 Frank
Herkes
Research Fellow
E.I. DuPont
Nylon Specialties
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 B.S. -
Chemistry, DePaul University
Ph.D. - Physical
Organic Chemistry, University of Iowa |
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Research Fellow,
Catalytic Chemistry |
Frank Herkes, a research
fellow in Nylon Intermediates at DuPont, studies the basic chemicals and
byproducts DuPont makes and finds ways to make new products from them
using catalysis. "First, I scout what catalysts exist on the market and
then seek to tailor them to our needs. This may mean adding secondary
metals or additives such as platinum or palladium to the catalyst. I test
these catalysts in my lab in either a batch mode or continuous mode," he
says.
When choosing a catalyst, says Herkes, "I look at the temperature and
pressure requirements, mass transfer of reactants, the weight and size of
the catalyst, what degrades it, and what it costs. An understanding of
chemical engineering as well as chemistry comes into play when putting a
catalytic process together since costs of raw materials and utilities for
running the process need to be considered."
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