Renewable Chemistry and Biofuels Process Development Expert

Expertise

• Process development through quality research designed experimentation, mitigating risk and driving rapid commercialization.
• Renewable chemistry and biofuels.
• Catalysis and reaction engineering.
• Conceptual engineering and basic data.
• Distillation.
• Workstream development, sample areas: Liquid and vapor phase catalytic process development of furfural derived chemicals for monomer applications.
• Scale-up from lab to pilot plant.
• Biofuel technology: Diesel additives from ethanol with fuels showing excellent properties.

Experience

Undisclosed Company, Owner, Present

• Process development expertise to startup as well as established corporations. Technology evaluation.

DuPont, Experimental Station, Wilmington, DE, Principal Investigator, 2007 - 2016

• Led research team for 3 major efforts in Central Research and Development to determine technological feasibility and demonstrate process chemistry at lab, semiworks and pilot scale.
• Spearheaded joint venture pilot plant development collaborative team between ADM and DuPont, conceiving and implementing recently-announced new initiative for improved PET bottles, significantly accelerating process demonstration in crucial step due to impact on design and operation of laboratory reactor.
• Led technology development of new processes for Guerbet catalytic reaction of ethanol to butanol and higher alcohols for fuels and solvent markets.
• Licensed patents to startup firm, allowing for commercialization of technology closely related to laboratory experimentation.
• Invented biofuels technologies, enabling production of diesel additives from ethanol with fuels showing excellent properties but not economical for commercialization thus far.
• Directed workstream for liquid and vapor phase catalytic process development of furfural derived chemicals for monomer applications, resulting in design build and operation of pilot facility and readiness for commercialization with site partner identified.
• Functioned as technical guardian for above described pilot plant operations (catalytic focus) in China for DuPont with 3 extended trips in 2013, supervising Chinese personnel in person and remotely from U.S.

CIBA, (BASF), Newport, DE, Pilot Plant Leader, 2005 - 2007

• Created laboratory and pilot plant experimental designs to lead to development of new pigment processes through innovative milling techniques.
• Supervised technicians and pilot plant operators, interfaced with chemists, sales and marketing and product development teams.
• Mastered rapid learning curve in new technology for pigment finishing for coatings and plastics industries, growing into leading coating and color science projects for paints and plastics.
• Demonstrated large-scale pilot plant implementation (Netzsch Mill) for new technology with quick success, achieving plant implementation and startup.
• Developed 4 new pigment products from laboratory to pilot to commercial, resulting in commercial implementation.
• Performed as technology expert for new finishing process, leading to fully implemented $7 million capital project.

DuPont Nylon, (INVISTA), Sabine Labs, TX and Experimental Station, DE, 1990 - 2005

Engineering Associate

• Devised experiments, analyzing and reporting results and planning technology development for long range research and development.
• Supervised shift crews of technicians and mentored chemists and engineers in area.
• Directed control system design and implementation for ABB / Bailey and Rockwell PLC systems in 8 different major units.
• Completed 10 years of laboratory work and wrote first patents, resulting in INVISTA patents now being commercialized as new ADN technology in China.
• Brought new product from lab to pilot plant to toll manufacturing for Nylon specialties business, ultimately at over $4 million per year revenue.
• Specialized in statistically designed process development for scale-up, overseeing experimental planning for semiworks operations including Six Sigma-based evaluation of process variability.
• Led process area for investigation of economic opportunities in Nylon intermediates research, building and operating 2 major pilot facilities at small scale for technology evaluation.
• Administered all process hazard evaluations by leading safety reviews, writing safety procedures and conducting what-if analyses for 5 unit startups at Orange, Texas Lab Research and Development for nylon business.
• Interfaced between discovery chemist function and commercialization engineering, patenting discoveries in 2 steps of new Caprolactam process.
• Orchestrated joint technical effort for major research project between DuPont and DSM Caprolactam (Geleen, The Netherlands), resulting in joint DuPont-DSM patents and technology reports.
• Designed, constructed and operated pilot facility for new technology demonstration as part of DSM joint effort US and Netherlands sites, demonstrating process feasibility.
• Evaluated technology utilizing flow-sheeting, economic analysis, and results interpretation, developing competitive intelligence for relevant patent estate.

Honors & Publications

Credentials

• Crystallization, Reactive Distillation, Strategy of Experimentation, ASPEN Plus Flowsheet Simulation, Six Sigma Green Belt Certified.

Publications and Patents

• Author and Co-Author of numerous publications
• Over 12 patents issued

Education

• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, (Catalysis and Kinetics), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• BChE Chemical Engineering University of Delaware, Newark, DE