Chemical Process Consultant: PVA Technology, Controls Development and Process Development.

Technical Consultant #1934

Specialist in the areas of chemical process evaluation, troubleshooting and process hazards analysis and chemical engineering scope development.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA. PVOH) processing technology.
Continuous chemical process improvements by systematic analysis, optimization and re-define processes resulting in significant improvements.
Chemical process flow sheet and unit operation development.
Proven record of innovation and cost savings.
Statistical process control design.
Uranium conversion technology.

Independent Consultant, 2003 - Present

Worked for several clients recognizing process engineering abilities that were provided.
Solid comprehension of chemical engineering processes specializing in seeing the big picture.

Projects

Process investigations for a large west coast winery.
Task force support for a uranium conversion facility looking to debottleneck that process. For example, eliminated a processing bottleneck resulting in 8 fold production increase with no additional cost.
Process troubleshooting and capital improvements for a fortune 500 company producing specialty materials.
Process recommendations for a PVA facility in Europe.

Celanese Chemical, Calvert City, KY, Staff Engineer, 2000 - 2003

Overall process support, including day to day operations, quality control, troubleshooting and work planning.
Worked with team to develop alternative processes for processing by-products.
Developed Scope of Work packages for various process improvements.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Calvert City, KY, Staff Engineer, 1983 - 2000

Instituted state-of-the-art control systems in PVA manufacturing plant.
Developed, programmed and implemented computer control of the polymerization conversion in polyvinyl acetate reactors. Novel controls performed enthalpy balance every 60 seconds to measure reaction rates and control overall conversion.
New control system reduced viscosity variability (as measured by SQC control limits) by 50%.
Implemented Statistical Quality Control (SQC) program at Air Products to control key final product quality parameters. The implantation plan consolidated record keeping while implementing SQC principals to maintain the process within statistical control limits.
Lead process engineer for process improvement charged with installing a new methanol tower in PVA process. Need for the new tower was demonstrated after rigorous simulations and comparison to actual plant data. New tower allowed the plant to increase production by 40% and improve overall product quality.
Resolved critical manufacturing challenge related to a secondary PVA dryer to remove organics from the final product.
To address flammability concerns, developed a dilute phase transfer system that utilized a superheated solvent vapor as a transfer media.
Process allowed the successful implementation of the secondary dryer while meeting safety goals and minimizing organic emissions.

BF Goodrich Chemical Co, Convent LA and KY, Process Engineer, 1980 - 1983

Team member of a group to start-up $300 million grass-roots chlorine and caustic plant in Convent, Louisiana.
Responsible for new equipment commissioning, troubleshooting, process optimization and production accounting.
Solved several start-up problems and implemented solutions.

Awards

Patents

One patent, relating to the novel use of ion exchange resins to remove uranium from an aqueous waste stream.