January Meeting Notice
Officer's Meeting: 4:00 P.M.
Where: Alcoa Corporate Center
201 Isabella Street at 7th Street Bridge
Pittsburgh, PA 15212-5858
Topic: Use of Pulsed-Power Technology in Cooling Towers
When: Wednesday, January 12th, 2000
Time: 5:00 P.M. Tour
6:45 P.M. Dinner
7:30 P.M. Program
Menu: Entrée Selections (select one of the following)
Lasagna with sausage, ground beef, five cheeses, mushrooms, onions and fresh tomato sauce
Vegetable Lasagna with spinach, roasted vegetables and fresh herbs
Antipasto salad, bread, dessert and beverage (iced tea or soda) will be served with the entrée.
Cost: $20.00
Use of Pulsed-Power Technology in Cooling Towers
This presentation will describe the pulsed-power devices developed by Maxwell International and the effect of using similar devices on the recirculating water in cooling towers in the United States.
In 1985 Maxwell Laboratories, now Maxwell International, was granted a patent for the deactivation of microorganisms using a pulsed magnetic field inside of a coil. Maxwell Technology has perfected this technology to become a FDA approved method of cold pasteurization.
In 1995, devices producing the same characteristic pulses were installed on cooling towers in the United States.
About the Speaker
John Lane has spent the past year with Clearwater Systems in the area of development engineering. Prior to this, John was employed for thirteen years in the metal recycling of titanium and super alloys at Aerospace Metals, Inc. His previous experience also includes working as a research metallurgist at ASARCO Central Research and as a laboratory manager at UNC Naval Products Division. John received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Metallurgy and Material Science from MIT.
Directions
From the West/Airport: take Parkway West following signs to Pittsburgh. Go through the Fort Pitt Tunnels. Merge over to the middle lanes and take the Fort Duquesne Boulevard exit. Stay in left-hand lane. There is no left turn onto the 7th Street Bridge, so you must go to a turnaround and loop back. After turning around, get into right lane to make right turn onto the 7th Street Bridge. The Alcoa Corporate Center is located on the right at the end of the bridge.
From the East: take Parkway East (Route 376) towards Pittsburgh. Exit at Fort Duquesne Boulevard. Stay in left-hand lane. There is no left turn onto the 7th Street Bridge, so you must go to a turnaround and loop back. After turning around, get into right lane to make right turn onto the 7th Street Bridge. The Alcoa Corporate Center is located on the right at the end of the bridge.
From the North: take I-79 to I-279. Exit at the Three Rivers Stadium Exit. Turn left at the bottom of the ramp. The Alcoa Corporate Center will be two blocks ahead on your left.
Parking Note: there is no parking within the Alcoa Corporate Center. There are several public parking lots located on Sandusky Street and W. General Robinson Street that are within a two-block walk of the Corporate Center.
RSVP No Later Than, January 6th, 2000, to:
Mr. Ed Moretti, Vice Chair
Baker Environmental
TEL 412-269-6055 Email
FAX 412-269-6097 Phone
Name ____________________________________________
Menu Selection ____________________________________________
Note from the Editor
Our AIChE Chapter extends its gratitude to Arthur W. Westerberg of Carnegie Mellon University for his excellent presentation on Computer-Aided Process Design (CAPD). We look forward to future presentations.
I am still interested in information for our new addition to the Catalyst titled What’s New in Our Chapter. If anyone has a special announcement that he or she would like published about oneself, a coworker, or your company, please send it to me (preferably via email). This includes promotions, awards, births, or marriages.
Please take a minute and review our "Volunteers Needed" column. We are always in need of energetic people who are interested in growing our Pittsburgh Chapter. Your help is very much appreciated!
We would like to encourage those of you interested in taking the PE exam to attend our PE Refresher Course. Please refer to the article in the News Column for recent changes made to the PE Exam.
I look forward to meeting you all at future AIChE meetings!
Peggy Panagopoulos
AIChE Newsletter Editor
ChemTech Consultants, Inc.
