Celebrating 100 Years of Apiezon
Apiezon has played a critical role in some of the world’s most significant scientific and technological breakthroughs since it was first developed in 1926 by British Research Engineer C.R. “Bill” Burch. While working at Metropolitan Vickers in Trafford Park, Manchester, Burch set out to improve the strength of pressboard by impregnating it with transformer oil under vacuum. In the process, he made an unexpected breakthrough: the low vapour pressure oils he developed could replace mercury in diffusion pumps.
With a century of involvement in scientific discoveries and space exploration, Apiezon products continue to be relied upon worldwide in vacuum science, cryogenics, aerospace, semiconductor research, and advanced manufacturing.
Apiezon Needs You!
Shaping the next Century
Shaping the next Century
Customer Stories
Be part of the Apiezon 100 years celebration by sending us a photo of you in the field using Apiezon, tell us which Apiezon product you rely on, how you use it, and why it matters in your application. As a thank you, we’ll donate £5 to Lifeshare and send you an exclusive Apiezon 100 USB stick and pin badge!
Customer Stories
Be part of the Apiezon 100 years celebration by sending us a photo of you in the field using Apiezon, tell us which Apiezon product you rely on, how you use it, and why it matters in your application. As a thank you, we’ll donate £5 to Lifeshare and send you an exclusive Apiezon 100 USB stick and pin badge!
History of Apiezon
Apiezon Discovered
C.R. "Bill" Burch develops the world's first low vapour pressure oils to improve vacuum technology. He names the product "Apiezon" from the Greek for "low pressure". These oils would become the foundation for modern high-vacuum greases.
Splitting of the Atom
John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton use Apiezon oils and diffusion pumps to accelerate protons and split a lithium nucleus. This marked one of the first artificial nuclear transmutations and proved the potential for controlled nuclear reactions. This pioneering work won Cockcroft and Walton the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1951.
Post War Growth
Apiezon products help support instrumentation critical in post-war physics, including accelerators, laboratory vacuum systems and research equipment.
Out of this World!
Apiezon has been used in space research and exploration since 1951, when NACA (the precursor to NASA) first sealed components during gas flow experiments. Then, from 1958, NASA took over aeronautics and space research in the USA, where Apiezon products began appearing in their technical journals.
We have lift off!
Apiezon is referenced for flight and spacecraft component sealing and lubrication ahead of first lunar missions, such as Gemini and Saturn IB technologies. During the Apollo missions, Apiezon wax coatings were used in preparing silicon solar cells - crucial for lunar mission power systems.
Proton Beam Research
As part of a programme to obtain good quality proton beam currents, CERN use Apiezon oils to overcome difficulties with hydrocarbons leaking into rotary capacitor vacuum chambers.
AP201 - A Special Request
Apiezon products become increasingly specified by globally renowned manufacturers in the science and industrial sectors, with one of the largest vacuum pump suppliers approaching Apiezon to develop a specialist oil specifically for their range of vapour diffusion booster pumps - Apiezon AP201.
Electron Multiplier Testing
NASA tests indicate Apiezon's suitability with Viton fluorocarbon elastomer o-rings, finding them compatible for use in space sensors, seals, and instrumentation. The same year, NASA also captured images of a Supernova within a cloud.
New Ownership
In 1993, Apiezon becomes part of the M&I Materials portfolio of specialist materials for industry and science.
Next-Gen Technology
With the increasing demands of lithium‑battery development in the electric‑vehicle sector, Apiezon becomes heavily specified within advanced battery‑testing environments. At the same time, as the emerging fields of quantum computing and AI accelerate, Apiezon is utilised to support the next wave of high‑performance data‑centre and computational infrastructure. Manufacturing is scaled up to meet the needs of these rapidly growing industries.
Future Innovations
Apiezon products have a proud history of association with key scientific breakthroughs and space exploration. 100 years on, they continue to be used globally in vacuum science, cryogenics, aerospace, semiconductor R&D, and advanced manufacturing projects.
