Expert Details
Materials, Packaging, Sustainability
ID: 733288
Indiana, USA
Expert has worked on product development, formulation and processing of foam products for foodservice and for building insulation with Packaging Corporation of America/Tenneco Packaging (now Pactiv) and with Solo Cup, has developed microcellular foam processes with Trexel and has worked on PLA foam development at Cereplast over a total of 13 years.
Expert has worked on materials and process development of single-use foodservice packaging, including plates, cups, bowls, straws, cutlery, punnets and carry-out containers in molded fibre, paper, aluminum and plastics.
Focuses on sustainable materials and packaging formulation, processing, development, commercialization, testing and certification. By having been in the industry a long time, he knows the players and as an example is thus capable of working out agreements on testing and certification regimens between testing labs, certification agencies and clients. As a registered patent agent, Expert is also able to provide services related to patents and intellectual property, including patent application drafting, patent strategy and patent searching.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1986 | Degree: PhD | Subject: Chemistry | Institution: Cornell University |
| Year: 1984 | Degree: MS | Subject: Chemistry | Institution: Cornell University |
| Year: 1982 | Degree: BS | Subject: Chemistry | Institution: Stanford University |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2010 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: President | Department: Consultant |
Responsibilities:One-person consulting firm focusing on sustainability materials and packaging development, commercialization, testing and certification. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2010 to 2014 | Employer: Cereplast, Inc. | Title: Chief Technology Officer | Department: Bioplastics |
Responsibilities:Manage and coordinate innovation/ technology strategy and development for a public bioplastics company. Responsibilities include intellectual property, sustainability and regulatory testing and certification, quality, technical service, joint development programs and previously information technology. Refocused and developed most present product grades. Set product and technology development strategy for Algaeplast, a Cereplast subsidiary focused on algae biomass filled plastics and algae-based polymers. Corporate representative at trade organizations and standards bodies. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2005 to 2010 | Employer: Solo Cup Operating Corp. (now part of Dart Container Corp.) | Title: Manager | Department: Materials Engineering |
Responsibilities:Managed up to five Materials Program Managers, one Regulatory Manager and the product development testing lab. Group was responsible for all material-related issues from quality complaints and manufacturing issues to strategic development programs. Instrumental in developing and implementing corporate sustainable products strategy; coordinated third-party testing and certification of compostable and renewably resourced products. Group took over material and outsourced product regulatory certification, raw material specification and customer product certification. Society of Plastics Industry and US Composting Council contact and Biodegradable Products Institute and Cedar Grove Composting technical contact for Solo. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2003 to 2005 | Employer: TaylorMade-adidas Golf Co. | Title: Expert Engineer | Department: Golf Ball Development |
Responsibilities:Developed and identified new materials for use in golf balls. Consulted with other Research & Development departments for plastics use in other golf equipment. Also performed in-depth patentability searches and worked closely with outside attorneys on infringement reviews. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1998 to 2003 | Employer: Trexel, Inc. (now split into Mucell Extrusion and Trexel) | Title: Director- Intellectual Property; Program Manager- Extrusion Technology | Department: Extrusion Technology |
Responsibilities:Managed patent and trademark portfolio of over 50 US and international patents and patent applications and determined intellectual property strategy. Worked with outside intellectual property attorneys to develop strategies and arguments for responding to USPTO objections. Developed strategy for and revised technology transfer programs for injection molding licensees. Coordinated development of training courses for licensees.Developed formulation and process for making high density polyethylene (HDPE) blow-molded articles with microcellular technology. Developed, improved and commercialized low density microcellular polystyrene foam technology. Also worked on process development for PLA, PP, PET and other resins. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1994 to 1998 | Employer: Packaging Corporation of America/Tenneco Packaging (now Pactiv) | Title: Engineering Supervisor- Engineering Building Products; Manager- Materials Engineering | Department: Product Development |