1370 Washington Pike, 4th Floor
Bridgeville, PA 15017
TEL 412-220-4612 ~ FAX 412-221-5685
EMAIL pegpana@chemtech88.com
Technical News
FDA Partners with Drug Industry to Ensure Drug Quality
The FDA is attempting to streamline the government process for approval of drugs. The creation of the new Product Quality Research Institute (PQRI) is a step in this direction.
PQRI is a nonprofit research collaboration between scientists from the FDA, the drug industry, and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS). AAPS will run the new Institute.
The institute won’t test specific drugs or replace the clinical studies that drug makers must do to prove a medication is safe and effective to the FDA. Rather, the Institute will bypass hundreds of chemical and manufacturing steps invisible to patients and doctors that companies currently must perform to prove that each dose of a drug is of high quality. This causes testing for various design and manufacturing changes that is unnecessary. The Institute will research alternatives that the FDA might one day accept in lieu of this long and expensive testing.
Genetic Information of World’s Most Radiation-Resistant Organism Decoded
A strain of pink bacteria-Deioncoccus radiodurans-can survive 1.5 million rads of gamma radiation, more that 3,000 times the amount required to kill a human.
Researchers funded by the U.S. Department of Energy at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) have described the complete genetic sequence of the bacteria in the November 19th issue of Science.
The organism’s ability to repair radiation-induced damage completely in the span of 24 hours gives researchers the ability to better understand cellular repair. Advances in this area could in turn improve our understanding of cancer, which is frequently caused by unrepaired DNA damage. Genetic engineering of the microbe could also lead to new ways to cleanup pollution caused by radiation.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson said "This is a significant accomplishment. The Department of Energy began microbial genome work to support bold science and to help meet our unique environment and energy mission needs. Besides the insights into the way cells work, this new research may help provide a new safe and inexpensive tool for some of the nation’s most difficult cleanup challenges."
One possible explanation for the bacteria’s resistance to radiation is that it contains an unusually large redundancy of repair functions in the genetic code.
Government News
AIChE Responds to EPA’s New Sulfur Limits in Gasoline
In early August, AIChE provided comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the EPA’s proposal to limit the level of sulfur in gasoline.
The letter was in response to the EPA’s request for input on Tier 2 Motor Vehicle Emission Standards and Gasoline Sulfur Control Requirements. The Tier 2 Motor Vehicle Emission Standards were created by the Clean Air Act in 1990.
The EPA has stated that additional reductions in emissions from automobiles will be necessary to maintain progress in achieving cleaner air.
The study suggested that reductions in ozone and particulate matter could be achieved cost-effectively by coupling tighter tailpipe standards with cleaner fuels. As a result, EPA proposed regulations mandating the reduction of average sulfur levels in gasoline from more than 300 parts per million (ppm) to 30 ppm. In addition, the proposal would impose a uniform tailpipe standard for passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and other light-duty trucks.
EPA is targeting sulfur because sulfur poisons the operation of the catalytic converters that remove pollutants such as nitrogen oxide from automobile emissions.
Standards established by the American Society for Testing and Materials and adopted in many states include a 1000 ppm cap on sulfur in gasoline. That cap is intended, in part, to help prevent corrosion of vehicle exhaust systems. According to the American Petroleum Institute (API), the national average level of sulfur in today’s conventional gasoline (excluding reformulated gasolines) is 347 ppm, with almost one-fourth of gasolines having a sulfur level of 500 ppm or higher.
AIChE’s Government Relations Committee identified several technical questions that should be answered more fully before mandating that sulfur be reduced in gasoline to an annual average of 30 ppm, with a maximum of 80 ppm, on the proposed timetable (with the phase-in beginning in 2004). The committee also stated that a decrease of sulfur beyond 80 ppm to 30 ppm appears to offer little additional improvement to the environment. The Institute further stated that processes used to remove sulfur to the level of 30 ppm are very energy-intensive and produce greenhouse gases. New, less energy-intensive methods need to be developed if the impact of gasoline production and use on the environment is to be improved.
