Chemistry Overview

	B.A. - Chemical Engineering, University of Tulsa M.S. - Chemical Engineering, Rice University Ph.D. - Chemical Engineering, Rice University
	Senior Research Engineer, Chemical Development Department

Washing machine manufacturers are redesigning their machines to use less water and energy. This is requiring a new round of laundry detergent development by researchers such as Kirk Raney, senior research engineer at Shell Chemical Company. He comments, "New detergent chemicals have to be more effective than before in preventing redeposition of soils on clothes, and foam less in this new washing environment." He performs laundering tests in washing machines of various designs and also studies surfactant chemical properties such as foaming, surface tension, and solubility behavior. Raney notes that he works with technicians and often visits laundry detergent manufacturer's laboratories to discuss his findings. While still early in his career, he has presented papers and visited customers in Japan, India, Korea, China, and several European countries as well as traveling extensively in the U.S.