l’actualité chimique canadienne canadian chemical news ACCN
JUNE | JUIN • 2006 • Vol. 58, No./no 6
Polymers and Coatings Creativity Over Brains
NOVA Protective Packaging Coatings in Oil Sands Mining
Outsourcing R&D
Is HAZWOPER HAZWOPER the Way to Go? The Patent Landscape
ACCN
JUNE | JUIN • 2006 • Vol. 58, No./no 6
A publication of the CIC | Une publication de l’ICC
Ta bl e o f C o n t e n t s | Ta bl e d e s m a t i è r e s
Ar ticles
Guest Column Chroniqueur invité . . . . . . 2 Friends in New Quarters Ken Lawless
Personals Personnalités . . . . . . . . . . . 3
News Briefs Nouvelles en bref . . . . . . . 4
9
Creativity Drives Georges
10
Pack it Up!
12
Protective Coatings and Overlays
14
Outside the Box
16
HAZWOPER
18
No Trespassing—Part I
Chemfusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Joe Schwarcz, MCIC
And in Regulatory News … . . . . . . . . . 21
CSChE Bulletin SCGCh . . . . . . . . . . . 22
CIC Bulletin ICC In Memoriam
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Local Section News Nouvelles des sections locales . . . . . . . . 26
NCW News Nouvelles de la SNC . . . . . . 28
Student News Nouvelles des étudiants . . . 28
Events Événements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Employment Wanted Demande d’emploi . . 29
Paul Fraumeni
®
R&D unleashes growth potential—NOVA Chemicals’ ARCEL resin story Edwin H. Niemann and Pace A. Markowitz
Development of wear- and corrosion-resistant coatings in oil sands mining Gary Fisher
Outsourcing R&D can bring new products to market quickly and efficiently. David Hacker and Andrew Sinclair, MCIC
Should the Canadian chemical industry adopt an American model—for safety’s sake? Glenn Wood, MCIC
Evaluate your freedom to operate in the patent landscape. Carol Yip
GUEST COLUMN CHRONIQUEUR INVITÉ
Editor-in-Chief/Rédactrice en chef Michelle Piquette Managing Editor/Directrice de la rédaction Heather Dana Munroe Graphic Designer/Infographiste Krista Leroux Editorial Board/Conseil de rédaction Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, chair/président Cathleen Crudden, MCIC John Margeson, MCIC Milena Sejnoha, MCIC Steve Thornton, MCIC Bernard West, MCIC
Friends in New Quarters Ken Lawless
T
he Ottawa Life Sciences Council (OLSC) is a not-for-profit economic development agency, mandated with supporting the companies and organizations that operate within the life sciences sector in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario. Traditionally, the OLSC has not been seen as a partner for pursuing opportunities in the Canadian chemical industry. I would like to suggest to you that this is changing, and fast. Biotechnology is one of the primary pillars of the life sciences industry. The field of biotechnology is broad and deep, running from human health through to agriculture through to industrial processes, and the OLSC has been addressing the full spectrum of opportunities that it presents. Working through its focused sectoral development program, the Bioproducts, Business and Environmental Technology Network (Be2BN), the OLSC is taking a leading role in building a competitive industrial biotechnology cluster in Eastern Ontario. Industrial biotechnology is fundamentally about producing the products and commodities that drive our economy, using renewable resources as the starting point—primarily involving forest and agricultural biomass as the feedstock (e.g. Ottawa’s Iogen Corporation and cellulose ethanol). As petroleum prices continue to rise and issues of the environment and climate change demand increasing attention, the pressures to evolve the manufacture of chemicals to a sustainable basis can only mount. The OLSC is privileged to work with companies that are helping create the technologies, processes, and business models that will make this transition happen. Ensyn Corporation is a prime example of an Ottawa-area industrial biotechnology company that is pioneering world-leading solutions for the manufacture of chemicals from low-value biomass. Their well-established
2 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
Rapid Thermal Processing platform is a fast pyrolysis process that produces chemical and fuel products through the flash heating, then cooling of biomass in an oxygen-starved environment. To date, Ensyn has successfully commercialized products such as: NR—a natural resin ingredient used as a substitute for phenol and formaldehyde in wood panels; V-additive—a concrete and pavement additive; and food additives and products. Despite these commercial successes, David Boulard, executive vice-president of Ensyn, feels that they are just scratching the surface as to the range of chemicals (both commodity and high value) that might be economically produced through their pyrolysis platform. Boulard states, “the role of pyrolysis-produced chemicals is in its infancy and the unmined or untapped commercialization opportunities are endless.” Ensyn is but one of a number of companies, research institutions, and universities that are coming together in Eastern Ontario to develop the bio-based solutions that Canada and the Canadian chemical industry will need to stay at the forefront of the global transition to a bio-economy. The OLSC is your partner in helping you connect with this groundswell of activity, to forge new strategic alliances, to identify and develop key IP, and to develop the new business models to commercialize this innovation. Friends in new quarters are what we all need to ensure Canada is at the forefront of the global transition to a bio-based economy. For more information visit www.olsc.ca or contact Be2BN manager, George Brook, at (613) 521-1008. Ken Lawless is president and CEO of the Ottawa Life Sciences Council.
Editorial Office/Bureau de la rédaction 130, rue Slater Street, Suite/bureau 550 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 613-232-6252 • Fax/Téléc. 613-232-5862 editorial@accn.ca • www.accn.ca Advertising/Publicité advertising@accn.ca Subscription Rates/Tarifs d’abonnement Non CIC members/Non-membres de l’ICC : in/au Canada CAN$55; outside/à l’extérieur du Canada US$50. Single copy/Un exemplaire CAN$8 or US$7. L’Actualité chimique canadienne/Canadian Chemical News (ACCN) is published 10 times a year by The Chemical Institute of Canada / est publié 10 fois par année par l’Institut de chimie du Canada. www.cheminst.ca. Recommended by The Chemical Institute of Canada, the Canadian Society for Chemistry, the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, and the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the official position of the Institute, or of the societies that recommend the magazine. Recommandé par l’Institut de chimie du Canada, la Société canadienne de chimie, la Société canadienne de génie chimique et la Société canadienne de technologie chimique. Les opinions exprimées ne reflètent pas nécessairement la position officielle de l’Institut ou des sociétés constituantes qui soutiennent la revue. Change of Address/Changement d’adresse circulation@cheminst.ca Printed in Canada by Gilmore Printing Services Inc. and postage paid in Ottawa, ON./ Imprimé au Canada par Gilmore Printing Services Inc. et port payé à Ottawa, ON. Publications Mail Agreement Number/ No de convention de la Poste-publications : 40021620. (USPS# 0007-718) Indexed in the Canadian Business Index and available on-line in the Canadian Business and Current Affairs database. / Répertorié dans la Canadian Business Index et accessible en ligne dans la banque de données Canadian Business and Current Affairs. ISSN 0823-5228
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PERSONALS PERSONNALITÉS
Industry Vancouver-based QLT Inc. has appointed Robert Butchofsky as the company’s president and CEO, after Butchofsky’s successful stint as acting CEO. He was also named a director. Each year, the MSED sponsors an award that recognizes research excellence by two graduate students working in polymer science and engineering in Canada. Once again, the award is co-sponsored by LANXESS Inc. The award has a cash prize, and provides travel funds to a Canadian conference for each winner. The two winners of the 2006 competition are Jingshe Song, MCIC, from the University of Toronto (under the supervision of Mitchell Winnik, FCIC), and Mandy Yam, MCIC, from The University of British Columbia (under the supervision of Derek Gates, MCIC).
mainly involved the preparation and study of inorganic polymers. She is planning to finish her PhD degree this year and seek a research position in the chemical industry.
Henry J. Stronks, MCIC Henry J. Stronks, MCIC, has been appointed president of Bruker BioSpin Ltd. in Canada. Stronks graduated from the Guelph Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry and has been working at Bruker since 1984. Bruker BioSpin is the world’s leading manufacturer of NMR, EPR, and MRI spectrometers.
University George Kotovych, MCIC, will be retiring from the University of Alberta department of chemistry on June 30, 2006, after 36.5 years of service. He will continue to be associated with the department as professor emeritus. His research involved high field NMR studies of structure activity of correlations of nucleosides, nucleotides, coenzymes, vitamins, prostaglandins, prostacyclins, leucotrienes, and more recently, peptide agonists and antagonists. Dalhousie University’s Alison Thompson, MCIC, has been awarded the 2006 AstraZeneca Excellence in Chemistry Award for her outstanding contributions to Canadian chemistry through her dipyrromethene research. The award is an unrestricted research grant for two years. Thompson is currently an assistant professor of chemistry, and has been promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure, effective July 1, 2006.
Distinction
Jingshe Song, MCIC
Joseph D. Wright, FCIC
Mandy Yam, MCIC Song’s research was centered on the synthesis and properties of monodisperse polymer particles. After he completes his PhD, he plans to pursue a research career in the area of materials chemistry either at a university or in industry. Yam’s research has
Joseph D. Wright, FCIC, president and CEO of Paprican, has announced his retirement. Over the next few months, Wright will be working in an advisory capacity with Paprican’s chair of the board, Frank Dottori, and with Paprican’s executive management. The selection process for the position of president and CEO is expected to conclude in early summer. “The Board and I would like to thank [Joseph] Wright for his important contributions and leadership over the past 12 years.” said Dottori.
Michelle Nena Chrétien, MCIC Michelle Nena Chrétien, MCIC, was awarded one of the five 2006 IUPAC Prizes for Young Chemists. The awards are given for the best PhD theses in the chemical sciences as described in 1,000-word essays. Chrétien wrote on “Photochemical, Photophysical, and Photobiological Studies of Zeolite GuestHost Complexes.” The winners each receive a cash prize and a free trip to the IUPAC Congress in Torino, Italy, this August. They are also invited to present a poster at the IUPAC Congress describing their award winning work and to submit a short critical review on aspects of their research
JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 3
PERSONALS PERSONNALITÉS
topics to be published in Pure and Applied Chemistry. The awards will be presented to the winners of the 2006 and 2007 prizes during the opening ceremony of the Congress. Donald F. Weaver, FCIC, received the BioNova Research Excellence Award. BioNova is Nova Scotia’s biotechnology and life sciences industry association. The research excellence award is given once per year to a researcher whose research is
contributing to the growth of the life sciences industrial sector in Nova Scotia. Weaver is a professor in the department of chemistry at Dalhousie University and Canada Research Chair in Clinical Neuroscience.
Government CIC chair Bernard West, MCIC, has been elected chair of the advisory board of the
National Research Council Canada’s Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology (NRC-ICPET). West will replace Jean M. Bélanger, HFCIC, who has finished his term on the ICPET advisory board. With its partners, NRC-ICPET contributes to increasing the competitiveness of Canada’s chemistry-intensive industries through research into innovative processes and technologies that enable sustainable development.
NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF
NOVA Chemicals Expects Improving Returns NOVA Chemicals’ new president and CEO, Jeffrey Lipton, described positive momentum in NOVA Chemicals’ business in 2006 after reporting disappointing year-end results for 2005. Speaking at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, Lipton discussed a series of unusual events during the past year that negatively impacted after-tax net income by US$240 million. NOVA Chemicals reported a net loss of US$104 million in 2005, compared to a net income of US$252 million in 2004. “NOVA Chemicals is poised to improve results for 2006 and 2007 as inventory levels throughout the chain remain low, operating rates are high, and fundamental demand continues to build,” said Lipton. “We also expect to deliver significant value to our customers and shareholders through growth of our performance products portfolio.” NOVA Chemicals
Aspartame Deemed Non-Carginogenic A new epidemiology study from the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. confirms previous study conclusions that there is no link between aspartame consumption and leukemias, lymphomas, and brain tumours. “Despite allegations by critics, this new NCI study, in conjunction with a multitude of other scientific studies, clearly demonstrates
4 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
that aspartame is not a carcinogen and can be a beneficial and safe tool in helping people reduce calories and control their weight,” said Lyn Nabors, president of the Calorie Control Council. Aspartame is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, as the methyl ester. Aspartame has been determined to be safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other scientific and regulatory authorities worldwide.
Clarification Brian James, FCIC (UBC, chemistry), is the unidentified co-recipient of the PAPTEC Douglas Atack Award for the Best Mechanical Pulping Paper in 2005 mentioned in the April 2006 issue of ACCN on p. 3.
Camford Chemical Report
Photo by Tatyana Postovyk
NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF
Huntsman’s Green Chemistry Initiatives Huntsman Advanced Materials is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of coating systems, advanced epoxy resins, adhesives, electrical insulating materials, printed circuit board technology, tooling materials, and structural composites. End-use markets serviced include the aerospace, automotive, telecommunications, electrical and electronics, recreation, and appliance industries. Huntsman announced that it has formed a new strategic business unit dedicated to the enhancement of the company’s green chemistry initiatives. “Given the universal definition that green chemistry is the design of products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances, we have
Photo by Dain Hubley
been avid devotees of green chemistry for several years,” said performance products division president, Don Stanutz. “Our new strategic business unit, working closely with the research and development professionals at Huntsman Advanced Technology Center, will now help us to significantly ramp up our efforts.” Examples of Huntsman’s existing green, or sustainable, chemistry products include waterborne paint primers, carbonates that reduce volatile organic compounds in paints, propylene carbonate-based solvents that reduce toxicity in applications from agriculture to industrial cleaning agents, wood preservatives that replace a known human carcinogen, non-brominated flame retardants, and catalysts that eliminate emissions from insulation foams. Stanutz commented, “These are but a few of our current sustainable chemistry products and the possibilities for
more are endless. We are especially anxious to build our position in this burgeoning field through the use of bio-based feedstocks such as glycerin, natural alcohols, methylesters, carbohydrates, and sugars.” “One cannot speak about green chemistry without a discussion of energy conservation,” Stanutz continued. “Huntsman is a major contributor to energy conservation through its creation of such products as more energy efficient insulation, lighter composites that enhance fuel efficiency in automobiles and aircraft, and lubrication additives that improve fuel economy through reducing friction. Energy efficiency and green chemistry are not only better for the environment, they make sound business sense,” he concluded. Camford Chemical Report
JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 5
NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF
Polymer Group Expands Coating and Printing Capacity Polymer Group, Inc. (PGI) Canada has expanded its coating and printing capacity to meet growing demand for its engineered fabrics for building and construction and other industrial uses. The company’s Fabrene group has installed a wide-width extrusion coating and laminating line that offers multilayer capability for nonwovens, paper, foils, and films, as well as the ability to coat with specialty resins for a wide range of technical end uses. PGI Canada has also announced it will install a new flexographic printing line that offers widths in excess of 144 inches, providing customers with even greater flexibility with shorter turnaround times in delivering customized printed materials for industrial packaging and other uses. The new line will be operational by June 2006. The US$8 million investment by Fabrene in new technology for these expansions strengthens the company’s position as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of coated woven polyethylene. “Building and construction is a growing market for PGI and this investment in a new technology will satisfy demand for products like housewraps and roofing membranes that are even stronger and easier to install,” said Eric Henderson, vice-president of sales and marketing at PGI Canada. “The additional printing and coating capacity will also bring more value to our customers.”
The new technology will enable PGI to provide better service to customers in lumber and steel wrap markets. It will also improve PGI’s product offering and performance in specialty laminates, automotive, military, and apparel markets. PGI’s Fabrene operations provide engineered woven polyolefin materials for building and construction, protective covering and industrial packaging. The group supplies global markets from plants in North Bay, ON, Montréal, QC, and Portland, OR. Polymer Group, Inc.
Praxair Receives Environmental Award Praxair received an environmental recognition award from the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) at its recently held annual meeting. The award recognized an innovative propylene recovery project that went beyond regulatory requirements. In mid-2005, investigations following a fire at Praxair’s St. Louis, MO facility revealed a particular cylinder relief valve was releasing gas from propylene cylinders before the normal safety parameters were exceeded. Praxair identified over 4,000 propylene cylinders fitted with the defective relief valve at its own customer locations. Normal maintenance procedures to remove and replace the valve would have required the venting or flaring of approximately 320,000 pounds of propylene. Though this action, when properly reported, would have been in compliance with regulations, Praxair engineers instead developed a system to effectively and safely recover the useful propylene from the cylinders and limit atmospheric emissions. The Praxair team designed a system whereby an inverted propylene cylinder is connected to a recovery compressor, which then transfers the propylene to an intermediate holding vessel. The defective valve can then be removed from the emptied cylinder and a properly functioning valve put in its place. Three new recovery systems have been installed at strategically located Praxair facilities that handle propylene in the U.S. and Canada. These new systems will be used prior to cylinder maintenance at these plants. Similar systems are being used by Praxair to safely process and recover other liquid petroleum gases. Camford Chemical News
AECL Wins U.S. Contract for Reactor Safety Equipment Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has won a contract with South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCEG) for the supply of emergency core cooling strainers to their VC Summer nuclear power plant. AECL designed a finned strainer to filter out debris that could block the circulation of cooling water in an emergency core cooling system. Originally developed for use in CANDU reactors, the finned strainers have been adapted by AECL for use in light water-moderated reactors. The design team of the finned strainers was the recipients of an Outstanding Contribution Award by the Canadian Nuclear Association and the Canadian Nuclear Society in 2005. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
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NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF
Canada’s Biotech Industry in 2005 Revenues among Canada’s publicly traded biotechnology firms increased by more than 25 percent in 2005, with net losses dropping by 24 percent. This matched a trend in the global industry, where revenues surpassed US$60 billion for the first time, according the latest edition of Beyond Borders: Global Biotechnology Report 2006. The report was recently released by Ernst & Young. “Our findings paint, again this year, a good news/bad news picture for the industry in Canada,” says Rod Budd, author of the Canadian chapter in the global report. “As Canadian investors shy away from technology and life sciences companies in favour of other sectors, the ability of earlier-stage companies to attract investor interest and financing will remain very limited. Most of the interest in Canada’s biotech sector centres around those revenuegenerating or near-revenue-generating players with significant market caps. The report also says that the cost of going public continues to rise, with earlier, smaller biotech companies feeling this shift most. Companies may be staying private much longer and succeed only to the extent that they fund their product development with significant rounds of venture financing. While the report identifies major challenges facing the sector, several high points leave room for optimism. Funding for biotechs in 2005 rose 28 percent over the US$791 million raised in 2004, exceeding US$1 billion and approaching the US$1.3 billion raised in the banner year of 2003. For the first time since 2000, more than US$100 million in initial public offerings (IPOs) was raised. As well, it was the strongest year ever for product approvals, which is a very positive sign for industry sustainability. Among the biggest challenges facing the Canadian biotech industry are the continuing predominance of small and early-stage companies, and the fact that 36 of the 81 public biotech firms have less than one year of available cash. Key among the concerns of industry watchers was a decrease of almost US$500 million in market capitalization, to US$13.2 billion in 2005. In the past five years, the Canadian biotech industry has performed poorly against the rest of the economy, as
measured by market capitalization, further reinforcing the industry’s need to attract adequate investor interest. Other highlights from the report: • Canadian firms had eight products receive regulatory approval; 12 products entered phase III trials; 20 compounds entered phase II trials. These numbers indicate a strong Canadian product pipeline; • The number of Canadian companies fell by 3 percent. There was one less public company in 2005 for a total of 81; the number of private companies decreased by 12 to 378; • Revenues were up 26 percent, to over US$2.5 billion; • Losses declined by nearly 24 percent to US$324 million in 2005 from US$429 million in 2004. Camford Chemical Report
Teaming Up to Tackle Fuel Costs at Pulp Mills Nexterra Energy Corp. has signed an agreement with Weyerhaeuser’s Kamloops Cellulose Fibre mill and Paprican, the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada, to verify the application of Nexterra’s innovative gasification technology for pulp mill lime kilns. Nexterra’s gasifier enables mill operators to significantly reduce fuel costs by converting boilers, kilns, and dryers from natural gas to “syngas”—a clean, low-cost biofuel produced by gasifying wood residue. “Reducing our fuel costs is a strategic priority for Weyerhaeuser, so we’re excited to be working with Nexterra and Paprican on a potential gasification solution for our lime kilns,” said Bill Adams, manufacturing services manager at the Weyerhaeuser Kamloops Mill. “Over the past decade, we have significantly decreased our reliance on fossil fuels. Nexterra’s gasification technology shows tremendous potential as a clean, cost-effective solution to lower energy costs in our kraft mills and move us closer to energy self-sufficiency. This agreement allows us to take a closer look at how the gasifier would perform in our mill before making a decision to acquire the technology.”