Dave Gushee, a member of the Institute’s Government Relations Committee and former senior specialist in environmental policy at the Congressional Research Service, stated that "it is understood that EPA consciously forces technology progress as a response to its regulatory requirements. However, I question whether EPA’s demands for motor fuel specifications reflect a reasonable balance between incremental environmental improvement and incremental economic impact. Their technology forecast may be too optimistic, and hence their estimate of economic impact too low."
Placing an Advertisement
Help sponsor the AIChE by placing an ad.
Full page $300.00
1/2 page $175.00
1/4 page $95.00
1/8 page $45.00
1/12 page $30.00
Place multiple ads and receive a discount!
Three (3) consecutive ads - 10% off
Eight (8) consecutive ads or more - 30% off
To place an ad, please contact:
Peggy Panagopoulos
ChemTech Consultants, Inc.
1370 Washington Pike, 4th Floor
Bridgeville, PA 15017
TEL: 412-220-4612
FAX: 412-221-5685
Email: pegpana@hotmail.com
News
P.E. Licensure Exam to be Revised
Members of the Registration and Professional Examinations Advisory Subcommittee (RPEAS) of the Institute's Professional Development Committee have been working with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) to revise the Chemical Engineering Licensure examination. The RPEAS wishes AIChE's general membership to know about two significant changes in the form of the examination, beginning with the examination scheduled to be given in April 2000. First, the new exam will be comprised solely of multiple-choice items. It will no longer contain essay problems. This change will lessen subjectivity in scoring.
Second, the exam will present the candidates with 80 multiple-choice items, forty to be completed during the morning session, and forty during the afternoon. Candidates will address all 80 items, which will cover the full range of ChE practice. They will no longer be able to choose sets of items, with which they may be more familiar, from a larger array of questions. This second change to a "no choice" format will allow the use of statistical methods to set the passing point and help ensure equality of exam scores from administration to administration. These major changes will begin with the April 2000 exam. Those Sections who offer refresher courses should make sure that their instructors are preparing candidates for the new form. Specifications for the April 2000 exam and a sample exam with solutions will be found on the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Web page located at www.ncees.org. A study guide may be purchased from NCEES.
Betty Feehan
Manager, Career Services
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
3 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5991 USA
TEL: 212-591-7524
FAX: 212-591-8898
Email: bettf@aiche.org
(http://www.aiche.org)
Considering the P.E. Exam?
The Pittsburgh Section of AIChE is planning a P.E. refresher course for persons interested in taking the Professional Engineer’s Examination in Chemical Engineering. This is an excellent opportunity to prepare and review for the PE exam with fellow engineers and professors. The course will begin mid to late January, and will consist of six review sessions. The refresher course will be held in Monroeville, PA. Price is estimated to be $250-$300 plus textbook. We are looking for interested persons. Please call Carl W. Schwartz at 412-374-3678 for information. There is a minimum five persons requirement to hold the refresher course.
Georgetown University Researchers Discover New Therapy to Help Kill Tumors
A new approach to gene therapy wipes out tumors in mice and appears to reach cancer cells that spread in the body and kill, researchers said on Thursday. Kathleen Pirollo of the Lombardi Cancer Center said she had treated experimental mice infected with human head and neck cancer with the new gene therapy.
"We have seen total regression of the tumors," she said. "Eighteen months after the end of the treatment, the animals survived with absolutely no recurrence of the disease and they finally died of old age."
Pirollo’s gene therapy approach uses the p53 gene, a gene that normally causes damaged cells to self-destruct. In some cancers, however, the gene malfunctions and allows cells to multiply wildly, creating a tumor.
Pirollo’s team has used ligands, which can recognize and attach to specific receptors on the surfaces of cells, to optimize the gene therapy delivery. Previous approaches to gene therapy have injected the genes directly into the tumor, used a virus, or wrapped the genes in fatty material known as liposomes. None of these approaches had worked effectively.
AIChE Student Scholarship
PITTSBURGH SECTION
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Student Scholarship Application
December 1st, 1999
Dear Student:
Thank you for your interest in the Scholarship Program of the Pittsburgh Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
The Pittsburgh Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) plans to award one one-year $500 undergraduate student scholarship for the 2000-2001 academic year. The recipient must be enrolled full time in the second or third year of an AIChE-accredited curriculum leading to an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering, must have completed the first year of said program and have successfully completed at least the first or second year of said program and must satisfy one of the following conditions:
(a) is enrolled at one of the four chemical engineering programs in the AIChE Pittsburgh Section area (Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, West Virginia University or Youngstown State University)
or
(b) is enrolled at any AIChE-accredited chemical engineering program in the United States provided that the student is the son or daughter of a member in good standing of both the AIChE and the Pittsburgh Section of AIChE.
The purpose of the Scholarship is to encourage excellence in the profession of Chemical Engineering by recognizing and rewarding those who demonstrate scholastic promise, initiative and dedication to the advancement of science and the Chemical Engineering profession by their achievements and accomplishments as undergraduate Chemical Engineering students.
DEADLINES
Applications will be available from the four University Chemical Engineering Departments noted above, and from the AIChE Pittsburgh Section Scholarship Selection Committee Chairman, Samuel W. Vance, 477 Bartolo Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15243 (TEL 412-221-1067). Applications will be available December 1st, 1999.
Completed Applications must be returned to the AIChE Pittsburgh Section Scholarship Selection Committee Chairman, Samuel W. Vance, 477 Bartolo Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15243, no later than March 15th, 2000.
The successful candidate will be notified before April 30th, 2000, by the Selection Committee Chairman.
All applications received before the deadline will be acknowledged by letter to the Applicant from the Selection Committee Chairman, within five days of receipt of the application.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
a. All of the entries shown on this Application Form must be completed.
b. A current transcript of the applicant’s academic college record must be transmitted from the college or university directly to the Selection Committee Chairman.
c. Letters of recommendation (two professional (or academic) and two personal) shall be transmitted to the Selection Committee Chairman WITH the application, OR DIRECTLY to the Selection Committee Chairman, Samuel W. Vance, 477 Bartolo Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15243.
AWARD CRITERIA
The award shall be based on scholastic achievement, community activities, technical promise and ability, and demonstrated character. Financial need is not a criterion.
Very truly yours,
Samuel W. Vance, Chairman
Pittsburgh Section of AIChE Scholarship Award Committee
(Only if Applicant is a son or daughter of a Member of the Pittsburgh Section and the National AIChE):
Parent Name
Address
Telephone
National AIChE Member No.
APPLICATION FORM
Personal Information
Name of Applicant
Permanent Address
No. & Street/P.O. Box
City State Zip Telephone (include Area Code)
Local Address (if different from Permanent Address):
No. & Street/P.O. Box
City State Zip Telephone (include Area Code)
I certify the answers given herein are true and complete to the best of my knowledge.
Signature Date
Attach a typed 250-word (or more) statement of the reasons you wish to become a Chemical Engineer
Educational Information
University/College in which you are currently enrolled:
Address
City State Zip
Date when degree is anticipated
Attach curriculum for the current and next school term.
Request a current transcript of the applicant’s academic college record be transmitted from the College or University directly to the Selection Committee Chairman (Samuel W. Vance, 477 Bartolo Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15243).
References
List two professional (or academic) and two personal references. Letters of recommendation should be attached to this form or they may be sent directly to the Scholarship Selection Committee Chairman (Samuel W. Vance, 477 Bartolo Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15243). Do not use family members as references.
