Dr. Norman N. Li, N.A.E., Ph.D. NL Chemical Technology, Inc. Wednesday, February 16, 2005 ABSTRACTS Development of Advanced Membranes for Water Treatment Thin film composite reverse osmosis membrane has been one of the key technologies used in water treatment. As the applications of membranes in water purification increase, so does the need for membranes with high performance such as anti-fouling and high flux. We have, therefore, been developing advanced membrane technology for water treatment and purification. This presentation will highlight some of the key factors in membrane development and in the turnkey manufacturing process that we have implemented in grass-root plants. In our current design of a new generation of membrane manufacturing plants, we have begun to integrate “Six Sigma Excellence Methodology” into our laboratory research and process development. This approach has enhanced our efficiency, innovation and quality. Six Sigma is also effectively used to prevent the occurrence of technical problems early in the design phase before they become costly membrane production problems in the plants. We will also discuss specific Six Sigma tools as applied in the membrane research and process design. The Use of Six Sigma in Research and Development Six Sigma is a system for improving quality, productivity and efficiency in industry. It aims to achieve both a high level of customer satisfaction and bottom line results. It was pioneered in the early 1980’s at Motorola, Inc. and has had phenomenal success at a large number of Fortune 500 companies including many chemical companies in the U.S. The application of Six Sigma is not limited to manufacturing; it is being effectively used in other business areas, including research and development. Presently, many companies also use “design for Six Sigma” in their product development. Six Sigma is now regarded as the “best practice” to drive for major improvement in American industries. We will describe the basic principles of Six Sigma and its important methodologies for efficient experimentation and process understanding, and illustrate the discussion with some real world case studies. BIOGRAPHIES Dr. Norman N. Li, President Dr. Norman N. Li has years of rich industrial experience as a senior scientist at Exxon and as a research director at UOP LLC and AlliedSignal Inc. (now Honeywell Inc.). Dr. Li is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, USA. He is the recipient of the prestigious Perkin Medal from the Society of Chemical Industry (2000) and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Congress of Chemical Engineering (2001). He has also received many awards from the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. While at AlliedSignal Inc. as director of Research and Technology, Dr. Li's groups used separation processes to eliminate toxic impurities in manufacturing processes, making possible the company's commercialization of ozone-friendly hydrofluorocarbons, 141b and 134a, in 1993-94. His most recent work has involved leading a team of scientists in developing a turnkey project for manufacturing high-flux reverse-osmosis membranes. With degrees from National Taiwan University and Stevens Institute of Technology, Dr. Li holds 44 U.S. patents with two pending. He has published more than 100 papers, edited 13 books, and given invited lectures at more than 70 universities and industrial laboratories. Dr. Jane C. Li, Vice President Dr. Jane C. Li holds a B.S. degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in applied statistics. She is a certified Six Sigma "Master Black Belt." She was a faculty member at Rutgers University. Later, she joined Exxon Chemical Co. as chief statistician and section head. She was the director of the Center of Statistical Science and also the director of the Six Sigma Program at UOP LLC. She has 25 years experience in the U.S. chemical industry. This event is being hosted by the Department of Chemical Engineering. For more information, please contact: |
||||
|
