Expert Details
Polymer Processing; Pilot Plant Design; Process Development
ID: 723805
New York, USA
Expert became one of the key co-developers of a liquid rubber for Uniroyal Chemical. This liquid rubber is sold by the trade name of Trilene by Uniroyal Chemical, now part of Chemtura. This liquid rubber product was developed using a unique liquid-liquid "slurry" process. The recipe development was done in 8 weeks and 6 weeks later the first commercial samples were shipped to a customer. In time, the pilot unit was scaled-up under Expert's direction into a semi-works commercial facility. Later a new plant was built to increase capacity of this specialize product. The product is an EP copolymer with or without a diene ter-monomer (EPDM). The product is used in several applications: as a reactive plasticizer, and as a direct rubber product were low viscosity at low temperature is required. One special vesion of this product was made using metalocene catalyst about 2 years before this catalyst system became widely commercialized by other large polymer producers. This product remains as the only liquid EPDM rubber on the market.
Over many years expert became familiar with many of the aspects of polymer compounding by his involvement in a multitude of polymer plant operations and polymer plant designs. This includes the feed systems, the compounder itself, the compounder auxiliary systems, the downstream melt handling systems, pelletizing and finished product handling. In the last three years all of this general experience was consolidated into a major design exercise for the world's premier producer of PMMA, Plexiglas. Expert developed the scope of several alternate PMMA compounding facilities. Some of the options developed included very complex feed systems to produce specialized products. This involved plant work observing existing operations and developing a working relationship with many of the key compounding vendors and vendors of auxiliary equipment. Close contacts and a working relationship were established with Coperion (Werner & Pfleiderer) and Berstorff and to a lesser degree Japan Steel Works. Auxiliary equipment vendors were also involved in the scope development and engineering including: loss-in-weight feeders, vacuum pumps, melt pumps, melt filtration, screeners with fines removal, wet and dry pelletizers and pneumatic conveying.
Polymer Devolatilization is his field of highest competency. He is a world-class expert in this field with a multitude of development, operational and engineering experiences. The strength of his knowledge lies in the fact that he has a broad range of experience using many different type unit operations at many different scales. He was directly involved in Monsanto's in-house development and design of wiped film devolatilizers for SAN. The process and equipment developed and commercialized by expert at Monsanto was only equaled by the world's major manufacturer of Wiped Film Devolatilizers sixteen years after expert started up the first commercial plant utilizing the internally developed equipment and technology. He worked in the pilot plant development of this technology as well as managed the startup of the first and second commercial units for this technology. In addition he has extensive experience with "Falling Strand Devolatilizers" with both Monsanto and Fina (now Total) polystyrene technology. He also has worked at several scales with multi-staged devolatilization extruders. For one client he did an extensive study comparing and contrasting more than four options of combined devolatilization equipment to concentrate a low solids block styrene-butadiene copolymer to finished product. For the same client he searched out and proved the leading cause of the major product quality defect in the co-polymer product caused by the existing devolatilization equipment. On a lesser scale, he has provided original designs to several polymer devolatization processes and proved the designs accurate in actual operation. He also has experience with several solid-state polymer devolatilization processes. This is expert's number one technology know-how.
Polymer process engineering is a sub-set of chemical plant design. Polymer plant design is expert's specialty within chemical plant design. He has engineered plants including the equipment specification for the following type polymer plants: PS, HIPS, SAN, ABS, PET, HDPE, PP, LLDPE, PMMA, acrylic elastomers, SBR, PBd, EPDM, PC, PU, PVC, recycled plastics, styrene-butadiene block copolymer, Spandex, and others.
Control systems involved in polymerization reactors has been one of expert's specialties when the need has arisen during the design, start-up and operation of polymer plants. He has tuned and developed BTU controls, Temperature to Pressure cascade loops, temperature profile programs and made them work in real life situations. One especially complex control system involved closed loop gas chromatograph control of two major reactor feeds. His early days at Monsanto were a strong foundation to use in future control problems for polymerization reactors, both batch and continuous.
Expert was a strong force in the start-up of 8 major capital plants for Monsanto and Uniroyal Chemical. By the second of these startups he was put in the position of the primary technical engineer responsible for the success of the plant startup. He demonstrated commercial success (90% of design rate and 95% quality yield) on multiple projects ahead of schedule and under budget. He developed his own systematic approach to startups which served him well and he passed on his methodology to others involved in these startups. Besides being successful, expert finds this work the most rewarding part of capital project execution.
Provided project management and process engineering for a new polycarbonate process technology for plant in China.Provided process engineering for a major PMMA (plexiglas) expansion for Arkema. Project included polymerization area, compounding and offsites. A second project provided for a complex product compounding facility.Provided process and product design input for a new swimming pool chemical delivery system.Involved in the laboratory development of a new specific waste to energy process. All engineering input is being provided to an entrepreneur seeking a solution to a specific waste issue. Co-inventor for two US Patents.Involved in the development of a new consumer product to deal with pet wastes. Co-inventor for one US Patent.Provided scale up assistance for a cannabis derivative production facility involving solvent evaporation and distillation.