Adams said the Nexterra gasifier system has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25,000 tonnes per year. The 60 million Btu/hr gasification system would displace the equivalent amount of natural gas needed to heat 4,000 residential homes. North America’s pulp and paper industry consumes 900 trillion Btu of natural gas and fuel oil each year at a cost of US$8.0 billion. There are 150 kraft pulp mills in North America, each consuming millions of dollars of natural gas or fuel oil in their lime kilns. Since the mid-1990s, the cost of natural gas has increased by 500 percent, leaving North America with some of the highest natural gas prices in the world and placing severe competitive pressures on North American forest companies. “We are very pleased to be a partner in this project,” said Mike Towers, senior research engineer at Paprican. “Rising energy costs continue to be a major challenge for the pulp and paper industry, and lime kilns are major consumers of fossil fuels. Developing alternative fuel systems, such as Nexterra’s gasification technology, is essential for the industry to remain competitive. We are confident that this project will demonstrate an attractive option for substituting fossil fuels in lime kilns and achieving critical cost reduc tions.” Paprican
Quebec’s Pesticide Ban—Unscientific? Quebec’s decision to ban the use of more than 200 lawn care products as part of its new pesticide regulations is based on neither science or common sense, says the Urban Pest Management Council (UPMC). “Quebec’s decision to ignore the collective expertise of federal government scientists— who have thoroughly assessed these products and have concluded that they pose no unacceptable risk to human health or the environment—makes no sense,” said Debra Conlon, executive director of the UPMC. Every one of the active ingredients involved in these lawn and garden care products has been registered for use by the federal government’s Pest Management Registration Agency. Urban Pest Management Council
JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 7
CHEMFUSION Joe Schwarcz, MCIC
No Free Lunch
T
he U.S. Navy had a problem. After quenching their thirst, sailors would routinely throw their disposable plastic cups overboard. Not only was this an esthetic and environmental problem, but a legal one as well. In 1973, the United Nations had adopted a convention stipulating that all material thrown into the sea must be biodegradable. Polypropylene and polystyrene, the materials used to make most disposable cups certainly did not fit this bill. And then the Navy heard about polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Here was a plastic that was biodegradable, and to make it even more attractive, was not made from petroleum products. You didn’t need oil refineries to make PHB, you needed bacteria and sugar! Bacteria are living organisms that need a constant food supply. Like humans, when food is abundant they will store the excess for leaner times. We store the excess in the form of fat, but certain bacteria store it as polyhydroxybutyrate. This is a type of polyester that can be extracted from the bacteria and processed into items ranging from containers and wraps to fibres and sutures. It has properties similar to polypropylene, a widely used petroleum-based plastic. There are, however, two major differences. While polypropylene floats, PHB sinks, and while polypropylene is environmentally persistent, PHB can be gobbled 8 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
up by microbes that convert it to water and carbon dioxide. A cup tossed into the ocean will sink and be degraded in the sediment on the ocean floor. Scientists have known about bacterial production of PHB since 1926, but efforts to exploit it as a commercial material earnestly began only in the 1970s in response to increasing oil prices. Much of the pioneering work in this area was carried out by R. H. Marchessault, FCIC. “Biopol,” the first version of PHB to be marketed, was extracted from cells of the bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus, which had been nurtured on sugar. The extraction process is not simple and does rely on using methylene chloride, a solvent that is not exactly environmentally friendly. By about 1990, shampoo bottles and utensils made of PHB began to appear on store shelves, but sales did not really take off. Why didn’t consumers flock to a biodegradable material made from a renewable resource? Simple. Price! Items made from PHB were far more expensive than those made from polypropylene. While many people have emotional ties to the environment, they have stronger ties to their wallets. Could there be a cheaper way to produce polyhydroxybutyrate? An interesting idea was first described by researchers at MIT in a patent application back in 1989. How about taking the genes from bacteria that give the instructions for converting excess nutrients into PHB, and through recombinant DNA technology, introducing these genes into a plant? Rather than oil refineries, farms could then produce the material needed to make plastics. The idea turned out to be workable. Cress plants fitted with bacterial genes cranked out PHB, although the yields were poor. Metabolix, an American company is experimenting with tobacco and switch grass. Wouldn’t it be something if tobacco could redeem itself by supplying us with a useful substance? It seems though that switch grass, a very hardy, fast-growing plant, is more likely to be commercially viable. This is the same plant that President Bush mentioned in his 2006 State of the Union Address as a candidate for producing large quantities of biomass that can be fermented into ethanol. Imagine growing a plant capable of supplying us with fuel and plastics at the same time! Still, we have to remember that farming on such a large scale still requires the use of fossil fuels for producing fertilizers, pesticides, and for running farm equipment. There is no free lunch. While the potential for generating plastics from plants is exciting, Metabolix is currently
using another technology. The genes that code for the production of PHB, instead of being inserted into plants, are inserted into E. coli bacteria. These bacteria, which can be made to multiply very quickly, then yield large amounts of polyhydroxybutyrate. Using E. coli as little factories to produce commercial substances is not a novel idea. Drugs such as insulin for diabetes, and tissue plasminogen activator for dissolving blood clots after a heart attack are now routinely made by introducing the appropriate genes into E. coli. bacteria. Metabolix is certainly not the only company interested in exploiting the potential of plants to furnish plastics. Soyol has focused on polyurethane, one of the most versatile plastics. Polyurethane can be used to make flexible foams for pillows, solid wheels for roller blades, varnishes for furniture, glues, surfboards, insulation for walls and fridges, side panels for farm machinery, tires, and a host of other products. Like other plastics, polyurethanes are polymers, meaning they are giant molecules composed of individual units, like a chain is composed of links. In this case the links are compounds called diisocyanates and polyols, which are made from petroleum products. We will at some point run out of petroleum, but we will not run out of soybeans. And the major component of polyurethanes, the polyols, can be made from soy oil. A simple chemical reaction can convert soy oil into “epoxidated soy oil,” which in turn can readily be changed into the required polyols. Using these to make polyurethane products is not only a theoretical possibility, it is a practical reality. Molded seats for tractors, panels for combines, office furniture, carpet backing, pillows, and foam insulation are already being produced from soy oil. Furthermore, these soy polyols cost less than the ones that derive from petroleum, and require less energy to produce. Eventually they have the potential to replace petroleum polyols in all polyurethanes. The real beauty is that the resource is renewable. Obviously, chemical ingenuity can solve some of our problems. And luckily, that is also a renewable resource.
Popular science writer, Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, is the director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. He hosts the Dr. Joe Show every Sunday from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Montréal’s radio station CJAD. The broadcast is available on the Web at www.CJAD.com. You can contact him at joe.schwarcz@mcgill.ca.
Creativity Drives Georges
Paul Fraumeni
I
love tinkering,” says University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM) polymer scientist Michael Georges, MCIC, adding (and obviously pleased) that he had been able to squeeze in lab time before an early morning meeting. What is “tinkering” to Georges, however, is really leading-edge research that has made a huge impact on polymer science. In fact, in 1993, Georges, then a scientist at the Xerox Research Centre of Canada in Mississauga, and his team were the first in the world to solve “living radical polymerization” (LRP). LRP was a problem in polymer science that was thought to be impossible for mere mortals to master. Polymers, a creation of nature, are chains of large molecules. The unique characteristics of a polymer chain—such as its length—determine its properties. Your DNA is a polymer. Wood is made of polymers, as are turtles’ shells, milk, and natural rubber. In the late 19th century, chemists developed ways to copy nature’s genius. Since then, polymers have given rise to materials that are used to make almost any manufactured material imaginable—plastics, food wrap, tires, nylon stockings, housing materials, carpets, textiles, bulletproof vests, sails, and even bubblegum. Scientists were always aware of the LRP problem. If solved, it would enable easier manipulation of the molecules in the chain, thus enabling materials to be created that couldn’t be with conventional polymer processes. Georges undertook it, however, as a carbohydrate specialist. He had no background in polymers. “My inexperience turned out to be a benefit. The polymer chemists had been trained to believe that LRP was not possible. I didn’t have enough background to buy into that, so we forged ahead, based only on the fact that I had a hunch.” What followed was like something out of a Hollywood movie. The Georges team tried and failed numerous times, to the point where
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Photo by Jim Panou
Georges’ boss gave him a four-month deadline to get a result—or forget the whole thing. “I used to go to meetings to present my results and I would get hammered. One guy said, ‘If it could have been done, there are a lot better chemists out there than you who would have done it.’” Georges and his team not only solved the problem, but they won the Arthur K. Doolittle Award for the best paper presented to the American Chemical Society in 1993. The discovery made LRP a thriving part of polymer research. “When we published that paper, there were about seven others related to LRP,” says Georges. “Today, there are probably 600 to 700 papers a year.”
creativity over brains … the key to success in research Georges left his 31-year career in the private sector and joined UTM in 2001. “There is definitely more freedom to follow your instincts in university research, and I was ready to explore some new areas. And I like helping the students understand organic chemistry.” In his work with students, Georges emphasizes creativity over brains as the key to success in research. “Academically, I am not the brightest student around. Where I differ is that I never lack ideas. People who do well in research are those who can be creative. And you have to have passion. We just had a big result the other day and I didn’t sleep for three nights after that because I was so excited.”
Paul Fraumeni is the editor of the University of Toronto’s research magazine, Edge.
JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 9
Pack it Up!