Responsibilities:Responsible for technical developments and project coordination for the Tenneco Building Products business group. Completed intellectual property review, competitive analysis, program prioritization and move of organization from Smyrna, Georgia. Member of business operating and steering committees.Managed materials development and central analytical, physical, and functional testing laboratories for Specialty Products, including the consumer, industrial plastic and aluminum businesses. Restructured labs to serve all business units while reducing costs through overtime elimination and testing prioritization. Worked with aluminum, pressed paperboard, molded fibre, PET, and PLA. Setup quality analysis and control laboratory for PS resin manufacturing. Reorganized and relocated organization to the former Mobil Plastics Technical Center. Implemented universal raw material specification, qualification, and certificate of analysis procedure. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1990 to 1994 | Employer: HIMONT/Montell (now LyondellBasell) | Title: Group Leader; Research Chemist | Department: HIVALLOY Product Development |
Responsibilities:Managed group of up to 15 product developers and technicians. Major group responsibilities were HIVALLOY™ product manufacturing and support, product improvement and long-term product development, including initial product formulation development, commercialization and production of the HIVALLOY engineering resins product line. Directed efforts in heat and weathering stabilization, color development, impact modification.Conducted and supervised research in polypropylene/engineering thermoplastic blends and their compatibilization. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1987 to 1990 | Employer: GE Plastics (now SABIC) | Title: XENOY Product Development Specialist; Staff Chemist | Department: VALOX/XENOY Product Development |
Responsibilities:Handled product support and development of XENOY® polycarbonate/polyester alloy products, including new extrudable and thermoformable grades, and development of new VALOX® thermoplastic polyester products. Expertise developed in processing and long-term thermal aging stabilization, colorant interaction and stabilization, processing/property correlation, formulation development and optimization, and product translation from international sites.Performed basic research on reactive extrusion of polyesters, including chemistry, analytical method development, extrusion processing studies, catalysis, and formulation optimization. Scaled-up new resin technology for thermoforming PBT while handling safety, health, and environment issues. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2014 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: CEO | Department: Microalgae and Biobased Chemicals |
Responsibilities:Startup using enzymolysis of microalgae to produce specialty chemicals. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| American Chemical Society ASTM D20.96 Sub-Committee on Environmentally Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products Chair; WK34454 Industrial Composting Disintegration Test Method Revision Co-Chair and Testing Coordinator. Biodegradable Products Institute: Board of Directors Indiana Recycling Coalition: Member, Compostability Stakeholders Group; Member, Indiana Food Scrap Initiative Society of Plastics Industry (SPI) Bioplastics Council: End-of-Life Committee, Chairperson; Beginning of Life Committee, member, Chairperson; Executive Committee member Society of Plastics Engineers. Bioplastics SIG Board of Directors; Bioplastic Materials Conference Chairperson and Technical Program Chairperson; Bioplastic Materials Non-Technical Program Chairperson. Thermoplastic Materials & Foams Board of Directors, Foams Conference Chairperson, Chairperson. Chicago Section Board of Directors and Newsletter Editor, ANTEC Student Papers Technical Program Chairperson, ANTEC Thermoplastic Materials & Foams Technical Program Chairperson. Philadelphia Section Newsletter Editor . ANTEC Alloys & Blends Special Interest Group Technical Program Chairperson. Honored Service Member Election Committee, Vice-Chair National Association of Patent Practitioners Venture Club of Indiana |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO): Registered Patent Agent |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| US Department of Energy EERE SBIR Reviewer US Department of Agriculture Biopreferred Program Technical Advisory Committee |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| Society of Plastics Engineers: Honored Service Member, May 2005; |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Expert has 16 issued patents, 7 published but not issued patent applications and 10 patent applications not published and not issued. He also has written one book on microcellular foam and is presently writing another on sustainable materials and packaging. He has presented at numerous conferences over the years with the most recent topics being on bioplastics and sustainability testing and certification. |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| English | Native language |
Fields of Expertise
blown film, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, waxed paper, environmentally friendly packaging material, polystyrene, polylactic acid, polypropylene, engineering thermoplastic, food service packaging, sustainability, composting, biodegradation test, biodegradable material, biodegradable plastic, plastic biodegradation, polystyrene foam, microcellular foam, foam extrusion, thermoplastic foam processing, thermoplastic foam extrusion, American Society for Testing and Materials standard, American Society for Testing and Materials testing, American Society for Testing and Materials specification, biodegradable plastic film, biodegradability, compost, municipal solid waste composting, Food and Drug Administration food packaging regulation, patent searching, patent infringement, intellectual property, patent law, patent