Professional (or Academic) (Give name, address, phone and length of time known)
1. Name Company/School Time Known
Address Telephone
2. Name Company/School Time Known
Address Telephone
Personal (give name, address, phone and length of time known)
1. Name Company/School Time Known
Address Telephone
2. Name Company/School Time Known
Address Telephone
Community Activities
Supplemental Information
Other Information you wish to include
(attach additional sheets, if needed)
Volunteers Needed
Membership
Database Development ~ Integrate Meeting Reservations/Attendance with Total Membership to develop contact lists of active members
Engineers Week Coordinator
Chemistry Week Coordinator
Science Fair Coordinator ~ Ed Moretti
Newsletter
Column Writer ~ What’s New in the Section
Column Writer ~ Technical Articles
Column Writer ~ Government Regulations and Legislation
Column Writer ~ Internet Resources/Sites of the month
Secretary
Assistant ~ Take minutes and fill in on Absence of Secretary
Treasurer Assistant ~ Collect Payments and fill in on Absence of Treasure
Programs
Promotion ~ ESWP Technicalendar and ACS Newsletter Interface
Speaker Recognition Mementos
Award Banquet Chair and Support
Student Night ~ Paper Competition
Student Night ~ Table Sponsors
Student Night ~ Support
Development
Promotion ~ ESWP Technicalendar and ACS Newsletter Interface
Executive Program Concept Proposal
Sponsor Relations for Awards, Banquet, and special projects
University/Student Chapter Relations
West Virginia Chapter Development
Awards & Scholarship
Awards Committee Members ~ Solicitation of Nominations
Awards Committee Members ~ Evaluation/Selection of Awardees
Awards Committee Members ~ Solicitation of Nominations
Programs
Promotion ~ ESWP Technicalendar and ACS Newsletter Interface Award Banquet Chair and Support
Dr. Ted Andersen
(TSAndersen@AOL.com)
ChemTech Consultants
TEL: 412-220-4555
FAX: 412-221-5685
Engineering Humor
You Might be an Engineer if …
You look forward to Christmas only to put together the kids' toys
You have used coat hangers and duct tape for something other than hanging coats and taping ducts
You know what http:// actually stands for
You own one or more white short-sleeve dress shirts
You see a good design and still have to change it
You spent more on your calculator than on your wedding ring
You still own a slide rule and you know how to work it
You think that when people around you yawn, it's because they didn't get enough sleep
You wear black socks with white tennis shoes (or vice versa)
You window shop at Radio Shack
You know what the geosynchronous satellite function is
Your checkbook always balances
Your laptop computer costs more than your car
Your wristwatch has more computing power than a 300Mhz Pentium
You've already calculated how much you make per second
You've ever tried to repair a $5 radio
Announcements
AIChE Email Initiative
We have begun an initiative to use broadcast email for special section announcements.
If you have received duplicates of initial transmittals or have been burdened by excessively long cc: lists as we progress through the learning curve, please accept our apology.
If you have not received email invitations to the December meeting or for the P.E. Exam Refresher course, your email address is either invalid or missing in the regional membership database we received from AIChE HQ.
Corrections, additions, and deletions to our database are being handled manually for now. Please send short and simple messages to TSAndersen@AOL.com such as; Subscribe, Remove, or Change: ____@___.___.
Practical Distillation Technology Seminar
Callery Chemical Company, a division of MSA, and the Pittsburgh Chapter AIChE are investigating a two-day Seminar regarding Practical Distillation Technology, by Henry Z. Kister, Fluor Daniel, Inc.
Attend the seminar to find your answers to:
Increasing operating efficiency
Reducing costs
Promoting trouble-free column operations
And MORE!
A minimum of twenty persons is required to hold the seminar. The cost is $700-900. All final plans will be made according to seminar interest.
If interested please contact:
Fereshteh.Eidgahy
Callery Chemical Company
Fereshteh.Eidgahy@MSAnet.com
Interested in hosting an AIChE Meeting at your Company?
We are in search of hosts for our future AIChE monthly meetings. The Chapter is looking for companies that can provide AIChE members with an interesting, informative, and beneficial agenda. If your company is interested in hosting a meeting next spring or fall, please contact the Pittsburgh Chapter Program Chair:
Mr. Ed Moretti, Vice Chair
Baker Environmental
TEL: 412-269-6055 ~ FAX: 412-269-6097
Email: emoretti@mbakercorp.com
|
2000 Schedule of Events |
||
|
Date |
Subject (Location) |
Special Event |
|
February 16 |
Engineering in 2020 |
Student Night |
|
March 14 |
Dravo Tech Sludge to Gypsum Demo |
|
|
April 26 |
Sony Chemicals Corporation of America CEO |
|
May 17 |
TBD |
|
Considering the P.E. Exam?