R&D unleashes growth potential—NOVA Chemicals’ ARCEL® resin story
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reakthroughs in polymer science can lead to product innovations that benefit a company, its customers, their customers, and consumers. At NOVA Chemicals, we knew we could make a significant breakthrough with ARCEL®—a unique polyethylene (PE)-polystyrene (PS) interpolymer for protective packaging—when we realized the extent to which the supply chain stood to benefit from this product. The opportunity for our researchers was first to unleash the potential of ARCEL, and then to further modify its formula and properties in order to maximize its benefits and continually enhance its value. NOVA Chemicals produces plastics and chemicals that are used in an array of everyday applications, such as food packaging, electronics packaging, and industrial uses. We direct the majority of our R&D resources towards our Performance Products portfolio, which includes ARCEL, DYLARK®, DYLARK® FG, SURPASS®, and ZYLAR® EX—a set of solutions that deliver greater value to the marketplace. ARCEL’s potential to deliver significant value meant it was quickly identified as a top priority for research teams in Calgary, AB, Monaca, PA, and Breda in the Netherlands. These Canadian, European, and U.S.-based research teams had specific objectives that included:
10 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
Edwin H. Niemann and Pace A. Markowitz
• reformulating ARCEL; • advancing its manufacturing technology to facilitate larger scale production; • reducing the bead size of ARCEL resins to enable molding of more complex packaging parts; • developing a new methodology for ARCEL users to efficiently determine specific cushioning requirements for shipped items. The base technology for ARCEL provided a strong foundation on which to build. ARCEL combines the best attributes of both PE and PS to create a protective packaging material with superior cushioning and impact resistance. Initially developed to serve as dunnage for large, heavy automotive parts, ARCEL was known to be tough and resilient even with repeated use. But it was produced through a small-batch process that severely limited its market potential. NOVA Chemicals sought to aggressively pursue large, potential growth markets for ARCEL, and this need called for substantial improvements in the manufacturing process. NOVA Chemicals believed that the case for growth of ARCEL resins was strong. It would be driven by the growth of on-line shopping and direct business-to-consumer shipping practices. In these cases, goods
protective packaging material with superior cushioning and impact resistance such as personal computers travel great distances from manufacturers’ warehouses to consumers’ doorsteps—often spanning several countries and involving multiple shipping methods such as air, marine, and truck, with multiple hand-offs between the various links in the supply chain. This “uncontrolled shipping” environment increases the risk of real or perceived damage, and most standard packaging materials are simply not up to the challenge. For example, expandable polystyrene (EPS) protects well on a first drop, but the EPS cushion part also breaks with that first impact and does not protect as well in the case of a second drop. Even if the shipped item arrives intact, damaged packaging gives consumers the impression of a damaged item—so damage returns are likely when EPS breaks. Packaging made with ARCEL resins remains intact through multiple drops—so NOVA Chemicals believed ARCEL had the potential to become the preferred packaging material for manufacturers of heavy, damage-sensitive goods such as personal computers, printers, and televisions. To unlock this potential, NOVA Chemicals’ researchers first worked to deliver advances in production technology. Characterization of the polymer structure and rheological properties by scientists in Calgary, coupled with bench-scale reactor studies at Breda, enabled engineers at Monaca to eliminate inefficiencies in the ARCEL resin process while maintaining foam toughness and cushioning performance. These process technology improvements, demonstrated in the pilot plant and proven at plant scale enabled faster, larger-scale production of ARCEL resins. Following this innovation, we have been adding manufacturing capacity rapidly and expect to reach approximately 100 million pounds by the end of the year. Larger-scale manufacturing of ARCEL resins fuelled a tripling of sales in a recent two-year period. ARCEL’s current client list includes Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Panasonic,
and many others. Today, growing numbers of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) specify ARCEL because its protective properties enable them to reduce package sizes, reduce the number of damage returns, and lower logistics costs. In addition, ARCEL delivers a better “out of the box” experience to consumers by arriving on their doorsteps with the foam packaging reassuringly intact. Our researchers then moved on to the next goal—enhancing performance to enable specification of ARCEL in a broader range of applications. This called for a reduction in bead size. This improvement would enable more design flexibility and lead to the molding of ARCEL into more intricate parts to provide protection that would not have been possible with the larger bead size. To achieve
with customers led us to seek a simplified method of determining cushion curves for ARCEL resins. Cushion curves measure the amount of cushioning material required to protect a packaged good, such as a plasma television or a printer. Our customers sought a numerical equation that could be used in place of physical drop tests to generate cushion curves. Such a formula would expedite decision making and reduce costs. In order to quickly arrive at an efficient and simple solution, NOVA Chemicals decided to identify and partner with leading researchers in the packaging field. We partnered with experts from leading universities and OEMs to run a cushion test for ARCEL that relied on new functions, formulas, and equations. The result is a new methodology for developing cushion curves that helps to save time and reduce costs. This formula soon will be available to all ARCEL resin customers. NOVA Chemicals’ ARCEL story illustrates how polymer science and engineering principles, when applied strategically, create a win-win situation for a company and the entire supply chain served by its solutions. Tight alignment of our business, marketing and R&D functions, combined with strong customer relationships and research partnerships drove the rapid growth of ARCEL resins in recent years. We are now expanding our manufacturing capacity for ARCEL resins to support future growth, and we plan to reach 220 million pounds of annual capacity by the end of 2008.
the smaller bead size, we conducted bench scale, pilot plant, and plant studies. The higher surface-to-volume ratio of the resulting smaller bead necessitated slight changes in the polymer composition of ARCEL resin and in its blowing agent. We achieved this goal and the smaller-bead version of ARCEL was commercialized in December 2005. We are now in the process of converting all our customers to the smaller, higher-performing ARCEL bead size. By working closely with ARCEL molders and OEMs, we have learned that the value we deliver goes beyond the product itself. We are committed to helping our customers (or potential customers) maximize the performance and value of ARCEL. One recent approach was to develop a new methodology that enables more efficient and effective packaging decisions. Conversations
For more information about ARCEL resins, please e-mail arcel@novachem.com or visit www.novachemicals.com.
Edwin H. Niemann, ARCEL® technology leader for NOVA Chemicals, has worked in the chemicals and plastics industry for more than 37 years. Niemann holds BSc and MS degrees in chemical engineering from Purdue University. He has authored five technical papers and holds three patents. Pace A. Markowitz is market manager of ARCEL® Moldable Foam Resins for NOVA Chemicals. He holds a BSc degree in chemical engineering and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. Markowitz has worked in the chemicals and plastics industry for more than eight years.
JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 11
Protective Coatings and Overlays Development of wear- and corrosion-resistant coatings in oil sands mining
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he Albertan oil sands are an enormous natural resource with an estimated 170 billion barrels of recoverable oil. The industry currently accounts for approximately 50 percent of Canada’s total crude oil output. This figure is forecast to grow significantly and production is expected to triple to three million barrels a day by 2020. For the three commercial oil sands mining and processing operations, high maintenance costs and significant production losses result from material degradation through wear and corrosion. The costs resulting from the wear and corrosion include both the replacement
12 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
Gary Fisher
of the component and the associated labour and lost production. In 2004, the annual budget for repair and maintenance of equipment at Syncrude Canada Ltd. was in excess of $450 million. Similar budgets can be estimated for Suncor Energy Inc. and Albian Sands Energy Inc., giving an overall estimated annual budget for repair of $1,350 million. Of this amount, a significant portion is attributed to material loss through wear and corrosion. Particles of quartz are the main abrasive media in the oil sands. Typically, the particles are less than 150 µm in size and have a semiangular shape. Quartz accounts for up to 95 percent of the solid
Photo by Julie Elliott
Alberta Research Council.
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and liners. These evaluations can be conducted using standard ASTM or NACE standards (for example, the ASTM G65 rubber wheel/dry sand testing method is the most commonly used procedure for determining the wear-resistance of a material). Frequently, however, there are testing requirements beyond the standard procedures, when a specific corrosion and/or wear condition needs to be simulated for the evaluation of a material for a particular application. For example, ARC recently completed a jointly funded project with Suncor Energy to design a test rig and procedure to simulate repeated, low-energy impact wear. For applications such as sieves for sizing and bends in hydro-transport piping, the protective overlay on the components experience a high degree of impact damage. Suncor had to determine the resistance of a coating or overlay to repeated impacts, but there was no known test procedure that would effectively determine this. Working with Suncor, ARC designed and built a unique rig to simulate this production environment. The test procedure has proved to be an effective tool in the material selection of coatings and overlays, providing information on performance that was not available previously. ARC is also involved in more fundamental research into the wear and corrosion performance of overlays. We are launching a Joint Industry Project with Syncrude, Suncor, and a number of material manufacturers, to fully characterize the performance of tungsten carbide-based metal matrix composite (MMC) overlays in oil sands applications. The extraction and upgrading processes pose a unique combination of wear and corrosive conditions. The main goals of the project will gain a fuller understanding of the interaction of these conditions on the performance of an overlay and to make specifications of overlay composition for different applications. With the expansion and growth in the Alberta oil sands, the requirements for wear and corrosion resistant coatings and overlays will only increase. The extensive testing and key research projects conducted by the Alberta Research Council are an important component in providing material solutions for these issues
What’s
content of the oil sand. Other minerals present include clays, feldspar, rutile, zircon, pyrite, and garnet. A number of wear mechanisms are encountered in this environment. The most significant are: • Abrasion—Low stress abrasion, where the sand passes over the surface of the component with a relatively low contact force, is the most common wear mechanism. High stress abrasion, when sand is entrapped between two components, can also occur; • Impact—Impact damage occurs due to the presence of siltstone boulders and rocks. Components subject to this include crushers, breakers, and sizing screens; • Gouging abrasion—This occurs when abrasive lumps of material are driven into the surface of a component. Examples include bucket teeth and crushers; • Erosion—This occurs when a high concentration of solids impact or slide against a surface. Erosion causes the greatest damage in the bitumen extraction processes. The level of wear-damage experienced by oil sands operations is affected by climate conditions. In the winter, the sand and bitumen can consolidate into larger lumps. This results in higher levels of impact and abrasion than experienced in warmer seasons. Damage from corrosive attack, though significant, is secondary to that caused by wear. The main corrosive species are chloride-compounds in the oil sands feed and dissolved oxygen in the water. Wear-resistant materials have been adopted to protect against this environment. Depending on the type of service, the choice of material can be made from a diversity of polymers, metal alloys, ceramics, and composites. These wear solutions can be classified into five basic groups: • Polymers and rubbers (including liners for pipes); • Coatings and overlays; • Cast and wrought ferrous-based materials; • Ceramics; • Cermets. The Alberta Research Council (ARC) has a significant involvement in the development and assessment of coatings and overlays for oil sands applications. We work closely with material manufacturers, applicators, and the oil sands operators to evaluate the wear and corrosion resistance of a wide variety of metallic and non-metallic coatings, overlays,
JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 13
Outside the Box
Outsourcing R&D can bring new products to market quickly and efficiently.
