Polymer Synthesis, Ion Exchange, and Chemical Safety Consultant

Technical Consultant #576

Summary

Ph.D. chemist, with five years of research and development management experience in a global, technology-driven specialty chemical company, thirteen years of academic and industrial research experience fourteen years of technical consulting experience in the areas:
Polymer synthesis and functionalization.
Polymer structure and performance relationships.
Polymer manufacturing process development.
Ion exchange, catalysis, liquid chromatography, waste treatment and bioprocessing.
Intellectual property protection.
Global operations, including Europe and Japan.
Chemical laboratory safety.
Free radical (addition) polymerization reactions and process development.
Condensation (step-growth) polymerization reactions and process development.
Bulk, suspension and dispersion polymerization.
Control of the morphology of polymeric materials.
Chemical modification of polymers (polymer functionalization).
Ion exchange, catalysis, waste treatment, bioseparations.
Polymer supports for solid phase synthesis.
Separation and purification by adsorption and preparative chromatography.
Custom polymer synthesis (gram to kilogram quantities).
Vacuum and inert atmosphere techniques.
Photochemistry.
Strategic technology analysis and planning.
Patent portfolio analysis.
Research project management

Custom Synthesis

Gram to kilogram quantities of polymeric materials prepared to client's specifications with capabilities that include polymerization (including but not limited to styrenic and acrylic resins), as well as condensation polymerization (including but not limited to polyesters and polyamides).
Reactions performed in bulk, suspension or emulsion mode.
Contract research, complete laboratory technical service/sales service projects, reducing inventions to practice in areas other than polymers.

Technical Support

Design polymeric materials that provide the desired performance characteristics, prepare prototypes of these materials, and supports scale-up to commercial scale.
When applicable, the use of polymeric materials in a broad range of applications, such as separations, catalysis, and pharmaceutical applications.
Separation expertise is focused on the areas of ion-exchange, adsorption, (preparative) chromatography, water/waste water treatment and waste minimization.
In the pharmaceutical area, provide support in the areas of solid phase/combinatorial chemistry, supported reagents and scavengers, heterogeneous acid and base catalysis and sustained/controlled release.
Lab safety, chemical safety, SOP training

Expert Witness Experience

Provide expert witness support in a broad range of areas relating to the development, manufacture and use of polymeric materials.
Legal laboratory support, drafting of records of invention and patent applications. A laboratory project was completed in our facility, in support of a case for a Philadelphia based law firm.
Most recent, provided expert witness services, including one testimony, two depositions and the preparation of four written expert reports.

Undisclosed Company, Vice-President and CTO, 1995 - Present

Technical and legal support

Helped a pharmaceutical company develop meaningful specifications for an outsourced polymeric material and identified second commercial source, thus ensuring consistent supply of this key ingredient.
Wrote two chapters reviewing recent technology developments ("Hybrid inorganic/organic catalysts" and "Macroporous Organic Polymers")for the Catalyst Group's multi-client study on "Macroporous Catalytic Materials and Ultra-Large Pore Zeolites."
Helped a specialty chemical company scale-up a suspension polymerization process from the laboratory to the 50 L scale.
Provided expert witness support in a technology infringement case (4 expert reports, 2 depositions, 1 testimony).
Reproduced some patent examples in the laboratory, compared the results with the patent's claims and prepared a summary report.

Rohm and Haas Research Division, Spring House, PA, 1981 - 1994

Planning Associate, 1993 - 1994

Provided the Vice President for Research with an assessment of the research division's activities from the perspective of maintaining long term competitiveness.
Analyzed the Research Division projects portfolio and tested for alignment with business strategic objectives.
Identified technical core competencies and tested their ability to sustain competitiveness in a variety of scenarios.

Research Section Manager, Ion Exchange Products and Applications Development, 1989 - 1993

Managed people and projects in a section of 15 to 22 employees (1/3 Ph.D.'s, 1/3 chemists, 1/3 technicians).
Projects dealt with products, processes and application development as well as technical service.
Participated in a team charged to identify how to improve research productivity.
Identified project management as a highly leveraged element.
The stage/gate project management process was subsequently implemented throughout the division.
Managed a program in cooperation with an academic laboratory to demonstrate the superiority of our new catalyst in a major petrochemical application.
The catalyst became the recommended product by the process licensor and was commercialized.
Led marketing, plant, regulatory and legal team that demonstrated feasibility of retrieving spent products from customer sites for regeneration into new products, resulting in reducing manufacturing cost by 30%.
Defined and implemented a system for managing plant process changes working with the plants worldwide. Program insured consistent product quality and customer satisfaction, worldwide.
Initiated a program to automate routine, labor intensive operations. Saved a full person's time for more creative activities.
Participated in a cross-functional team aimed at promoting our products for waste removal/recovery applications.

Sr. Scientist, Bioprocessing Research, 1986 - 1989

Provided polymer synthesis and functionalization as well as application support for bioseparation project, supervising up to three people.
Developed polymeric reverse phase chromatographic packing suitable for preparative separation of polypeptides and small proteins which allowed us to penetrate a new, high profit market segment.
Developed an acrylic ion-exchange emulsion for downstream treatment of fermentation broths.

Sr. Scientist, Fluid Process Chemicals, 1981 - 1986

Provided polymer synthesis and functionalization as well as application support for acrylic and special application resins. Supervised one technician.
Developed a patented high capacity, low rinse acrylic anion exchange resin.
Developed immobilized enzyme testing capabilities for the laboratory and tested competitive products which improved (patented) polyacrylate support for the application.

University of Oklahoma, Dept. of Inorganic Chemistry, Norman, OK, 1979 - 1981

University of Brussels, Department of Organic Chemistry, Brussels, Belgium, 1978 - 1979

Swiss Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland, 1976 - 1978

Languages

Academic and Professional Affiliations

Awards

Awarded the "Prix Jean Stas" by the Belgian Academy of Arts and Sciences (outstanding Ph.D. dissertation).

Publications and Presentations