Henri Victor Regnault  Regnault, Henri Victor (äNrēˈ vēktôrˈ
rənyōˈ) [key], 1810–78, French physicist and chemist. He was
professor of chemistry at the École polytechnique, Paris, from
1840 and at the Collège de France from 1841; he became chief
engineer of mines (1847) and director of the porcelain
manufactory at Sèvres (1854). In chemistry he is known for his
work on the halogen and other derivatives of the unsaturated
hydrocarbons. In physics he is noted for his careful
measurements of the specific heats and expansion coefficients of
many gases, liquids, and solids. He showed that Boyle's law is
only approximately true for real gases, and he did important
research on the operation of steam engines.   See more
Encyclopedia articles on: Chemistry: Biographies