sapozhnikov’s principal works were devoted to the chemistry of explosives and to technology that would ensure safety in the manufacture of explosives. In the period 1899–1909 he developed a theory for the nitration of cellulose with mixtures of nitric acid and sulfuric acid. The work of Sapozhnikov on protecting metals from corrosion and preserving wood against fungus and rot is well known.