Decontamination, Precision Cleaning, Ferrofluids, Nanoparticles, Process Design and Development
ID: 728234
Washington, USA
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The behavior of colloidal particles (now nano particles) has been the focus of Expert's professional career, starting with his doctoral studies on the spontaneous agglomeration of fine powders in graduate school. While at AVCO Corporation, he did pioneering work in the development, characterization and application of ferrofluids, superparamagnetic dispersions of magnetic oxides that respond to magnetic fields. More recently, Expert utilized this background to develop precision cleaning processes that met modern environmental requirements, including the cleaning of inertial guidance instrumentation, and the decontamination, both nuclear and chemical, of sensitive electronic, optical and mechanical equipment. Most recently, he developed novel decontamination wipes that meet the Department of Defense's current requirements for operational decontamination. This technology also has application in the removal of pesticides from fragile museum artifacts.
Over the period 1978 to 1988, Expert carried out a series of marketing research assignments for the Research and Development Laboratories of the Dow Chemical Company. The purpose of the studies was to provide impartial assessment of the market potential of new products being developed by researchers at different laboratories of the Company, and that would satisfy both the inventors and Dow management.Between 1982 and 1988, Expert carried out a number of technology assessment and forecasting assignments for the Mitsubishi Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan. Topics covered included advanced materials, electronic displays, and imaging systems, among others.Between 1975 and 1990, Expert performed a number of market research and technology assessment assignments for Millipore Corporation. Assigned topics included improved filtration membranes, electrodeionization for water purification, and process scale liquid chromatography systems. In March 2009, Expert was contacted by a pharmaceutical company to review its manufacturing process for a zinc powder based ointment. The Company had experienced significant agglomeration of the zinc powder in its manufacturing equipment that resulted in shut down of the plant.Expert reviewed the process, and identified the cause of the problem as the formation of zinc oxide on the surface of the powder being processed. He recommended an alternate dispersion medium for future processing and a way of cleaning the then blocked equipment. Following Expert's recommendations, the Company managed to get its equipment back on line, and subsequently go back into production without any further agglomeration problems.From 1975 to 1984, Expert performed a number of technology assessments for various agencies of the U.S. Government, including the Department of Transporation, The Department of Commerce, and the National Science Foundation. The focus of these studies were primarily on the effects of the introduction of light weight materials into transportation vehicles on their fuel economy, manufacturability, cost of production and cost of operation. He also performed other studies that examined the recovery of scrap materials from discarded automobiles and automobile components, and the effect of the introduction of alternate forms of energy on the refueling infrastructure needed to support an automotive fleet.