Phosphorus Chemical Operations: Manufacturing Management Consultant
Technical Consultant #1219
Expertise
- Manufacturing of organic, inorganic and phosphorus chemicals, (organophosphorus, phosphonate, phosphite, phosphononic, and phosphinic).
- Capital project process development, new process development and scale-up.
- Technical writing, SOP, operating instructions, manuals and feasibility studies.
- Production rate improvement and process optimization.
- Process integration and strategic planning.
- Energy efficiency improvement.
- Accident investigation prevention.
Experience
Independent Consultant, 2005 - Present
Undisclosed Company, Consultant, 2006 - 2011
National and International Projects in China, India, United Kingdom and U.S.A.
- Improved efficiency of rare earth metal recovery research and development process.
- Modified technology for manufacture of high-value phosphorus-based surfactant to simplify workup and improve efficiency.
- Reformulated phosphorus-based flame-retardant for cellulosic textiles.
- Commissioning of organophosphine chemicals plant.
- Optimized wet phosphoric acid plants reactor operation at two locations generating annualized savings of raw materials and energy worth more than $4million.
- Commercialization of phosphorus-based flame retardants.
- Improved product quality and increased capacity of semi-continuous chemical process by 30%.
- Relocation of toll manufacturing for range of organophosphorus chemicals.
- Process design for energy reduction in elemental phosphorus manufacturing.
- Process design of calcium phosphates factory.
- Process design of sodium phosphates factory.
- Study to improve raw material utilization and increase capacity of batch process. Project payback less than 1 month.
- Study to improve product quality and increase capacity of batch chemical process by 40%
- Solved a longstanding problem of off-spec production, developing a novel analytical test to locate the source of trace contamination undetectable by spectroscopic means.
Rhodia Inc, Charleston, SC, 1984 - 2005
Manufacturing Development Manager, 1999 - 2005
- Technical Manager for Toll Manufacturing and new product development.
- Achieved multimillion dollar savings leading technical team to change supply chain of main raw material (elemental phosphorus) to use overseas (China) source.
- Developed new industrial processes utilizing novel chemistry to make high value specialty chemicals to produce industrial and pharmaceutical intermediates by leading cross-functional research and development and engineering teams.
- Achieved $400k savings and reduced cycle times 15% to 75% by reformulating long-established batch processes.
Technical Manager, 1996 - 1999
- Managed up to 8 process engineers and 5 control engineers at site making organophosphorus chemicals.
- Reduced raw material supply costs by over $500k annually by undertaking a comprehensive review of theoretical efficiencies and directing projects to reduce consumption and losses.
- Expanded capacities of several units, both batch and continuous, (typically spending 5% of replacement cost to achieve 30% to 50% capacity increase).
- Improved process safety systems by directing engineering and process control projects resulting in several site awards.
Honors & Publications
Credentials
- Chartered Engineer, Europe
Academic and Professional Affiliations
- Member, Institution of Chemical Engineers (U.K.)
- Member, American Chemical Society (U.S.A.)
Education
- M.S. Chemical Engineering, Cambridge University, U.K.
- B.S. (With Honors), Cambridge University, U.K.