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 1968 | Degree: B.S. | Subject: Chemical Engineering | Institution: Worcester Polytechnic Institute |
Year: 1971 | Degree: graduate studies | Subject: Chemical Engineering | Institution: Univ. Of Cincinnati |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
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Years: 2010 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Process Section Lead | Department: Process Engineering |
Responsibilities:Lead Process Engineer |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2003 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Owner / Process Consultant | Department: Owner |
Responsibilities:Operate consulting business and provide chemical engineering consulting services to select clients. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2000 to 2003 | Employer: Day & Zimmermann | Title: Director Technology | Department: Engineering & Construction |
Responsibilities:Manager of process engineering department, new business development, project manager, lead process engineer |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1994 to 2000 | Employer: Fluor Corp. | Title: Director Process Engineering | Department: Energy & Chemicals |
Responsibilities:Manager of process engineering department, new business development, project manager, lead process engineer |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1990 to 1994 | Employer: MW Kellogg | Title: Process Manager | Department: Polymers Process Engineering |
Responsibilities:Lead process engineer for major polymer projects, department training coordinator, business development for technology development |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1988 to 1990 | Employer: John Brown E&C | Title: Sr. Process Manager | Department: Process Engineering |
Responsibilities:Lead process engineer for major polymer projects, coordinate all process work for one select client |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1984 to 1988 | Employer: Uniroyal Chemical | Title: Pilot Plant Manager | Department: Pilot Plant |
Responsibilities:Managed pilot plant operations. Coordinate all engineering activities for new product and process development and commercialized new family of polymers |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1968 to 1984 | Employer: Monsanto Company | Title: Engineering Specialist, other | Department: Styrenic Polymers |
Responsibilities:Multiple positions over 16 years. Responsibilities included: new process development, pilot plant operation, capital project execution, plant startups, process engineering. |
International Experience
Years | Country / Region | Summary |
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Years: 1974 to 1978 | Country / Region: Antwerp, Belgium | Summary: Served as manufacturing representative and technical coordinator for a major capital expansion for SAN polymers. |
Years: 1974 to 1976 | Country / Region: Northern France | Summary: Provided technical input, startup support and operator training (in the French language) for a major polystyrene project. |
Years: 1978 to 1980 | Country / Region: London, England | Summary: Lead process engineer for a major emulsion ABS project in Antwerp, Belgium. |
Years: 1980 to 1984 | Country / Region: Antwerp, Belgium | Summary: Developed new in-line coloring system to produce colored SAN product directly in a continuous polymerization plant. Producing colors normally meant a two-step process to first make the polymer and then produce the colors via a compounding extruder. This system was truly unique and several technical, marketing and company political obstacles were overcome to achieve the result. |
Years: 1998 to 1998 | Country / Region: Rupublic of South Africa | Summary: Provided technical input into potential operations improvement at an existing plant producing polybutadiene and styrene-butadiene rubber. |
Career Accomplishments
Associations / Societies |
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American Institute of Chemical Engineers; former member of the ACS, Rubber Division |
Licenses / Certifications |
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P.E. in State of TX (inactive status) |
Professional Appointments |
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Adjunct Faculty at Drexel University, Chemical Engineering Dept. Served as Industrial Advisor for Senior Design project groups for 5 years. |
Awards / Recognition |
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Technical Achievement Awards: 3 at Monsanto; 1 at Uniroyal Chemical |
Publications and Patents Summary |
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Co-inventer for three US Patents. |
Additional Experience
Training / Seminars |
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Conducted training in: Polymer Devolatilization, Polymer Extrusion and Compounding, Polymer Plant Design, Process Flow Diagram Development, Process Control Systems, Pilot Plant Design and Operation |
Vendor Selection |
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Compounding Extruders; Engineering Contractors; Fluid Bed Dryers; Polymer Devolatilization equipment; Hundreds of other chemical and polymer process equipment types |
Marketing Experience |
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Involved in all chemical project proposal development for Fluor and Day & Zimmermann at his location. Developed execution strategy, technical staffing and budget. Expert was involved with the sales staff of these companies to generate target client lists, made initial client contacts and develop relationships to win future business. For his company, Expert developed a business and marketing plan and successfully implemented these plans. |
Other Relevant Experience |
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Over 30 years of chemical engineering and process and product development experience. Emphasis has been of new developments and capital projects to bring new processes and products to the market. Development of technical/professional people via training and mentoring. |
Language Skills
Language | Proficiency |
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English | Mother tongue |
French | Fluent in technical and non-technical discussions. Able to read technical literature and some basic non-technical documents. |
Dutch | Understands spoken Dutch quite well. In 1999, Expert worked 3 months in an office in Holland and all meeting were conducted in Dutch and heunderstood 90+% of what was said.He speaks some Dutch but his pronunciation is not good, but his vocabulary is quite good and he has had some formal training to understand the grammar. |
Fields of Expertise
chemical plant design, chemical process design, liquid rubber, polymer compounding, polymer pelletizing, polymer devolatilization, polymer process-engineering equipment, polymerization reactor control, chemical plant start-up, plant design, swimming pool construction, polymer processing, chemical industry, polystyrene extrusion, plastic handling, rubber reuse, rubber latex, chemical plant operation, extruded plastic, plastic manufacturing, polymer degradation, polymer heat transfer, plastic drying, polymer colorant, polymer fines, polymer flow, thermoplastics compounding, masterbatch, polymer grinding, chemical reaction engineering, reactor mixing, plastics industry, commingled recycled plastic, plastic flow, polymer melt filtration, chemical plant management, polymer technology, synthetic polymer chemistry, polymer application, chemical manufacturing facility evaluation, reinforced plastic, plastics melt cutter, chemical plant layout, chemical reactor engineering, chemical reactor model, chemical plant, high-performance polymer, chemical reaction, chemical reactor design, plastic material, polymer extruder, polymer extrusion screw, chemical reaction mechanism, polymer blending, unit operations, extrusion screw, rubber, polymer, polymer process machinery, polymer extrusion, polymer chemistry, pelletizing, lubricant additive, liquid mixing, homopolymer, elastomer, chemical reactor scale-up, chemical reactor