[1] At the age of 23, Payen became manager of a borax-refining factory, where he developed a process for synthesizing borax from soda and boric acid.

Previously, all borax had been imported from the East Indies exclusively by the Dutch.

Payen's new method of synthesizing borax allowed him to sell the mineral at one third the going price, and break the Dutch monopoly.

Payen invented a decolorimeter, which dealt with the analysis, decolorization, bleaching, and crystallization of sugar.

He was later elected professor at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers.