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Expert in Polymer Processing; Pilot Plant Design; Process Development
Available for your Consulting and Expert Witness Needs
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Summary of Expertise:
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Listed with other top experts in: |
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After 20 years working for chemical companies Expert changed his career to work full-time on chemical plant design. He has worked 15 years (since 1988) for engineering and construction companies doing chemical plant design (chemicals, polymers, pharmaceutical and related fields). He continued with similar projects in his own consulting business on both large and small plant design. He was elevated within the engineering companies from a senior level engineer to the Director of Process Engineering for a major contractor with a peak of 52 direct engineering and design reports. In this position, he had responsibility to oversee technology issues, modernize engineering tools, effect training of staff and oversee quality of all projects for the business unit at that location. At the same time he had a working position as lead process engineer or project manager for at least one project, usually a highly technical project or process study.
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In 1986 Expert became one of the key co-developers of a liquid rubber for Uniroyal Chemical. This liquid rubber is sold by the trade name of Trilene by Uniroyal Chemical, now part of Chemtura. This liquid rubber product was developed using a unique liquid-liquid "slurry" process. The recipe development was done in 8 weeks and 6 weeks later the first commercial samples were shipped to a customer. In time, the pilot unit was scaled-up under Expert's direction into a semi-works commercial facility. Later a new plant was built to increase capacity of this specialize product. The product is an EP copolymer with or without a diene ter-monomer (EPDM). The product is used in several applications: as a reactive plasticizer, and as a direct rubber product were low viscosity at low temperature is required. One special vesion of this product was made using metalocene catalyst about 2 years before this catalyst system became widely commercialized by other large polymer producers. This product remains as the only liquid EPDM rubber on the market.
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Over many years Expert became familiar with many of the aspects of polymer compounding by his involvement in a multitude of polymer plant operations and polymer plant designs. This includes the feed systems, the compounder itself, the compounder auxiliary systems, the downstream melt handling systems, pelletizing and finished product handling. In the last three years all of this general experience was consolidated into a major design exercise for the world's premier producer of PMMA, Plexiglas. During these last years (2004 to 2006) Expert developed the scope of several alternate PMMA compounding facilities. Some of the options developed included very complex feed systems to produce specialized products. This involved plant work observing existing operations and developing a working relationship with many of the key compounding vendors and vendors of auxiliary equipment. Close contacts and a working relationship were established with Coperion (Werner & Pfleiderer) and Berstorff and to a lesser degree Japan Steel Works. Auxiliary equipment vendors were also involved in the scope development and engineering including: loss-in-weight feeders, vacuum pumps, melt pumps, melt filtration, screeners with fines removal, wet and dry pelletizers and pneumatic conveying.
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Polymer Devolatilization is Expert's field of highest competency. He is a world-class expert in this field with a multitude of development, operational and engineering experiences. The strength of his knowledge lies in the fact that he has a broad range of experience using many different type unit operations at many different scales. He was directly involved in Monsanto's in-house development and design of wiped film devolatilizers for SAN. The process and equipment developed and commercialized by Expert at Monsanto was only equaled by the world's major manufacturer of Wiped Film Devolatilizers sixteen years after Expert started up the first commercial plant utilizing the internally developed equipment and technology. He worked in the pilot plant development of this technology as well as managed the startup of the first and second commercial units for this technology. In addition he has extensive experience with "Falling Strand Devolatilizers" with both Monsanto and Fina (now Total) polystyrene technology. He also has worked at several scales with multi-staged devolatilization extruders. For one client he did an extensive study comparing and contrasting more than four options of combined devolatilization equipment to concentrate a low solids block styrene-butadiene copolymer to finished product. For the same client he searched out and proved the leading cause of the major product quality defect in the co-polymer product caused by the existing devolatilization equipment. On a lesser scale, he has provided original designs to several polymer devolatization processes and proved the designs accurate in actual operation. He also has experience with several solid-state polymer devolatilization processes. This is Expert's number one technology know-how.
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Polymer process engineering is a sub-set of chemical plant design. Polymer plant design is Expert's specialty within chemical plant design. He has engineered plants including the equipment specification for the following type polymer plants: PS, HIPS, SAN, ABS, PET, HDPE, PP, LLDPE, PMMA, acrylic elastomers, SBR, PBd, EPDM, PC, PU, PVC, recycled plastics, styrene-butadiene block copolymer, Spandex, and others.
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Control systems involved in polymerization reactors has been one of Expert's specialties when the need has arisen during the design, start-up and operation of polymer plants. He has tuned and developed BTU controls, Temperature to Pressure cascade loops, temperature profile programs and made them work in real life situations. One especially complex control system involved closed loop gas chromatograph control of two major reactor feeds. His early days at Monsanto were a strong foundation to use in future control problems for polymerization reactors, both batch and continuous.
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Expert was a strong force in the start-up of 8 major capital plants for Monsanto and Uniroyal Chemical. By the second of these startups he was put in the position of the primary technical engineer responsible for the success of the plant startup. He demonstrated commercial success (90% of design rate and 95% quality yield) on multiple projects ahead of schedule and under budget. He developed his own systematic approach to startups which served him well and he passed on his methodology to others involved in these startups. Besides being successful, Expert finds this work the most rewarding part of capital project execution.
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Show Secondary and Basic Areas of Expertise | Localities:
Expert may consult nationally and internationally, and is also local to the following cities: New York, New York;
Yonkers, New York;
Newark, New Jersey;
Jersey City, New Jersey;
Paterson, New Jersey;
Elizabeth, New Jersey;
Trenton, New Jersey;
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
Allentown, Pennsylvania;
and Reading, Pennsylvania.
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Degree |
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Subject |
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Institution |
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Honors |
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1968
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B.S.
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Chemical Engineering
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Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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with Distinction (honors)
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1971
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graduate studies
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Chemical Engineering
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Univ. Of Cincinnati
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Employer |
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Department |
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Title |
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Responsibilities |
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2003 to
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(Undisclosed)
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Owner / Process Consultant
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Operate consulting business and provide chemical engineering consulting services to select clients.
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2000 to 2003
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Day & Zimmermann
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Engineering & Construction
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Director Technology
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Manager of process engineering department, new business development, project manager, lead process engineer
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1994 to 2000
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Fluor Corp.
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Energy & Chemicals
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Director Process Engineering
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Manager of process engineering department, new business development, project manager, lead process engineer
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1990 to 1994
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MW Kellogg
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Polymers Process Engineering
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Process Manager
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Lead process engineer for major polymer projects, department training coordinator, business development for technology development
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1988 to 1990
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John Brown E&C
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Process Engineering
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Sr. Process Manager
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Lead process engineer for major polymer projects, coordinate all process work for one select client
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1984 to 1988
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Uniroyal Chemical
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Pilot Plant
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Pilot Plant Manager
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Managed pilot plant operations. Coordinate all engineering activities for new product and process development and commercialized new family of polymers
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1968 to 1984
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Monsanto Company
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Styrenic Polymers
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Engineering Specialist, other
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Multiple positions over 16 years. Responsibilities included: new process development, pilot plant operation, capital project execution, plant startups, process engineering.
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Associations/Societies
American Institute of Chemical Engineers; former member of the ACS, Rubber Division
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Licenses/Certifications
P.E. in State of TX
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Awards/Recognition
Technical Achievement Awards:
3 at Monsanto;
1 at Uniroyal Chemical
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| Selected Consulting Examples: |
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Provided project management and process engineering for a new polycarbonate process technology for plant in China.
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Provided process engineering for a major PMMA (plexiglas) expansion for Arkema. Project included polymerization area, compounding and offsites. A second project provided for a complex product compounding facility.
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Provided process and product design input for a new swimming pool chemical delivery system.
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Currently involved in the laboratory development of a new specific waste to energy process. All engineering input is being provided to an entrepreneur seeking a solution to a specific waste issue.
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Currently involved in the development of a new consumer product to deal with pet wastes.
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Recent Client Requests:
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Polymer expert for consulting on EPDM solution heat transfer equipment.
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Plastics processing expert for consulting on plastic extrusion and thermoforming.
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EPDM, reactor technology, expert for consulting on EPDM reactor Technology.
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Expert services pmma production for consulting on Production PMMA.
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Expert in Detailed plant design, including high pressure reactor.
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EPDM engineering expert for consulting on EPDM Plant.
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Expert for consulting on Chemical Plant Planning/Contruction, etc.
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Expert in SBR to assist client with designing SBR Plant.
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Expert in reviewing Business plans for biopolymer manufacturing & polymerization plants.
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Expert in falling strand devolatilizer for consulting on enhanced flash tank (static) devolatalizer.
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Expert in Design of Falling Strand Evaporator in Polyethylene Process.
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Extrusion expert for consulting on manufacturing process optimization & consistency.
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World's premier expert on natural rubber for consulting on Dipping of ceramic forms into natural rubber.
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Expert in Optical Index Matching Fluid for PMMA/Elastomer System.
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Expert in recycling for consulting on scrap silicone materials.
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Click the green button above to contact
Expert for a free initial screening call regarding your expert consulting needs.
Expert is available for consulting to corporate, legal and government clients.
Remember, your initial screening call to speak with
Expert is free.
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Recent Litigation Client Requests:
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Expert in butadiene production process.
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Expert in polymer industry for testimony on formula availability for trade secrets and patent litigation.
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Click the green button above to contact
Expert for a free initial screening call regarding expert testimony,
litigation consulting and support, forensic services, or any related expert witness services.
A few litigation needs include product liability, personal injury, economic loss, intellectual property
(patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright), and insurance matters. Remember, your initial screening
call to speak with
Expert is free.
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| International Experience: |
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Country / Region |
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Summary |
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1974 to 1978
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Antwerp, Belgium
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Served as manufacturing representative and technical coordinator for a major capital expansion for SAN polymers.
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1974 to 1976
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Northern France
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Provided technical input, startup support and operator training (in the French language) for a major polystyrene project.
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1978 to 1980
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London, England
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Lead process engineer for a major emulsion ABS project in Antwerp, Belgium.
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1980 to 1984
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Antwerp, Belgium
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Developed new in-line coloring system to produce colored SAN product directly in a continuous polymerization plant. Producing colors normally meant a two-step process to first make the polymer and then produce the colors via a compounding extruder. This system was truly unique and several technical, marketing and company political obstacles were overcome to achieve the result.
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1998 to 1998
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Rupublic of South Africa
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Provided technical input into potential operations improvement at an existing plant producing polybutadiene and styrene-butadiene rubber.
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| Language Skills: |
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| Foreign Language |
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Description |
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English
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Mother tongue
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French
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Fluent in technical and non-technical discussions. Able to read technical literature and some basic non-technical documents.
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Dutch
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Understands spoken Dutch quite well. In 1999, Expert worked 3 months in an office in Holland and all meeting were conducted in Dutch and heunderstood 90+% of what was said. He speaks some Dutch but his pronunciation is not good, but his vocabulary is quite good and he has had some formal training to understand the grammar.
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Involved in all chemical project proposal development for Fluor and Day & Zimmermann at his location. Developed execution strategy, technical staffing and budget. Expert was involved with the sales staff of these companies to generate target client lists, made initial client contacts and develop relationships to win future business. For his company, Expert developed a business and marketing plan and successfully implemented these plans.
Click the green button above to contact
Expert for a free initial screening call regarding your marketing research, industry research, and company
research needs. For research needs involving multiple experts or secondary research,
a Research Director can be assigned to coordinate the work into a custom report for you as a potentially quicker
and more cost effective alternative to doing this work yourself or hiring a boutique consultancy.
Remember, your initial screening call to speak with
Expert is free.
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| Additional Skills and Services: |
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Training/Seminars
Conducted training in:
Polymer Devolatilization,
Polymer Extrusion and Compounding,
Polymer Plant Design,
Process Flow Diagram Development,
Process Control Systems,
Pilot Plant Design and Operation
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Supplier and Vendor Location and Selection Compounding Extruders;
Engineering Contractors;
Fluid Bed Dryers;
Polymer Devolatilization equipment;
Hundreds of other chemical and polymer process equipment types
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Other Skills and Services
Over 30 years of chemical engineering and process and product development experience. Emphasis has been of new developments and capital projects to bring new processes and products to the market. Development of technical/professional people via training and mentoring.
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Education