The Pittsburgh Section of AIChE is planning to offer a P.E. Refresher Course for persons interested in taking the Professional Engineer’s Examination in Chemical Engineering. The course will begin in January, and consist of six or seven review sessions. The refresher course will be held in Monroeville, PA. Price will be $250-$300 plus textbook. We are looking for interested persons.
Please call Carl W. Schwartz at 412-374-3678 for detailed information. There is a minimum five persons requirement to hold the refresher course.
Positions Available
Entrance level chemical technician for contract research position, January through June, 2000. Possibility of permanent position depending upon performance and availability of funding. Competitive salary. B.S. in chemistry or equivalent experience required.
Send resume, transcript, and references to:
Marcia Oder
EXPORTech Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 588
New Kensington, PA 15068-0588
TEL: 724-337-4415
FAX: 724-337-4470
Email: magsep@sgi.net
Chemical engineer or surface chemist for part time position for the period January-June, 2000, with possibility of follow-on position depending upon performance and availability of funding. Will be responsible for overseeing experiments in chemical vapor deposition. Competitive salary. Ph.D. or equivalent industrial experience required.
Send resume and references to:
Marcia Oder
EXPORTech Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 588
New Kensington, PA 15068-0588
TEL: 724-337-4415
FAX: 724-337-4470
Email: magsep@sgi.net
Membership Corner
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
Nancy Hirko
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the value that the local section provides and to encourage you to pay your dues on time. All membership updates should be sent to National with a copy to me, Nancy Hirko. If you are not currently a local section member, please consider joining using the coupon below. A portion of your dues is deposited into our scholarship fund. Please help our local section and scholarship fund continue to grow!
LOCAL SECTION MEMBERSHIP COUPON
Please sign me up for the local Pittsburgh Section of AIChE
Name
Company
Address
City State Zip
TEL: Business
TEL Residence
Annual Dues are $14.00. Make check payable to "AIChE Pittsburgh Section" and send to our treasurer, John Hauser:
PROSAF, Inc., 103 Yorktown Road, McMurray, PA 15317
Newsletter Deadline
Wednesday, January 12th, 2000
Please contact:
Peggy
Panagopoulos
ChemTech Consultants, Inc.
1370 Washington Pike, 4th Floor
Bridgeville, PA 15017
TEL: 412-220-4612
FAX: 412-221-5685
Email: pegpana@chemtech88.com
1999-2000 Section Officers
Executive Committee
Chair
TSAndersen@AOL.comTed Andersen
ChemTech Consultants
Vice-Chair & Program
emoretti@mbakercorp.comEd Moretti
Baker Environmental
Secretary
hargest@ppg.comBill Hargest
PPG Industries, Inc.
Treasurer
prosaf@sgi.netJohn Hauser
PROSAF, Inc.
Counselors
Mike.Friedrich@Kvaerner.comMike Friedrich
Kvaerner Metals
dbutton@compuserve.comDel Button
Button Engineering
Past Chair & Nominations
louisa.nara.b@bayer.comLouisa Nara
Bayer Corporation
Additional Officers and Chairs
Membership & Engineer Week
nmhirko@uss.comNancy Hirko
U.S. Steel
Newsletter Editor
pegpana@hotmail.comPeggy Panagopoulos
ChemTech Consultants
Meeting Arrangements
mflaherty@ecc.comMike Flaherty
Calgon Corporation
Development
Gerald.LaRose@Kvaerner.comGerald LaRosa
Kvaerner Metals
Committee Chairs
Safety & Environmental
Shiaw Tseng
Scholarship
Sam Vance
Student Night
Michael Flaherty
Web Master
rrd@telerama.comRichard R. Dupree
Dupree & Associates
End of The Catalyst Newsletter - January 2000