HABER, FRITZ (1868-1934), German chemist, was born in Breslau on Dec. 9, 1868. He studied at the universities of Berlin and Heidelberg and at the technical high schools at Char lottenburg and Carlsruhe. He was then appointed staff professor at Berlin university and afterwards became director of the Kaiser Wilhelm institute for physical chemistry and electrochemistry. He made a special study of thermodynamic technical gas reactions, and also made experiments in connection with the synthesis of ammonia (q.v.) and the influence of very high pressures and high temperatures. During the World War he studied the gases used in warfare and their effective frustration by gas masks and chemi cal means. He conducted particularly important researches in collaboration with Bosch, which led to the establishment of the Haber-Bosch method for the production of ammonia from atmo spheric nitrogen. (See NITROGEN, FIXATION OF.) On the purely chemical side Haber made a thorough study of the electrolytic reduction of nitrobenzene under various conditions, and has car ried out other electrochemical investigations.
His works include Grundriss der technische Elektrochemie (1898) ; Thermodynamik technische Gasreaktionen (1905; English edition, 1908) ; Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Metalle (i919); Ober die Synthese des Ammoniaks: Die Chemie im Kriege (1922) ; Fiinf Vortriige aus den Jahren 1920-23: Ober die Herstellung des Ammoniaks aus Stickstoff and Wasserstoff (1924).