Fiber Manufacturing Research Chemical Engineer: PET Specialty Fibers, Staple, Fiber Processes and Fiber Structure Engineering (1175)

Expertise

  • Designed/built polyethylene teraphalate polyester (PET) staple fiber production facilities: Spinning, drawing, cutting, relaxation oven, baling machines.
  • Designed spinnerets for PET solid, hollow and mono-component and bi-component fibers.
  • Developed and produced PET fiberfill products (dry and siliconized).
  • Developed and produce PET specialty staple fibers such as Coolmax® and Thermolite® fibers.
  • Developed bi-component and mono-component fibers.
  • Lab equipment for testing and evaluating PET fibers.
  • Worked with fiber producers in the U.S., Asia and Europe.

Experience

Independent Consultant, 2005 - Present
  • For facility in India, designed and built low cost PET spiral crimp conjugate staple fiber production facilities (-70 tons/day) and developed siliconized conjugate fiberfill products.
  • Designed and built relaxation/drying ovens for mechanically crimped siliconized fiberfill products.
  • Developed PET carpet fibers after modifying production facilities.
  • Developed fibers for hydro-entangling end uses.
  • Designed numerous spinnerets for PET solid/hollow fibers.
DuPont Consultant, 2002 - 2008
  • Developed staple fibers for DuPont Sontara® in Asia.
  • Modified a draw machine and cutter for uniform finish application, preventing fibers from fusing.
  • Developed/optimized processes on the spinning machine, draw machine and cutter at low manufacturing costs.
  • Developed products that were processed very well at the DuPont plant.
  • Assisted in designing/building a 6-position development spinning machine in Asia to develop Sorona® (PTT) fibers.
  • Designed spinnerets with different cross-sections.
  • Optimized and developed processes for Sorona® staple products.
  • Developed staple products for cotton and worsted systems.
  • Wrote a staple technology manual for Sorona®.
Du Pont and Invista, Kinston, NC, Research Fellow, 2001 - 2003
  • Shut down of Kinston staple plant in 2001.
  • Key technician to outsource the products (fiberfill and branded specialty) in Asia (Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Thailand).
  • Modified spinning and draw machines producing fiberfill and specialty products.
  • Designed spinnerets for Coolmax®, Thermolite®, 1-hole, 4-hole and 7-hole fibers.
  • Optimized/developed processes for these products at low manufacturing costs.
Du Pont, Kinston, NC, 1973 - 2001
Held the following research titles at Du Pont: Research Fellow (highest technical position, Senior Research Associate, Research Associate, Senior Research Engineer, Senior Engineer and Research Engineer. Program responsibility and accomplishments included:
  • Quality improvement programs
  • Improved polymer filter/spin pack /spinneret/quench designs.
  • Uniform finish application system on the draw machine.
  • Automatic finish concentration control system at SM and DM.
  • Uniform crimp by modifying crimper roll/chamber surfaces and optimizing crimp.
  • Uniform slickener application for fiberfill products.
Analytical tools to improve quality of fibers and predict downstream fiber performance
  • Fabric or fiber static properties.
  • % FOT (finish on tow) measurement.
  • Fiberfill properties (bulk and slickness).
  • Sliver draft force measurement or sliver performance tests for textile and fiberfill end uses.
  • Fabric moisture management tests.
  • CTU (crimp take-up) and other crimp properties.
Intimate knowledge and experience in downstream processes
  • Textile process - carding/drawing/roving/spinning (ring, open-end, air jet), winding, weaving, dyeing, and finishing.
  • Experience with cotton and woolen systems.
  • Tow downstream processes.
  • Fiberfill downstream processes.
Development of fiberfill products from 100% PET waste at DuPont - Kinston
  • Developed new fiberfill products (1-hole, 4-hole & 7-hole) by using 100% PET waste.
  • Optimized/developed spinning and drawing processes.
  • Equipment upgrades on spinning and drawing machines.
Expertise on new fiber products developed at DuPont
  • Understand development infrastructure (e.g. pilot plant, prototypic spinning positions, a small draw machine and fiber evaluation facilities) and can help to build low cost development facilities.
  • Fibers with excellent water repellent property.
  • Textile tows - developed all PET tow products at DuPont: Monocomponent and bicomponent tows; fiberfill spreadable tows.
  • Bicomponent fibers (side-by-side) and sheath/core fibers.
  • Sheath/core binder fibers (low melt binder fibers).
  • Jet quench fibers (asymmetrically quenched).
  • High void (greater than 30% void) fibers for fiberfill.
  • Staple for: Carpet fibers; paper making (uncrimped short-cut length fibers to make papers); PTT or Sorona® staple fibers.
  • Non-wovens: Fibers for Sontara®, diapers, wipes and other markets.
University of Utah, Utah, Research Associate, 1972 - 1973
  • Developed computer programs for blood flow (fluid mechanics).

Honors & Publications

Credentials
  • Outstanding Alumnus Award from Brigham Young University
Publications
  • Several disclosures and patents.
  • A number of presentations on synthetic fibers in Asia.
  • Numerous internal reports on PET and acrylic fibers at DuPont.

Education

  • Ph.D. Degree, Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, OH
  • B.S. Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT