Johann Rudolf Glauber, whose discovery of sodium…

Johann Rudolf Glauber, whose discovery of sodium sulfate in 1625 led to the compound being named after him: "Glauber's salt", obtains a strong acid, which he calls spirit of salt, in 1648 by heating moist salt in a charcoal furnace and condensing the fumes in a receiver.

He later heats salt with sulfuric acid to obtain the same product, now known to be hydrochloric acid, a compound of chlorine and hydrogen.

He also makes an improved process for the manufacture of nitric acid, by heating potassium nitrate with concentrated sulphuric acid.