Coatings Commercilization Chemist: Polymers - Fluoropolymers Expert

Expertise

Summary

An accomplished scientist in coating and polymer chemistry with global research experience and extensive industrial involvement in the fields of organic coatings, formulation technology, fluoropolymers, electrospinning, product development, analytical testing and specialty chemicals.  A track record of technical innovation with over 45 granted patents and the development of commercially successful new products in applications including industrial coatings, filtration membranes, lithium ion batteries, photovoltaics, films, wire jacketing, fuel hose and pipe, and nanofiber materials. Experience in intellectual property analysis and strategy, early phase technology scouting, and startup operations.

Services and Knowledge Areas

• Coating Formulation and Technology
• Intellectual property strategy and management
• Project and portfolio management
• Electrospinning
• Membranes
• Paints and Coatings
• Fluoropolymers
• Polymer Materials and Plastics
• Material Weathering
• Coating Failure Analysis
• Pigment & Dispersion Technology
• Early Phase Technology Scouting
• Membranes
• Lithium Ion Batteries
• Fuel Cells
• Solar / Photovoltaics
• Films
• Fibers / Nanofibers 

Expert Witness Experience

•     Provided Expert Witness analysis for a case involving a failed exterior building coating.  

Experience

Undisclosed Company, Founder & Chief Science Officer, 2014 - Present                

Founded a company providing technical expertise in the areas of polymers, coatings, formulation technology and specialty materials including material selection and usage, application development, manufacturing, market analysis and intellectual property strategy. Some example projects include:

• Assisted with material selection, processing guidance and testing analysis for development of photovoltaic module technology, resulting in commercialization of the company's first product.
• Assisted with material selection and manufacturing guidance for development of piezoelectric actuators that allowed production to move to subsequent steps.Analyzed patent cases related to environmental paint formulations and provided an Expert Declaration for the USPTO that resulted in a granted patent.
• Assist in university IP scouting and the development technical and business plans for spin out companies. Became co-founder of a company spun out of Johns Hopkins technology, DiPole Materials, Inc.
• Analyzed research and development strategy and expenses for a $200 million chemical company spin-off and provided an optimization strategy
• Technology scouting project that identified multiple academic technologies meeting the company's criteria for long-term growth. Became co-founder of one company spun out of MIT technology, Gaskiya Diagnostics.

DIPole Materials, Inc., Baltimore, MD, Co-founder & Chief Science Officer, 2015 - Present

• Co-founded a company to develop custom nanofiber materials and licensed first IP from Johns Hopkins University covering electrospun piezoelectric nanofibers.
• Co-authored winning NSF SBIR Phase I proposal (program 1622019) for $225k to develop piezoelectric yarns for smart garments and was Principal Investigator for the project.
• Co-authored winning Maryland TEDCO TVP proposals for $50k to complete market and technical validation of electrospun gelatin substrates for cell culture scaffolds, which resulted in the company's first product line.
• Raised $200k in funding from The Abell Foundation to expand DiPole's laboratory, equipment and personnel.
• Outlined technical plans for the development of numerous custom nanofiber products resulting in over $100k of signed contracts to-date.

Penn Color, Inc., Hatfield, PA, Corporate Director of Global Technology, 2014

• Led a team of over 60 researchers working on the research and development and manufacturing support of pigment and additive masterbatch dispersions used in applications including: coatings, packaging, plastics, building products, fibers, inks, flooring and wallcoverings.
• Restructured and led the company's intellectual property strategy and activities.

Arkema, Inc., King of Prussia, PA, Global R&D Director, Fluoropolymers, 1993- 2014     

• Led a global team of over 40 researchers at five research centers (U.S., France, China and Japan) working on fluoropolymer synthesis, application development, process development, production support and technical service.
• Key responsibilities included: owning the new business development portfolio covering 5 years of trailing sales tracking and 5 years of future potential sales, leading the business unit's intellectual property strategy, acting as Process Manager and Gatekeeper for every project within the business unit, building and maintaining a $15-20 million per year global research and development budget.
• Led the development of products and applications that allowed new business sales to grow from 15% of total sales in 2008 to 28% in 2013 for a growing $300 million business unit.
• Oversaw the design and construction of research and development laboratories to support research programs in batteries, membranes and high-pressure polymerizations.
• Led the development of new emulsion polymerization processes to synthesize fluoropolymers without a fluorosurfactant, enabling the successful conversion of over 95% of commercial products.

Research and Development Manager, Technical Polymers Coatings

• Managed three research and groups (15-20 people) in the areas of: fluoropolymer coatings, fuel cell membranes, and polyamide powder coatings
• Co-authored two winning US Department of Energy technical proposals for the development of polymer fuel cell membranes and acted as Project Manager (2004-2008) for the projects, having a combined budget of $15.8 million.
• Department of Energy program.
• Led the development of fluid bed powder coating technical process improvements that translated into approximately $3 million of additional company profit.

Senior Research Scientist/Research Scientist/Scientist

• Responsible for worldwide technical support for Arkema's Kynar 500® PVDF coating resin business.
• Led an extensive weathering test program with over 5,000 samples in real-time weathering and accelerated weathering.
• Developed novel water-based, solvent-based and powder coating formulations. 

U.S. Government Projects

     Co-authored and managed several US Government funded projects:

• Principal Investigation – US National Science Foundation program.  A $225k project for Production Optimization of Piezoelectric Fibers to Power Smart Garments
• Project Manager – US Department of Energy contract.   An $8 million project for Development of Low-Cost, Durable Membrane and Membrane Electrode Assembly for Stationary and Mobile Fuel Cell Applications.
• Project Manager – US Department of Energy contract.  A $7.8 million project for Improved, Low-Cost, Durable Fuel Cell Membranes.

Honors & Publications

Credentials 

• Technology Management Certificate – California Institute of Technology
•  Arkema Executive Program – INSEAD Fontainebleau, France
• Expert Witness Training - Washington, DC
• Thesis: “Crosslinking and Surface Reactions in Macromolecules: Spectroscopic FT-IR Studies,” North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
• Undergraduate Research: Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Network Formation Studies, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

Academic and Professional Affiliations 

• American Chemical Society (Over 30-year member)
• American Coatings Association/FSCT (Over 20-year member)
• Society for Applied Spectroscopy

Publications and Patents

• Author of over 20 publications; including 12 peer-reviewed and 2 book chapters.
• Creator-Co-Inventor; 46 granted patents and multiple pending applications, mostly related to the development of novel fluoropolymers and uses in applications such as coatings, membranes, batteries, photovoltaics, and fuel cells.

Education

• Ph.D. Chemistry, Polymer and Coatings, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
• B.S. Chemistry, Polymer and Coatings, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND