The Catalyst

When:              Wednesday, September 15^th, 1999

Time:               Tour begins at 5:30 P.M.

Dinner following the Tour

Menu: Entrée Selections

(Select one of the following):

Jambalaya; Linguini with White Clam Sauce; Linguini with Marinara Sauce; Marinated Chicken served with mashed potatoes and vegetable; Half a Rack of Ribs served with wild rice and cole slaw. Salad, Dessert and Beverage (coffee, tea, or soda) will be served with the entrée.

Cost: $25.00

RSVP No Later Than

Thursday, September 9^th, 1999, to:

Mr. Ed Moretti, Vice Chair

emoretti@mbakercorp.com

FAX 412-269-6097

Phone                     _____________________________________

Pressure Chemical Co. (PCC) provides technical expertise for the development and manufacture of a broad range of chemicals from flavors and fragrances to petrochemicals. At a facility located on Smallman Street in Pittsburgh, PCC's staff of highly skilled chemists, engineers, and operators performs basic research, toll and custom manufacturing, and process development. PCC specializes in organic synthesis, high-pressure reactions, phosgenation, specialty polymers, pharmaceutical intermediates, organometallics, and supercritical extraction.

PCC's custom-tailored support services range from small-scale to full-scale process development to long-term chemical manufacturing. Such wide-ranging support services create unique issues related to process safety requirements, operator training, environmental compliance, quality assurance/quality control, business development, and management of change.

This program will provide an opportunity to tour the PCC facility and understand how PCC manages its core obligations to customers, employees, regulators, and the public despite constantly changing processes and plant configurations.

The featured speaker is Mr. Bob Dollinger, Business Development Manager of Pressure Chemical Co..

From the North

Taking 279 South, follow signs to Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport. Exit left to Convention Center/Strip District. Go straight through 1^st light (around the Convention Center) then turn left on to Smallman Street. Pressure Chemical is located at 34^th and Smallman.

From the East

Taking 376 West, Exit 6-Boulevard-of-the-Allies (579S). Right lane. Exit 7 Convention Center. Straight thought stop sign. Keep to right lane. Right at light onto Grant Street. Far left lane (11^th Street sign) 2^nd light-left (in front of Greyhound Bus Station). Pass through the first light and then turn right onto Smallman Street. Pressure Chemical is located at 34^th and Smallman.

From the South/West/Airport

Follow all signs to Pittsburgh. Downtown Pittsburgh/279 North. Left lane through Fort Pitt Tunnels Exit 10 - 10^th Street Bypass/Fort Duquesne Boulevard/Convention Center. Left lane -Convention Center/Strip District. Go straight through 1^st light (around Convention Center). Turn left on Smallman Street. Pressure Chemical is located at 34^th and Smallman.

I would like to add a new section to the Catalyst titled "What’s New in Our Chapter". If anyone has a special announcement that he or she would like published, send it to me (preferably via email). This includes promotions, awards, births, or marriages.

We are always looking for new and interesting articles to place in the Catalyst. If you are aware of any, please submit them to me at the address below (preferably via email).

I look forward to meeting you all at future AIChE meetings!

Peggy Panagopoulos, AIChE Newsletter Editor
ChemTech Consultants, Inc.
1370 Washington Pike, 4^th Floor
Bridgeville, PA 15017
TEL: 412-220-4612
FAX: 412-221-5685
Email: pegpana@chemtech88.com

I invite those who came just once, and those who have not been to a meeting in many years (or never) to join the "regulars" at our local meetings this year. We intentionally vary the location and the day we meet to accommodate as many of you as possible. Last year's events concluded with a terrific McAfee awards banquet at the historic Oakmont Country Club. This year's schedule is shaping up to include a fascinating mix of plant tours and technical presentations.

Much of West Virginia is in our section but Pittsburgh meeting locations make it difficult for folks from the Mountain State to participate. A local West Virginia chapter affiliated with our section could help us extend our reach. We will be visiting Morgantown, West Virginia in October and hope to start people thinking of possible additional local activities.

We need fresh views and enthusiasm on the executive committee. Peggy Panagopoulos and Mike Flaherty are now our Catalyst Editor and Arrangements/Student Night Chair, respectively. We will be looking for more new faces in working committees this year to grow new activities and share the load now being carried by too few individuals. I have asked each officer to identify small, distinct tasks that could be delegated to new folks. Watch future Catalysts for your opportunity to get involved.

I will be looking for you at this year's meetings ~ starting on September 15^th.

 Ted Andersen

ABSTRACT

The world is going to generate most of its energy from fossil fuels long into the foreseeable future. At the same time, the potential problem of global climate change, which has been attributed to the increased use of fossil fuels, has become a growing concern to many nations. The concept of capturing and storing large quantities of CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion, has received increasing attention in recent years as an important option to address this issue. The current world research and development effort on carbon sequestration will be described.

Where: Moré Restaurant, Oakland, Pittsburgh

Time: Networking 11:30 A.M.

Lunch 12:00 P.M.

Presentation 1:00 P.M.

Cost: $11.00 Coal Tech Group Members, $12.00 Non-members

Menu: Baked Manicotti or Chicken Romano

Contact Bob Statnick at 412-854-6758 or email: bobstatnick@consolenergy.com by Monday, September 20^th, for reservations.

Please respond by this date, since seating may be limited.

I am pleased to announce the results of the AIChE Pittsburgh Section officer election.

