Sir Frederick Augustus Abel, 1st Baronet GCVO KCB FRS (17 July 1827[1] – 6 September 1902) was an English chemist who was recognised as the leading British authority on explosives.

[2] In 1852 he was appointed lecturer in chemistry at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich,[2] succeeding Michael Faraday,[2] who had held that post since 1829.

This work to an important extent prepared the way for the "smokeless powders" which came into general use towards the end of the 19th century; cordite, the type adopted by the British government in 1891, was invented jointly by him and Sir James Dewar.

He also extensively researched the behaviour of black powder when ignited, with the Scottish physicist Sir Andrew Noble.

At the request of the British government, he devised the Abel test, a means of determining the flash point of petroleum products.

[6] and knighted on 20 April 1883[7] He took an important part in the work of the Inventions Exhibition (London) in 1885, and in 1887 became organizing secretary and first director of the Imperial Institute, a position he held till his death in 1902.