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Highly accomplished chemical engineer with a career that spans several decades in the petroleum, plastics, polymer, coatings, and defense industries. His skill set includes process engineering, product development, and large-scale program management, and has consistently demonstrated an ability to drive innovation and efficiency in a wide range of projects, both domestically and internationally.

As an Independent Consultant, Expert has worked with a diverse portfolio of clients, ranging from small startups to industry giants like 3M, SC Johnson, Moen, and Arkema. His work involves solving complex processing and formulation challenges, designing and optimizing process flowsheets, and overseeing technology transfers across continents. One notable achievement includes the successful scale-up and commercialization of an ATRP polymer product, where Expert led the process optimization and plant design, resulting in significant cost reductions and enhanced performance. He also played a key role in the technology transfer of a polymer product from South America to the U.S., contributing to the design of an optimal facility for its production.

With proficiency in both continuous and batch processing, Expert has demonstrated expertise in using standard equipment and designing custom solutions tailored to specific process requirements. His familiarity with a broad spectrum of equipment—including reactors, high-speed mixers, devolatilization extruders, spray and fluid bed dryers, and distillation towers—has helped optimize polymer processing from reactor to recovery and finishing steps.

Expert has developed new methods for producing automotive and industrial paints, significantly reducing costs and enhancing just-in-time delivery. His work on novel pigment systems and intermix delivery systems improved color matching and overall efficiency. Additionally, he conducted a worldwide investigation into best practices in paint processing and pigment manufacture, leading to innovations in raw material quality, ingredient delivery, mixing, packaging, and quality control. His expertise in equipment cleaning technology further contributed to cost and efficiency improvements.

He spent many years researching and developing acrylic resins, working on solution, emulsion, dispersion, suspension, and bulk polymers. His innovations led to several patents and significant breakthroughs in energy reduction, catalyst efficiency, and molecular weight control, resulting in considerable cost savings. His work on miniaturizing equipment due to high throughputs also reduced capital costs for plant-scale operations.

Expert has extensive experience with mechanical and chemical techniques to achieve low residual monomer and solvent levels, a critical challenge in the industry. He has successfully developed and optimized various mechanical devices, including twin-screw devolatilization techniques, for high molecular weight polymer systems.

Throughout his career, Expert has been recognized for his strong leadership, innovative problem-solving abilities, and his capacity to adapt to changing situations. His technical expertise spans a wide range of technologies, including polymerization processes, solid fuel rocket motor development, plastics processing, and coatings technology. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland with a minor in Nuclear Engineering.

TECHNOLOGIES:
• Expertise in batch suspension, emulsion, bulk free radical, and solution polymerization processes. Also expertise in continuous emulsion, bulk, and solution polymerization processes.
• Expertise in all types of polymer devolatilzation and product recovery processes.
• Solid fuel rocket motor development, design, and manufacturing.
• Plastics processing – foams, injection molding, thermoforming, extrusion processing.
• Coatings – coating technology in general, paint manufacturing, paint testing, paint application.
• Program Management – P&L responsibility for programs up to $20 million in several industries (rocket motors, continuous acrylic polymers, suspension polystyrene.
• Design – designed lab units, pilot plants and full scale production units for various processes that were developed. Participated in startups and new product introduction efforts.