Santi Kulprathipanja: Biographical Sketch

UOP LLC

50 East Algonquin Road

Des Plaines, IL 60016-6102

847-391-3138

Santi Kulprathipanja, R&D Fellow, UOP LLC, received a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from IowaStateUniversity in 1974 after obtaining a BS (1968) in Chemistry from Chulalongkorn University of Bangkok and an MS (1970) in Inorganic Chemistry from TexasA&MUniversity, Commerce. He spent the next years as Research Associate at MIT and then spent a year at HarvardUniversity, also as a Research Associate. Santi began his UOP career in 1978 by joining the UOPResearchCenter.

Research

Santi is a world renowned separations scientist. Major research initiatives in the Petroleum Refining and Petrochemicals field by Dr. Kulprathipanja include the following:

  • Sorbex Process Technology:
  • Extensive experience in adsorptive separation technology
  • Developed and contributed to the following UOP Sorbex processes: Parex, Molex, Olex, Sarex, Cresol, Ebex, Citric Acid, MX Sorbex.
  • Developed and contributed to the following separation processes: durene/petroleum, naphthalene/coal tar, fatty acid/tall oil, alcohol/water, lactic acid/fermentation broth, glucose/mannose, sucrose/cane molasses, and arabinose/corn hull hydrolyzate.
  • Trace Impurity Removal by Adsorption:
  • Iodide removal from acetic acid
  • Sulfur removal from hydrocarbons
  • Carbon dioxide removal from air
  • Aromatics removal from n-paraffins (Molex) and olefins (Olex)
  • Membrane Technology:
  • Developed a novel UOP Mixed Matrix Membranes for polar gas separation
  • Initiated programs in inorganic membranes such as Pd, ceramic and zeolite membranes
  • Reactive Separation Processes:
  • Demonstrated the advantages of membrane reactor for Oleflex and Cyclar processes.
  • Experienced in Hybrid Reaction and Adsorption (HRA) for solid bed alkylation
  • Adsorptive Distillation:
  • Initiated and demonstrated (championed) the benefits of incorporating adsorbents in the distillation column
  • Adsorptive Crystallization:
  • Initiated and demonstrated (championed) adsorptive crystallization technique
  • Commercial Adsorbent Formulation :
  • Developed organically bound zeolites such as cellulose acetate-bound CaY (ADS-200) for the fructose separation, Sarex process.
  • Developed the 2nd generation of Molex adsorbent, ADS-34
  • Developed the iodide removal adsorbent
  • Developed the 2nd generation of Parex adsorbent, ADS-37.

Santi's technical recognition by the scientific community includes his presentations, citations and activities in professional societies.

Sessions Chair/Presentations:

  • Chaired /co-chaired sessions at AIChE Annual Meeting in 1995 (Miami), 1996 (Chicago), 1997 (Los Angeles), 1998 (Miami), 1999 (Dallas), 2000 (Los Angeles), 2001 (Reno), 2002 (Indianapolis), 2003 (San Francisco), and 2004 (Austin). He also chaired session at Third Joint China/USA Chemical Engineering conference in Beijing, China, 2000, China/UAS/Japan joint Chemical Engineering Conference in Beijing, China, 2005. the 7th International Conference on Inorganic Membranes in Dalian, China, 2002, the North American Membrane Society Annual Meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, 2001, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 2003, the advances in Petrochemicals and Polymer in the new Millennium Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, 2003, and Advanced Membrane Technology in Irsee, Germany, 2004.
  • Presented a paper at the International Congress on Membranes and Membrane Processes in Chicago, 1990
  • Presented a paper at the annual AIChE meeting in Chicago, 1990
  • Presented a poster at the Gordon Research Conferences – Separation Division – in 1991
  • Presented a paper at the Separation Technology in Belgium, 1993
  • Presented a paper at Third Joint China/USA Chemical Engineering conference in Beijing, China, 2000
  • Presented paper at the 13thInternational Zeolite Conference in Montpellier, France, 2001
  • Presented paper at the Engineering Foundation Conferences - Advance Membrane Technology in Berga, Italy, 2001
  • Presented paper at the Materials: Materials and Processes, Gordon Research Conference, 2002
  • Gave seminar at Chemical Engineering Department, Iowa State University in March, 2000
  • Gave seminar at Chemical Engineering Department, University of Alabama, Huntsville, 2001
  • Gave seminar at Chemical Engineering Department, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 2002
  • Give keynote lecture at the Advances in Petrochemicals and Polymer in the new Millennium Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, 2003
  • Presented paper at the China/USA/Japan joint Chemical Engineering Conference in Beijing, China, 2005.

Academic Activities:

-Visiting professor at the Petroleum & Petrochemical College (PPC), ChulalongkornUniversity, Bangkok, Thailand from 1997 – present.

-Supervise graduate students at PPC for their research program from 1998 - present

Citations:

  • Who’s Who in the Midwest, 8th edition by Marquis Who’s Who, Inc.
  • Men of Achievement, 10th edition by InternationalBiographicalCenter
  • Personalities of the West and Midwest, 8th edition by American Biographical Institute
  • Personalities of America, 2nd edition by American Biographical Institute
  • Biographical Roll of Honor, 1st edition by Historical Preservation of America

Awards:

  • Received the highest award of the Iowa State Alumni Association, and the Distinguished Achievement Citation, in 2000
  • Appointed to the International Advisory Board of The NanomaterialsCenter(NanoMax) of University of Queensland, Australia, in 2001
  • Appointed to the SAIAMC Advisory Board of SA Institute of Advanced Materials Chemistry of University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa, in 2005.

Professional Societies:

  • Thai Community Committee:
  • Elected vice president of ATPAC (Association of Thai Professionals in America and Canada) in 1995 and 1996
  • Elected member of the ATPAC Advisory Board in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and chair of the ATPAC Advisory Board in 1998 and 1999
  • Founder of ATPAC-Youth, The 2nd Generation of Thai Youth

American Chemical Society (ACS) since 1975.

American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
  • UOP’s Technical Ladder Organization (TLO) and Technical Community Organization (TCO):
  • President of TLO Research chapter in 1995
  • Initiated re-engineering of TLO in 1994 to TCO
  • Chaired first TCO Symposium in 1996

Publications:

-published 39 technical papers

-edited and co-author of the recent published book entitled "Reactive Separation Processes"

-Co-author of a book chapter entitled “Liquid Separations” to be published in Hanbook of Porous Solid, edited by F.Schuth, K.Sing, and J.Weitkamp

-Co-author a book entitled “Industrial Liquid Adsorptive Separation Processes”

Patents:

Santi Kulprathipanja holds 94U.S. patents, all in the field of petrochemicals separation related, adsorbents, membranes technology. Please see the attached list for a complete summary.

-1-