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rogressive companies understand the need for research and development to keep ahead of the competition and improve profitability. In fact, one way of measuring the long-term health of a company is the percentage of revenue it earns from new products or services. Companies develop new products in a number of ways—through the evolution of existing products, research and development, or acquisition of technologies. Research and development can be carried out using internal company resources or though outsourcing. Outsourcing is common for business functions such as payroll and benefits management, as well as in industries such as information technology and pharmaceuticals. Legal and accounting services are often outsourced. Research and development activities are not as commonly contracted out, in part because the intellectual property associated with new product development is felt to be too strategic to a company’s existence to be exposed to outsiders.
14 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
David Hacker and Andrew Sinclair, MCIC
In chemical-related businesses, most outsourcing is related to testing. For example, independent labs carry out test programs to evaluate performance versus a specification. However, using outside research organizations such as universities, consultants, or specialized research firms is becoming more common as businesses recognize the advantages. Fuelled by mergers, downsizing, and efforts to reduce costs— companies have begun to outsource aspects of their product development activities in order to focus on their core competencies. Outsourcing of R&D activities has several advantages. Outsourcing allows a company to draw on resources and expertise as needed, reducing the need for investment in research facilities, training, and operating costs. Multiple projects can be carried out at the same time without reassigning staff involved in higher priority research activities. Because they are able to proceed without interruption, outsourced projects can often be completed more quickly than if they are carried out internally.
Photo by Chris Johnson
Outsourcing allows companies to address new opportunities while maintaining existing operations Outsourcing allows a company to focus on its core business, without the diversion of having to manage technology development. It can help keep costs under control by helping to define research budgets—especially for newer or start-up ventures where these costs are not well understood. It gives a company access to new technologies and competencies not available internally. Also, it gives a company access to a network of experts, suppliers, and government contacts that contract research organizations have developed over many years. The decision to outsource R&D is often based on a few simple considerations: • Availability of equipment/expertise in-house; • Willingness to invest resources to maintain or develop the capabilities; • Whether a third party can meet the needs for quality/time. Companies facing a crunch in personnel or planning development activities tend to look at internal solutions first—such as hiring temporary staff, shifting workloads to other departments, or growing internal capabilities. However, these each have their own problems, either requiring capital investment or consuming resources in bringing new people on-line or reordering priorities. Outsourcing allows companies to address new opportunities while maintaining existing operations. When the decision has been made to outsource, the question then becomes how to select a service provider. Such issues as the skill set of the outside organization, ownership of intellectual property, priority of your project, and of course cost, must all be taken into account. Due diligence is critical. Tour the facilities and evaluate the staff you will be dealing with. Do their facilities meet your needs, not only for the current project but for any potential follow-on or scale-up projects? Assess quality compliance issues. Do they meet your requirements for ISO or
industry-specific accreditations? Do they insist on sharing intellectual property or will you own it outright? Is their price competitive with other organizations and with your own internal cost structure? Each of these questions must be answered to your satisfaction. It is a good idea to have a clear project definition before meeting with the contractor for the first time. If intellectual property is a concern, you may want to put a nondisclosure agreement in place before the meeting. This way details of any relevant technology can be discussed openly and ensure that the contractor has a good understanding of your requirements. This will benefit you by allowing the contractor to provide a comprehensive proposal with a complete and accurate costing and schedule, leading to fewer disagreements down the road. Also, coming to the meeting with a budget and timing in mind will provide the contractor with a framework within which the project can be scoped, which will depend on the contractor’s own cost structure and personnel availability. For example, a client may have certain technical expectations that are not compatible with their budget and schedule. The contractor can work with the client to define a program that is feasible for the budget and will help meet the client’s objectives. This may mean breaking a project down into smaller parts, each of which can be carried out within a shorter time frame and that may be easier to fund. The outsourcing process can be illustrated by a small, medical device start-up company that had developed a new product believed to accelerate the wound-healing process. The product had been made in small quantities and tested on animals. The company required manufacturing to be scaled up in order to carry out first-in-human testing. In the longer run, the company required scale up to larger, multi-centre clinical testing using materials produced under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions. The company had a number of requirements for expertise and facilities. While they had a small scientific staff and laboratory with bench-scale equipment, they required an outside service provider with scientists knowledgeable in polymer, organic, and analytical chemistry, facilities for carrying out chemical reactions up to a scale of 30 L, equipment for carrying out washing and separation processes, clean room facilities for
packaging, and quality procedures in place that would conform to GMP. The company also needed to work with an organization that could assure confidentiality while transferring ownership of any intellectual property stemming from the project back to the client. As a small start-up, funding was always an issue, so the contractor recommended a program that would be carried out in phases to allow the client to control expenditures while still advancing the work. The contractor was able to meet the client’s technical expectations on schedule while keeping costs under control. This allowed the client to maintain its clinical test schedule without a large up-front financial risk. Companies are continually looking for an edge in the marketplace. New product development is essential to grow market share and stay ahead of the competition. Outsourcing can help your company take advantage of new technology in a cost- and time-effective way and help you stay competitive. Developing a good relationship with the right service provider can be strategic to developing new markets while reducing business risk and controlling costs. Visit www.bodycotetesting.com for more information.
David Hacker, MASc, is the manager of the Polymer Technology Group for Bodycote Testing Group–Americas (BTGA), which offers contract R&D services. Andrew Sinclair, MCIC, is the vice-president of business development for (BTGA), which includes over 30 laboratories.
JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 15
HAZWOPER
Should the Canadian chemical industry adopt an American model—for safety’s sake?
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anada’s chemical industry may find support coming from an unlikely quarter in its drive toward better safety for employees and better relations with the general public. Support comes in the form of the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training program set up under the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. This training standard is becoming a vital link in the chain of safety that extends from prime producers right through to final users, in the chemical industry’s logistics path. Why is this U.S. standard seeing greater application in Canada, when U.S. law does not, at least in theory, see application outside the U.S.? To answer this question, it is important to understand how HAZWOPER developed, and how it relates to the chemical industry. HAZWOPER was introduced in the early 1990s and specifies the training that employers need to provide to their employees regarding the handling of a wide range of hazardous materials. The training discusses the nature of various kinds of hazardous substances, safe handling techniques, dealing with emergencies such as spills, and remediation of areas contaminated by hazardous materials. The training generally involves about half traditional classroom learning and about half hands-on experience both indoors and out. Training must be
16 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
Glenn Wood, MCIC
renewed on a regular basis through refresher courses. It is one of the main building blocks in the U.S. response to the need to protect both employees and the environment from hazardous materials. One reason for HAZWOPER’S popularity in Canada involves Canadian entities sending employees south of the border to work— sometimes to install Canadian-made equipment in U.S. sites, or to carry out short-term secondments to U.S. locations. If these employees are involved in handling hazardous substances, they require current HAZWOPER certification. If they don’t have the training, they may be denied access to a HAZWOPER-designated site in the U.S. There are other reasons for Canadian employers to take interest in HAZWOPER. It is generally recognized as an excellent program that is meeting increasingly wide acceptance as a way to train employees in hazardous materials and hazardous waste handling. It is also seen as a good way to demonstrate due diligence in this matter. There is growing understanding of the dangers that hazardous materials pose to both employees and the workplace. Some of this understanding comes from non-governmental organizations that are focusing their attention on accidental releases of these substances. Aside from the damage these releases can cause, there is the potential for negative publicity, fines, and government pressure.
Students in Mississauga, ON, wear chemical protective clothing to participate in a mock situation involving a “gasoline” (actually water) spill as part of a HAZWOPER training session. In Canada there is no direct federal or provincial counterpart to HAZWOPER, so the U.S. standard has taken root, by default. Another reason for the standard’s growing popularity is the wide availability of training materials and train-the-trainer resources that make providing the training relatively easy, low-cost, and straightforward. Will HAZWOPER help bring down insurance rates? Not directly, but a well-trained workforce may mean fewer hazardous-material accidents and fewer injuries and illnesses during responses—resulting in a better experience rating with workers’ compensation programs and lower premiums as a result. Fewer spills mean less production time lost and fewer employee sick days. It can also mean better relations with organized labour, as the training demonstrates management’s willingness to provide the industry-accepted standard in safety training to union members. HAZWOPER training helps meet other legislative requirements, such as the emergency response training component of the Canadian federal government’s Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) legislation, particularly for Schedule 12 products, among the most problematic. It can also be useful for meeting other safety and environmental initiatives, such as the Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association (CCPA) Responsible Care® ethic. HAZWOPER can serve as a central component
to a chemical company’s response to the Environmental Emergency Plan or “E2P” aspect of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which requires that facilities develop an emergency response plan if they have volumes over a specified threshold amount of specified chemical substances on site. In initiatives such as the CCPA’s Transportation Emergency Assistance Plan, which
HAZWOPER can be … key to problem-free operations for the chemical industry
in keeping the incident’s impacts minimal until the Alberta company can get its own personnel to the scene. How does a company provide this HAZWOPER training? Except in the largest companies, this subject may be too specialized to be offered in-house. While there is nothing in writing about who is certified to provide HAZWOPER training, there is the expectation that the training will be given by personnel who have demonstrated expertise. This can include being a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), but field experience is invaluable to supplement education such as the CIH designation. While HAZWOPER training has demonstrable value, the time required for certification and maintaining that certification needs to be considered. The process starts with the 40 hours of the course itself, involving both classroom and hands-on education. While some skills are best taught in a classroom setting, there is no substitute for personal or hands-on experience in some areas. For example, learning about confined-space safety can best be done by strapping on a self-contained breathing apparatus and crawling into confined spaces. Traditionally, the course is taught over a five-day period of eight hours each day. The travel time and time away from the job need to be factored into production schedules. As well as the original course, there must be investment in regular refresher courses on a well-thought-out program that revisits all the course’s skills over a three-year period. For any entity involved in production, storage or use of hazardous materials, HAZWOPER can be a significant part of best practice and key to problem-free operations for the chemical industry.
Glenn Wood, MCIC, is an associate and
provides timely mutual aide response to spills of a member company’s products when those products are too far from the manufacturer’s site for direct response, HAZWOPER training is a good way of ensuring that the response will be made by qualified personnel. A chemical producer from Alberta, for example, is reassured that if there is an incident somewhere in Ontario regarding its products, that the personnel from other companies providing first response, if HAZWOPER-qualified, will perform to a high standard that is legally defensible. This crucial first response is vital
head facilitator with Golder Associates Ltd., Mississauga Health and Safety Training Services Group, which conducts HAZWOPER training on a regular basis throughout Canada. He holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of New Brunswick, is a Registered Occupational Hygienist (Canada) and a Certified Industrial Hygienist (U.S.). Wood had a 22-year career in the Canadian chemical industry and held a variety of positions in industrial hygiene, health and safety, and emergency response management. He can be contacted at gwood@golder.com.
JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 17
No Trespassing—Part I Evaluate your freedom to operate in the patent landscape.
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reating and developing a new drug involves both careful scientific planning and business decisions. Given the vast amount of time and money that must be invested in drug development, pharmaceutical companies should take steps to minimize all unnecessary risks, including the risks of infringing competitors’ intellectual property rights.
Regulatory hurdles Many patent-savvy companies have already incorporated patent strategies into their business model to protect the value of scientific discoveries. A patent is a permit that allows its owner to exclude others from making, using, and selling an invention for up to 20 years from the date the patent application was first filed. Thus, it can be viewed as a time-limited “no trespassing” sign that a patent owner has put up to fence in his or her own invention to stop infringers. However, having a patent does not absolve the patent owner from potentially infringing on your competitors’ patented technology. A patent is by no means a permit for free access across the patented landscape. In fact, even with a granted patent in hand, there are several reasons why a patent owner may not be able to completely benefit from a patented invention.
18 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
Carol Yip
Improvement patents One of the most common reasons a patent owner may not be able to commercialize a patented invention is that the invention is an improvement on an existing patented invention. Consequently, any attempts at commercializing the improvement would infringe upon the existing invention. Consider a new drug that is structurally similar to an existing group of patented drugs and is a specific selection of that group. The main features of the new drug may have already been claimed in the patent of the existing drug group. Although the main structural features of the new drug may not be novel per se, the new drug may be patentable because it has been found to have unexpected advantages over the existing patented group. In this case, the owner of the improvement patent will have to obtain permission from the owner of the existing patented drug group before commercializing the invention.
Combination patents Another reason why a patent owner may not be able to commercialize a patented invention is that the invention is a combination of various existing patented parts. Thus, commercializing the combination would infringe upon the patent of each of the individual parts.
Photo by Kenn Kiser
Consider a new drug that is a combination of compounds A and B and that each of compounds A and B has previously been patented. The features of the new drug may have been claimed in the patents of compounds A and B. Although the main structural features of the new drug may not be novel per se, the new drug may be patentable because of its superior synergistic efficacy over each of patented compounds A and B. That is, the combination is new and unobvious. Nevertheless, the owner of the combination patent will still have to obtain permission from the patent owner of each of the compounds A and B.
Mapping the patent landscape Accordingly, to ensure that commercializing a company’s new technology is not impeded by someone else’s patents, a proper evaluation of the company’s new technology in view of the patent literature is recommended. In areas of research where there is extensive patenting, conducting routine patent searches can help identify any intellectual property risks. Accordingly, to ensure that a new commercial technology is not later impeded by another company’s patents, a proper evaluation of the new technology with respect to inventions described in the existing patent literature is recommended. Mapping out the landscape to minimize the risk of being “accused of trespassing” is generally done by performing a freedom-tooperate (FTO) analysis. This is an assessment of whether a new technology can be commercialized without infringing existing patents. Although an FTO analysis is usually conducted before introducing a new technology to a marketplace, it should also be done routinely during the research and development stage. There are limited exceptions in Canadian law that certain activities done in the process of scientific discovery will not be considered as an infringement, broadly referred to as research exemptions. However, whether a certain activity is considered to be an infringing act or not is still a rather grey area. Recent decisions in the U.S. have shown that research activities may create a risk of liability for patent infringement. In Canada, there have not been any recent judicial decisions specifically on research activities but I will provide a closer examination of this topic in my next article in ACCN.
Given that there is no legal requirement to conduct an FTO analysis and that its cost can be expensive, obtaining such an analysis is sometimes not a top priority for many companies. By performing an FTO analysis, the risk of infringement can be minimized, and consequently, it can potentially save a significant amount of time and money down the road. When compared to the legal costs for potential patent litigation, damage to a company’s reputation and/or forced withdrawal of the technology from the marketplace, the cost of obtaining an FTO analysis is relatively small. It also provides an overview of the competitors’ patent landscape, which can be advantageous when designing research programs.
Steps of a freedom-to-operate analysis Patent searching Generally an FTO analysis begins with a study of the technology, for example, a drug product or a manufacturing process, that the company is developing. A search of the patent literature for issued patents and pending applications related to the technology is then performed. Since hundreds or thousands of patents and applications may be uncovered, there needs to be a balance between performing an extensive, and therefore expensive search, and one that is narrow by limiting the searching to specific keywords only, for instance. Although, the latter option is costly, it may increase the risk of potentially missing a relevant patent. Thus, it is important to determine the scientific value of the new technology in light of the company’s business plan. Defining a proper FTO search scope at the outset should provide a comprehensive and meaningful analysis at a reasonable cost. In order to set reasonable limits on the scope of the patent literature search, the following points should be considered: • Where will the new technology be commercialized? Since patents are country specific, a search of the patent databases of the specific countries where the new technology will be commercialized is often sufficient. If the new technology is likely to only be sold in Canada, the U.S., Europe, and Japan, then only the patent databases of those jurisdictions need to be searched.
Just like travellers on a trip, it is important to consult a map and be aware of “no trespassing signs” along the road. It is best to be prepared rather than be surprised. Although there may be patents on the new technology in other countries, it may be assumed that most commercially viable products will probably be patented in most of the above indicated jurisdictions. • What are the essential elements of the company’s new technology? Carefully defining the essential elements found in the new technology can help tailor the search terms used in an FTO analysis, thereby limiting the number of patents uncovered and providing more useful search results. For example, if the new technology is related to a drug delivery nanostructure, and more specifically a liposome, then restricting the searching to liposome nanostructures for therapeutic delivery, including methods of manufacture and use, should be sufficient. • Who are the competitors in this area of research? By identifying potential competitors and searching by owner name for any patents they may have acquired or licensed, a clearer indication of the potential risk of infringement can be obtained. The benefits of monitoring competitors’ patent portfolios should not be overlooked and should be performed from time to time to direct research programs and business strategies.
Evaluation of the patent search and examination of the various remedies After identifying the relevant patents from the search, an evaluation of the patents is performed. If necessary, the complete file record of the relevant patents can be incorporated into the review process as well. The file record can, for example, offer a better
JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 19
Readers reach for ACCN for news on
who’s who and
what’s what in the Canadian chemical community
explanation of the inclusion of a particular feature in the claims of the patent. An analysis of the claims of these patents against the company’s new technology would provide a good indication of whether the new technology will potentially infringe. If the company’s new technology has been found to potentially infringe on one or more of the relevant patents, there are several options the company may consider. The existing relevant patents do not necessarily insurmountably impede a company’s ability to exploit its technology. These options include: • obtaining a licence from the owner of the existing patent; • purchasing the existing patent; • negotiating a cross-licensing agreement so that both the company with the new technology and the owner of the existing relevant patent can earn the rewards of the other’s inventions; • designing around the existing patent; • determining whether the existing patent is valid.
Task list
w w w. a c c n . c a
Next issue: Marine science Coming this fall:
Clean energy Biotechnology Forensic chemistry
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Consider the tasks in the following list as one example of the tasks involved in preparing for an FTO analysis. Being prepared and organized before meeting the patent counsel can not only help control the legal costs, but also help in managing the direction of an FTO analysis. Identify: • Countries where the new technology will be commercialized; • Your company’s new technology and provide a brief description; • Essential features of the new technology; • Potential competitors in the area of the new technology; • Patents of potential competitors; • Optional features found in the new technology. • Alternative keywords that may be used to describe the above-listed essential features and optional features; Consider: • Budget to be invested in an FTO analysis; • Date of proposed research completion; • Date of proposed commercialization of the new technology.
Conclusion Conducting a freedom-to-operate analysis is an effective way of identifying and evaluating potential patent infringement problems in advance. Ideally, such an analysis should be performed early on in the development of a new product, and should be routinely updated to keep up with newly published applications and issued patents relevant to a company’s technology. It is a high-risk gamble to wait until just before commercializing a new technology to seek out an FTO analysis. When a company changes direction in its research or moves into a new area of technology, searches should be expanded or refocused. There is no guarantee that relevant patents won’t surface, but at least the risk of infringement is minimized. A freedom-to-operate analysis should not be considered as constraining a company’s research efforts but rather it is an aid to target and expand its research activities.
Carol Yip, MCIC, has an MSc in chemistry and is a registered patent agent at the intellectual property law firm of Bereskin & Parr, located in Toronto, ON. She prepares and prosecutes patent applications in chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical matters. You can contact her at cyip@bereskinparr.com.
And in REGULATORY NEWS …
Quebec—New TDG Regulations for Trucking Industry Coming into Force Two new provincial Transport Dangerous Goods (TDG) regulatory provisions will come into force in Quebec on August 15, 2006, for tank trucks conforming to CSA Standards B620, B621, and B622. These provisions concern driver assistance systems and increased effective rating of fire extinguishers. For further information, visit www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/en/publications/camionnage/ infocam/060406_en.pdf. Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association
Regulatory Delays Predicted—CNSC Faces HR Shortage The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is gearing up for an increased workload. But the regulator is worried about its ability to respond in a timely manner, said CEO Linda Keen. “The Canadian nuclear industry is on the cusp of substantial growth in all areas,” said Keen. But CNSC will need new resources—both human and financial—in order to fulfill its regulatory mandate. “I cannot overestimate that this shortage of qualified staff will affect our ability to respond,” she said. Keen outlined CNSC’s priorities as follows: first, the safety of existing reactors; second, refurbishment of the existing fleet of CANDU power plants; and third, licensing of new reactors. The occasion was the release of the Commission’s new information document on the licensing process for new nuclear power plants in Canada. CNSC is working with industry to address its staff shortage, and is seeking additional funding from Ottawa. Canadian Nuclear Worker
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Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering Board of Directors Nominations (2006–2007) Présentation des candidats pour le conseil d’administration de la Société canadienne de génie chimique (2006-2007) The Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) Nominating Committee, appointed under the terms of CSChE bylaws Ar ticle 8, Section k, has proposed the candidates listed below to serve as CSChE officers for 2006–2007. Gerry Phillips, MCIC, CSChE past president and chair of the Nominating Committee, is pleased to announce the candidates for the 2006–2007 election of the CSChE. Additional nominations for candidates may be submitted by members no later than Tuesday, July 25, 2006. Ten or more voting members must support additional nominations in writing. Those elected, whether by ballot or acclamation, will take office immediately following the Society’s AGM in Sherbrooke, QC, on October 17, 2006.
President 2006–2007 David T. Fung, MCIC, is the chairman and CEO of the ACDEG Group of companies. Through strategic alliances in forest products, biomass energy, chemicals, agric-foods, electrical power cogeneration, OEM parts manufacturing and packaging wastes recycling, ACDEG has investment partnerships in North America, Europe and Asia, especially China and Canada. He obtained his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in chemical engineering from McGill University in Montréal, QC and completed the senior business executive program at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON. Fung was the research manager of C-I-L Inc. and managed the C-I-L Chemical Research Laboratory in Mississauga, ON. Subsequently, he became the president of Chemetics International Company of Vancouver, BC, with five divisions on four continents and chemical plant projects on six continents. He has sponsored research projects at and commercialized technologies from Canadian universities. He was a member of the 2006 expert panel of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology. Fung is actively involved
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Le comité des candidatures de la Société canadienne de génie chimique (SCGCh), nommé aux termes de l’article k de la division 8 des règlements de la SCGCh, propose les candidats suivants aux postes d’administrateurs de la SCGCh pour l’exercice 2006-2007. Gerry Phillips, MCIC, président sortant de la SCGCh et président du comité d es candidatures, est heureux de présenter les candidats aux élections pour l’exercice 2006-2007. Les membres peuvent présenter d’autres candidats au plus tard le mardi 25 juillet 2006. Les mises en candidature supplémentaires doivent être appuyées par écrit par au moins dix membres votants. Les personnes élues, au scrutin ou sans concurrent, entreront en fonction immédiatement après l’Assemblée générale annuelle de la Société qui se tiendra le 17 octobre 2006 à Sherbrooke (Québec).
Président, 2006-2007 David T. Fung, MCIC, est président directeur général du groupe d’entreprises ACDEG. Par l’entremise d’alliances stratégiques dans les domaines des produits forestiers, de l’énergie de biomasse, des produits chimiques, de l’agroalimentaire, de la production d’énergie électrique, de la fabrication de pièces d’origine et du recyclage des déchets d’emballage, ACDEG possède des partenariats d’investissement en Amérique du Nord et en Asie, plus précisément en Chine et au Canada. M. Fung a obtenu son baccalauréat, sa maîtrise et son doctorat en génie chimique de l’Université McGill de Montréal (Québec), et il a complété un programme de gestion supérieure à la Queen’s University de Kingston (Ontario). Fung était directeur de la recherche à C-I-L Inc. et dirigeait le Laboratoire de recherche chimique de C-I-L à Mississauga, en Ontario. Il est par la suite devenu président de Chemetics International Company à Vancouver (C.-B.), entreprise qui comprend cinq divisions dans quatre continents et des projets d’usines chimiques dans six continents. Il a
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on the boards and/or advisory boards of educational institutions, professional associations and trade associations, including chair of the Manufacturing 20/20 Implementation Steering Group and first vicechair of the national board of directors of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters and member of the national board of directors and the executive committee of the Canada China Business Council. Fung is a professional engineer in British Columbia and has been an active member of the CSChE since 1970. He is a member of the Economics and Business Management Division and CSChE award selection committees. He was the vice-chair and chair, respectively, of the 1991 and 2002 Canadian Chemical Engineering Conferences in Vancouver. He is currently the vice-president of the CSChE.
2006 Statement to CSChE As a technical association for chemical engineers, the CSChE is a focus for the development of Canadian chemical engineering for the benefit of society. Canadian chemical engineering offers global leadership in technologies used to secure clean air, water, and soil, and to develop fuel cells, heavy oil extraction and upgrading, nuclear power generation, chlorine free pulp bleaching, and generic pharmaceutical manufacturing. The CSChE LIVE plan is visionary and has served CSChE well. CSChE will continue to offer its members opportunities for Life-long learning, Involvement and commitment, Voice of reason, and Ethics and responsibility. Competence and productivity will determine the future prosperity of Canada. Continuous training will ensure competence. Process and product innovations will improve productivity. As the leading technology disseminator of chemical engineering, CSChE must institute a continuous improvement program to enhance the effectiveness of the annual conference and the CSChE Journal. Preparations for a successful World Congress of Chemical Engineering in Montréal in 2009 will assume increasing priority. To achieve its goal of better living through chemistry and engineering, the image of chemical engineering must be communicated effectively to the general public, the media and the youths who will be the future of the profession. Strong student chapters and local sections are essential vehicles for the future of the CSChE. Globalization is demanding competitiveness beyond technical competence. To achieve multi-disciplinary capability without diluting its own core competence, CSChE must seek reputable partners to offer training programs in ecology, logistics, international trade, financing, technology commercialization, venture capital, and organizational management. To deliver improved value of membership, traditional and nontraditional partners will be sought to provide comprehensive benefit packages. CSChE will help its members excel in technical competence, innovate with confidence and achieve financial success.
commandité des projets de recherche et commercialisé des technologies d’universités canadiennes. En 2006, M. Fung a été membre du panel d’expert du Conseil consultatif des sciences et de la technologie du premier ministre. Il s’implique activement au sein de conseils et/ ou de conseils consultatifs de maisons d’enseignement, d’associations professionnelles et d’associations commerciales, notamment à titre de président du groupe directeur pour l’implantation de Manufacturing 20/20, de premier vice-président du Conseil d’administration national des Manufacturiers et exportateurs du Canada (MEC) et membre du Conseil d’administration national et conseil de direction du Conseil commercial Canada-Chine. M. Fung est ingénieur enregistré en Colombie-Britannique et est membre actif de la SCGCh depuis 1970. Il est également membre de la Division de gestion économique et commerciale et membre du comité de sélection des prix de la SCGCh. Il était respectivement vice-président et président des Congrès canadiens de génie chimique de Vancouver en 1991 et 2002, et vice-président de la SCGCh en 2005-2006.
Exposé à la SCGCh pour 2006 En tant qu’association technique pour les ingénieurs chimistes, la SCGCh offre un point de concentration pour le développement du génie chimique canadien au bénéfice de la société. Le génie chimique canadien joue un rôle de leader dans les technologies utilisées pour assainir l’air, l’eau et le sol, et dans le développement de piles à combustible, l’extraction et l’amélioration de l’huile lourde, la production d’énergie nucléaire, le blanchiment sans chlore des pâtes et papiers, et la fabrication de médicaments génériques. Le plan CSChE LIVE est visionnaire et a très bien servi la SCGCh. La SCGCh continuera d’offrir à ses membres la possibilité d’apprentissage continu, de participation et d’engagement, de raisonnement, et d’éthique et responsabilité. La compétence et la productivité assureront la prospérité future du Canada. La formation continue assurera la compétence. Les innovations apportées aux produits et aux processus amélioreront la productivité. En sa qualité de premier diffuseur des technologies en génie chimique, la SCGCh se doit d’instituer un programme de formation continue dans le but d’améliorer l’efficacité du congrès annuel et journal de la SCGCh. La priorité accordée aux préparatifs du Congrès mondial de génie chimique à Montréal en 2009 ira en augmentant. Pour atteindre son objectif d’améliorer le niveau de vie par le biais de la chimie et de l’ingénierie, l’image de l’ingénierie chimique doit être efficacement communiquée au public, aux médias et aux jeunes, qui sont l’avenir de la profession. Des sections étudiantes et des sections locales fortes représentent des véhicules essentiels pour l’avenir de la SCGCh. La globalisation exige une compétitivité qui va bien au-delà des compétences techniques. Pour atteindre une capacité multidisciplinaire sans pour autant diluer ses compétences essentielles, la SCGCh doit s’adjoindre des partenaires dignes de confiance lui permettant d’offrir des programmes de formation en écologie, logistique, commerce international, finances, commercialisation des technologies, capital de risque et gestion organisationnelle. Pour assurer une plus-value au statut de membre, la SCGCh s’associera à des partenaires traditionnels et non traditionnels qui lui permettront d’offrir des programmes complets. La Société aidera ses membres à atteindre l’excellence dans leurs compétences techniques, à innover en toute confiance et à atteindre le succès financier.
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Vice-president 2006–2007 Milena Sejnoha, MCIC, graduated from McGill University in Montréal, QC, from the department of chemical engineering with a BEng in 1983, and an MEng in thermodynamics in 1986. She worked at QIT Fer et Titane in Sorel, QC, for six years as a research engineer and as a project develop pment supervisor developing new products and managing pilot plants. For nine years, Sejnoha worked at CANMET’s Energy Diversification Research Laboratory in Varennes, QC, where she was head of the process engineering section in charge of developing, licensing, and deploying new industrial drying and reactor technologies. During the last three years, Sejnoha has held the position of manager of the Climate Change Technology Development Group at the Office of Energy Research and Development of Natural Resources Canada and is responsible for developing and managing S&T delivery programs for climate change mitigation. She was a member of the organizing committee for the 50th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference in Montréal in 2000.
