Réaumur, Réné Antoine Ferchault de (1683-1757)

French scientist. His work on metallurgy L'Arte de convertir le fer forge en acier 1722 described how to convert iron into steel and stimulated the development of the French steel industry. He produced a six-volume work 1734-42 on entomology, L'Histoire des insectes/History of Insects, which threw much new light on the social insects. He also contributed to other areas of science.