They are as follows:

Vice Chair: Ed Moretti

Treasurer: John Hauser

Secretary: Bill Hargest

Thanks to all who graciously agreed to run for office and offer their services to the section. We appreciate your interest and commitment.

AIChE's 50^th Career Fair to Aid Members and Employers Institute members and employers attending the Annual Meeting at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas on November 1^st and 2^nd can benefit greatly from the fair planned by AIChE's Career Services Department.

Members attending the fair are encouraged to submit their resume into our new on-line Career Fair Resume Database accessible to participating employers only. Early resume submission will allow employers to review member credentials prior to the fair. On-site interviews will be conducted with qualified candidates. Those unable to attend the fair may submit their resume for distribution to all participating employers. For details visit our Web site www.aiche.org/employment. For information, call 212-591-7670; email herbs@aiche.org <mailto:herbs@aiche.org>.

Dr. Robert Weinberg, a researcher at MIT's Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, has led a team that created a cancerous human cell by genetically altering a normal one in the laboratory. This breakthrough will allow scientists to determine what causes cells to become cancerous and then work backwards with the hopes of finding a cure for cancer.

Previously, scientists had caused cancer in cells using chemicals and X-rays. However, this was the first time that scientists were able to predict the changes that were being introduced to the cells.

This new research is keyed towards arriving at a method of curing cancer that will only target the diseased cells. Current chemotherapeutic approaches kill both diseased and healthy cells indiscriminately. Scientists believe that a genetic approach will allow scientists to avoid killing healthy cells. Cancer is caused by genes becoming diseased and triggering uncontrolled cell growth. This triggers other genes, tumor suppressors, that attempt to stop the growth. When the tumor suppressors also turn bad, the end result is cancer.

EPA Recommends Reduction of MTBE Gasoline Additive

The EPA recommended on July 27^th that the gasoline additive MTBE, an additive that leads to cleaner burning fuels, be reduced substantially.

The recommendation follows California's slowly phased-in ban on the additive, with the additive to be completely removed from gasoline by the year 2003. As California consumes one-sixth of the world's gasoline, this ban was interpreted as signifying a huge blow to the petrochemicals industry.

California found that MTBE was leaking from underground gasoline storage tanks into the state's drinking water supplies. MTBE has been found to cause tumors when administered to laboratory animals.

The ban will also affect gasoline imports, as the United States imports approximately 130,000 barrels of refined gasoline per day from the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

According to Rob Harvan, an analyst at Bonner & Moore in Houston, the ultimate impact of the EPA's decision will not be completely felt until the year 2000.

Professors at Michigan Tech, led by David Hand, program manager for the National Center for Clean Industrial Treatment, have created a series of computer programs that can help clean up contamination sites.

The programs not only provide excellent models for site remediation, but also can be honed to cope with virtually any air or water pollution problem involving industrial solvents. For instance, the software can help remediators develop the best action plant for cleaning up their unique contamination site.

Environmental engineers can determine the best remediation method based on the two EPA-approved techniques: aeration (a process where air is used to "scrub away" pollutants) and adsorption, in which a solid surface known as an adsorbent separates the pollutant from the contaminated air or water.

"As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday and employees will receive their cards in two weeks." (This was the winning quote from Charles Hurst at Sun Microsystems)

"What I need is a list of specific unknown problems we will encounter."

"How long is this Beta guy going to keep testing our stuff?"

"Email is not to be used to pass on information or data. It should be used only to be used for company business."

"Turnover is good for the company, as it proves that we are doing a good job in training people."

"This project is so important, we can't let things that are more important interfere with it."

"Doing it right is no excuse for not meeting the schedule."

Nancy Hirko

Yes, I am planning early this year for Engineer’s Weekend (February 25-26, 2000) at the Carnegie Science Center. I would like to make some changes to our activity if possible. I am seeking ideas to replace the rubber balls that we have been making for the past three years. Although this is a very popular activity, it turns out that the balls turn to stone after a week in the open air. I was quite disappointed with the final product after making one for myself this past year.

I have been ordering these as individual kits from an importer in central Pennsylvania. The kits are made in China. If any member works for a chemical company that makes food grade rubber or a better rubber product, please let me know!!! We can then continue making rubber balls, as I have the molds from the past three years. If we cannot obtain better raw materials, I suggest that we perform another activity. Please contact me if you have any good "hands-on" type experiments that depict chemistry or chemical engineering. The tentative theme this year is "What we do is all around us."

On a related note, the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society has extended an invitation to our section to participate in the 12^th anniversary of National Chemistry Week at the Carnegie Science Center. The event will be held on Friday and Saturday, November 12-13, 1999 from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. each day. They are looking for organizations/professional societies to staff event tables with chemistry-related hands-on science experiments. Again, the incentives are a free parking pass, T-shirt, refreshments and most of all, a chance to interact with youth and potential chemical engineers!

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Peggy Panagopoulos

ChemTech Consultants, Inc.

1370 Washington Pike, 4^th Floor

Bridgeville, PA 15017

TEL: 412-220-4612

FAX: 412-221-5685

Nancy Hirko

Welcome back! Hope you all had a great summer. Your local section officers are busy planning interesting programs for the upcoming year. 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!

Peggy Panagopoulos

ChemTech Consultants, Inc.

1370 Washington Pike, 4^th Floor

Bridgeville, PA 15017

TEL: 412-220-4612

FAX: 412-221-5685

1999-2000 Section Officers

monthly edition of the newsletter

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