It often happens that the line between discovery and invention is very blurred, and it is not uncommon that one ends up discovering something new while working on something else. This is what happened to Oronzio de Nora, a young engineer from Puglia born in 1899 in Altamura, who, in 1922, had obtained a patent for the design of electrolytic cells.
A discovery born out of chance
While working on one of these cells, Oronzio injured his finger. Having nothing on hand to medicate himself, he dipped it into the solution of water and salt contained in the cell. After bandaging the finger, he noticed that the wound had all but healed within two hours and realised that the liquid possessed high healing and disinfectant capabilities. De Nora sent the precious liquid to his father Michele, who perfected and diversified the experiments accidentally started by his son and realised that, depending on the concentration, the solution could be used to disinfect fruit, gargle and perform other functions.
The patent and the name
The product was thus patented (number 1811) under the name “Amuchina,” from the Greek “Muche” – scratch – with the alpha privative before: “without scratching.” Its main characteristic is that it can penetrate the cell membrane without damaging the tissues but being able to neutralize any virus, bacterium or fungus. Amuchina production began in Genoa in the 1930s. However, De Nora was more interested in electrochemistry and the development of industrial cells for chlor-alkali plants, so in 1939, he decided to sell the patent to Eridania, which studied Amuchina thoroughly through numerous clinical trials and modified its production systems.
The story of a successful product
In the 1930s, Amuchina was widely used mainly because of its ability to fight the Tuberculosis bacillus. In 1948, Pietro Giavotto, one of Eridania’s executives, left the group to devote himself exclusively to the production of Amuchina, which became a company in its own right. The product is primarily used as a hospital disinfectant, including for cleaning dialysis machines.
In the 1980s, when a cholera epidemic hit southern Italy, Amuchina was the most widely used disinfectant. In 2000, Angelini Pharma purchased Amuchina and launched an ambitious expansion plan. Finally, it is almost needless to mention how much the disinfectant was used and in demand during the COVID-19 epidemic: in 2021, XGerm gel was even elected product of the year!
Industrie De Nora
Industrie De Nora has also grown. It is now an Italian multinational electrochemical specialist, among the leading global suppliers of high-performance catalytic coatings and insoluble electrodes for electrochemical and industrial applications. It is also a leading supplier of equipment, systems, and solutions for disinfection, filtration, and water and wastewater treatment.
Congratulations to those who invent and bring Made in Italy to the world!
Learn about other excellent Made in Italy companies in the Chemical and Pharmaceutical industry.