DVK
US legal status: permanent resident (Green Card).
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
o Project manager with resourceful coordination of assets with over 5 years of process R&D experience on pilot and demo scales. Technology transfer. Execution of both capital and non-capital projects.
o Chemical kinetics modeling. Statistical data analysis, design of experiments. Process optimization. Technology gap analysis.
o 'Can-do' attitude. Attention to details. Problem-solving skills. Team player with measurable contributions into business development, development of intellectual property, and solving technical problems.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
o Lab equipment: chromatography (GC, HPLC, HPIC, GPC), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), volumetric adsorption (BET & chemisorption), spectroscopy (FTIR, UV/vis/NIR, Raman), elemental analysis (ICP), Temperature Programmed Reactions (TPO, TPR, TPD) with multi-detector analysis (TCD, FID, MS), thermal analysis (TGA, DSC), in-line and conventional rheology measurements.
o Science and engineering software: JMP, MATLAB, OriginPro. ASPEN Plus. ANSYS FLUENT, Comsol Multiphysics. ANSYS Design Modeler, SolidWorks. ChemOffice.
o Productivity: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio, Microsoft Project, Mindjet.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Ingredion Inc.
Process Technology Group (PTG), Bridgewater NJ
Senior Engineering Associate (10/13 – Present)
Impel commercialization of newly developed products. Perform technology gap analyses upon scale up. Close the gaps by conducting research trails. Prepare detailed production plans. Coordinate work and material flow with toll producers. Supervise initial production runs. Assist process technology team with in-house development of novel research capabilities.
Renmatix
R&D Department, King of Prussia, PA
Senior Research Scientist (04/12 – 10/13)
Research Scientist (04/09 – 04/12)
Oversee the development of the first stage of Renmatix' process for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to sugars. Plan and execute research projects, analyze data, and summarize in reports the major findings. Coordinate external R&D projects. Assist business team to attract new customers and partners. Support engineering team on design of the first commercial plant. Coordinate project with Waste Management Company on development of a process for conversion of wastes to valuable products.
Project: Develop process for auto-catalytic hydrolysis of xylan to xylose.
Goal: To design continuous process for dissolution of hemicellulose fraction of biomass with maximization of xylose yield. To design a process for size reduction of hemihydrolyzed biomass.
o Designed and assembled a bench scale reactor and conducted initial studies to prove process feasibility.
o Conducted kinetic modeling for the process.
o Collaborated with engineering group on design and construction of a pilot scale rapid cycle digester
(RCD) capable to imitate operations of commercial scale digester. Performed validation studies, prepared SOPs, currently operate the RCD.
o Validated the process on four different types of feedstock using the pilot scale RCD.
o Came up with a way to approximate counter-current mode of commercial scale digester operations using the RCD.
o Launched partnership with external organization for access to a RCD on a demo scale. Used statistical tools to identify the optimal operating conditions of the demo scale RCD to maximize xylose production.
o Developed a 'product map' that outlined the fate of each component starting from the raw feedstock through the whole process. The 'product map' served as a backbone for ASPEN model.
Project: Conversion of waste feedstocks to sugars (JDA with Waste Management Company).
Goal: To identify waste feedstocks suitable for conversion to sugars. Develop process for conversion of selected waste feedstocks to sugars.
o Visited multiple locations of WM Company around the US. Collected representative samples of waste feedstocks that can be potentially converted to sugars.
o Conducted complete chemical analysis of collected samples and identified the most promising feedstocks for process development.
o Studied selected feedstock seasonal availability. Built a map of regional feedstock localization. Conducted ballpark estimation of the process economics.
o Initiated chain of custody program with WM Company to examine feedstock seasonal variability.
o Suggested a novel idea for conversion of various lignocellulosic biomasses to sugars (patent application).
o Conducted DOE studies on a pilot scale to find the range of conditions for the best extraction of sugars from selected waste feedstocks in a continuous supercritical reactor.
o Suggested modification to the formerly practiced production procedure for supercritical process that helped to mitigate fouling on a demo scale.
Project: Catalytic hydrogenation of sugars.
Goal: To identify the best catalyst and process operating conditions for catalytic hydrogenation of biomass derived xylose to feed grade xylitol.
o Investigated, procured, assembled, and validated bench top system for three-phase hydrogenation studies.
o Identified a supplier of hydrogenation catalysts and procured catalyst samples.
o Conducted catalyst reactivity and regeneration studies based on DOE. Identified catalyst with the best performance.
o Performed kinetic modeling.
o Conducted studies (filtration, membrane separation, simulated moving bed, activated carbon, and ion exchange resins) on upgrading of xylitol to a food grade.
Project: Furfural production from xylose.
Goal: To develop a process and optimize furfural production from xylose with following furfural recovery.
o Adapted reported kinetic model and measured kinetic parameters for the catalytic conversion of xylose to furfural.
o Optimized furfural production first on a bench and then on a pilot scale.
o Designed a pilot system for furfural recovery, procured equipment, assembled and validated the system performance.
o Studied and optimized furfural extraction (achieved 90%) and recovery (achieved 80%). Conducted economic analysis for furfural production and recovery according to the process developed.
Project: Upgrade of xylose liquor for fermentation purposes.
Goal: Establish procedures for xylose oligomers acid hydrolysis and following upgrade of xylose liquor.
o Conducted studies on dilute acid hydrolysis of xylose oligomers to xylose monomer. Performed kinetic modeling.
o Studied the effect of overliming for precipitation of sulfate ions and removal of fermentation inhibitors on a bench scale. Optimized overliming process for the best recovery of sugars ready for fermentation with conventional microorganisms.
o Suggested barium nitrate as an agent for precipitation of sulfate ions remaining in overlimed liquor; reduced concentratio...
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