Statement of Policy The chemical engineering profession has a unique role to play in advancing Canada’s prosperity, security, and environmental and social sustainability by virtue of its expansive nature and scientific and technical qualifications. Its reach spans sectors from manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, energy production, food processing, biotechnology, materials engineering, and tissue engineering to environmental and safety issues. The Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) has the responsibility to provide its members with an overview of national and international issues relevant to our vast and varied profession using its communication and scientific vehicles, The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, the annual conference, L’Actualité chimique canadienne / Canadian Chemical News (ACCN) magazine, to their maximum potential and through strengthened alliances with other chemical engineering associations. The Society recognizes and anticipates important issues, capitalizing on its unique ability to bring together academia, industry, and government, to develop positions and take actions to address matters that affect our membership, as well as Canadian society; for example, the current and increasing importance of the energy supply and related environmental consequences in terms of clean air, water, and soil. The Society works to ensure it is relevant to both young graduates and practising engineers, through the continuous improvement of its activities and practices, while drawing on its strengths to provide information on emerging processes, practices, and technologies, as well as networking opportunities. Communicating with and periodically soliciting feedback from its members is a cornerstone for building and maintaining a strong Society that is relevant and financially sound.
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Vice-présidente, 2006-2007 Milena Sejnoha, MCIC, a obtenu son BEng du département de génie chimique de l’Université McGill à Montréal (Québec), en 1983, et sa MEng en thermodynamique en 1986. Elle a travaillé chez QIT Fer et Titane, à Sorel (Québec), pendant six ans comme ingénieure de recherche et superviseure de développement de projets pour l’élaboration de nouveaux produits et la gestion d’usines pilotes. Pendant neuf années, elle a travaillé au Laboratoire de recherche en diversification énergétique de CANMET, à Varennes (Québec), où elle était chef de la section du génie des procédés, responsable de l’élaboration, de la production sous licence et du déploiement de nouvelles technologies de séchage et de réacteurs. Pendant les dernières trois années, Sejnoha a travaillé comme gestionnaire, Initiatives des technologies reliées aux changements climatiques, au Bureau de recherche et de développement énergétiques, Ressources naturelles Canada et est responsable pour le développement et la gestion de programmes de S&T. Elle été membre du Comité d’organisation du 50e Congrès de génie chimique qui a eu lieu à Montréal en l’an 2000.
Énoncé de politique La profession d’ingénieur chimiste joue un rôle prépondérant dans le développement de la prospérité, de la sécurité et de la viabilité environnementale et sociale du Canada grâce à sa nature expansionniste et à ses connaissances scientifiques et techniques étendues. Sa portée touche de nombreux secteurs, notamment fabrication, produits pharmaceutiques et pétrochimiques, production énergétique, transformation des aliments, biotechnologie, ingénierie des matériaux, génie tissulaire, de même que les questions environnementales et de sécurité. La Société canadienne de génie chimique (SCGCh) assure à ses membres une vue d’ensemble des questions nationales et internationales affectant notre vaste profession, grâce à l’utilisation à leur plein potentiel de ses véhicules de communications et scientifiques, The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, le congrès annuel, la revue L’Actualité chimique canadienne / Canadian Chemical News (ACCN), et par le biais d’alliances étroites avec d’autres associations de génie chimique. La Société reconnaît et anticipe les questions importantes, capitalisant sur sa capacité particulière à rassembler le monde académique, l’industrie et les gouvernements, établissant ainsi des positions et prenant action dans l’intérêt des membres et de la société canadienne; par exemple, l’importance actuelle et grandissante de l’approvisionnement énergétique et des conséquences environnementales connexes en termes d’air pur, d’eau propre et de sol non contaminé. La Société s’affaire à demeurer pertinente tant pour les jeunes diplômés que pour les ingénieurs praticiens, en améliorant continuellement ses activités et ses pratiques, en puisant dans ses ressources pour communiquer des informations sur les pratiques, technologies et processus émergents, et en offrant des possibilités de réseautage. La communication avec ses membres, doublée d’une demande périodique de leurs commentaires, sert de pierre angulaire pour bâtir et maintenir une Société forte, pertinente et financièrement saine.
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Directors 2006–2009
Directeurs, 2006-2009
Michael Cunningham, MCIC, graduated from Queen’s University with a BSc in 1985, and an MSc in 1987, both in chemical engineering. In 1990, he received a PhD from the University of Waterloo. After working in industry for six years at the Xerox Research Centre of Canada in polymer research engineering—his work resulting in 26 U. S. patents—Cunningham accepted a position at Queen’s University. He is currently a professor in the department of chemical engineering with a cross-appointment to the department of chemistry. He has received many awards throughout his distinguished career, including: the Premier’s Research Excellence Award, Ontario; the Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence, Queen’s University; Syncrude Canada/CSChE Innovation Award; and the Golden Apple Teaching Award. He has been involved in the CSChE as the Coordinator of Polymer Sessions in 1999 and with the CIC as an executive of the Macromolecular Science and Engineering Division. He is actively involved in many professional associations and is currently on the organizing committee for the 6th Engineering Foundation Meeting on Polymer Reaction Engineering and sits on the International Advisory Committee for the 4th IUPAC International Symposium on Radical Polymerization.
Michael Cunningham, MCIC, est diplômé en génie chimique de la Queen’s University, ayant obtenu un baccalauréat en 1985 et une maîtrise en 1987. Il est titulaire depuis 1990 d’un doctorat de la University of Waterloo. Il a été à l’emploi du Centre de recherche Xerox du Canada en ingénierie de recherche sur les polymères, et de son travail ont découlé 26 brevets américains. Après avoir œuvré dans l’industrie pendant six ans, M. Cunningham a accepté un poste à la Queen’s University. Il est actuellement professeur au département de génie chimique, en plus d’être affecté au département de chimie. Il a reçu de nombreux prix au cours de sa prestigieuse carrière, dont une Bourse du premier ministre pour l’excellence en recherche, en Ontario; une Bourse du chancelier pour l’excellence en recherche, à la Queen’s University; le Prix innovation de Syncrude Canada/SCGCh; et le Golden Apple Teaching Award. Il a fait partie de la Société canadienne de génie chimique en tant que coordonnateur des sessions sur les polymères en 1999, et de l’ICC en qualité de gestionnaire de la Division des sciences et du génie macromoléculaires. Il intervient activement dans plusieurs associations professionnelles et siège actuellement au comité organisateur de la 6e réunion de la Fondation sur l’ingénierie des réactions des polymères et siège également au comité consultatif international du 4e Symposium international de l’UICPA sur la polymérisation radicale.
Graeme Norval, MCIC, graduated from the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, University of Toronto with a BSc in 1983, and a PhD in 1989. He has been active in the Catalysis Division of the CIC, serving on the division executive between 1994 and 2004, and serving on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Catalysis Foundation between 1996 and 2006. He was Technical Program co-chair of the 2005 CSChE conference (Toronto). He served as treasurer of the 1992 Canadian Symposium on Catalysis (Sarnia) and of the 2001 Meeting of the North American Catalysis Society (Toronto). Norval currently operates a consulting business, specializing in the inorganic chemicals processing area. He worked as a senior research engineer with Pioneer Canada (formerly ICI Canada and C-I-L) between 1989 and 2002. He also teaches part-time at the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, University of Toronto, in the chemical process design and reaction engineering fields.
Graeme Norval, MCIC, est diplômé du département de génie chimique et de chimie appliquée de la University of Toronto, ayant obtenu un baccalauréat en 1983 et un doctorat en 1989. Il s’est impliqué dans la Division des catalyses de l’ICC en qualité de gestionnaire de 1994 à 2004, et siégeait au conseil d’administration de la Fondation canadienne de catalyse en 1996 et 2006. Il a été coprésident du programme technique du congrès 2005 de la SCGCh à Toronto, trésorier du Symposium canadien de catalyse de 1992 à Sarnia et du congrès 2001 de la North American Catalysis Society à Toronto. M. Norval dirige actuellement un cabinet de consultation, se spécialisant dans le traitement des produits chimiques inorganiques. Il a occupé le poste d’ingénieur de recherche principal chez Pioneer Canada (auparavant ICI Canada et C-I-L) de 1989 à 2002. Il enseigne également à temps partiel au département de génie chimique et de chimie appliquée de la University of Toronto dans les domaines de la conception et de la réaction des processus chimiques.
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In Memoriam The CIC extends its condolences to the family of Henri Eid, MCIC.
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LOCAL SECTION NEWS NOUVELLES DES SECTIONS LOCALES
La section d’Ottawa-Gatineau a décerné trois prix La section d’Ottawa-Gatineau a décerné trois prix à L’Expo-sciences régionale de l’Outaouais 2006. L’évènement s’est déroulé du 10 au 12 mars à la polyvalente GrandeRivière d’Aylmer et 68 projets étaient présentés. Le premier prix fut attribué au projet « Acétaminophène versus ibuprophène »
de Frédérique B. Dion et Marie Isabelle N. Lessard, étudiantes en secondaire V à l’École St-Joseph. À l’aide d’une présentation efficace, elles nous décrivaient les différences entre le mode d’action et l’utilité pharmaceutique de ces deux molécules. Le deuxième prix est allé au projet « Surveillez-vous votre verre » de Marie-Pier Lambert, étudiante en secondaire IV à l’École du Verger. Marie-Pier démontrait une très bonne compréhension
des mécanismes biologiques de la pilule du viol. Le troisième prix fut décerné à René David Cooper, étudiant en secondaire III du Collège St-Alexandre, pour le projet « La cinétique chimique ». René nous expliquait avec enthousiasme, et expériences à l’appui, les concepts de la cinétique ainsi que les avantages de la catalyse. Denis Bérubé, MCIC
Support Continues for the Maritime IDW
2006 MIDW guest speakers and Mount Allison Chemistry Society executives Naomi Hughes, Douglas Stephan, FCIC, John Corrigan, MCIC, and Matt Zamora. Inorganic chemists in the Maritimes are greatly benefiting from the opportunity to gather and exchange ideas, afforded by the revival of the Maritime Inorganic Discussion Weekend meeting. The 2006 MIDW, which took place at Mount Allison University on March 4 and 5, was very well attended, with approximately 90 participants. This represented a growth in attendance from the very successful 2005 meeting, which was the first to be held in the region in 15 years. Modelled after similar gatherings held in other Canadian regions, the meeting provided an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate research students to present their ideas and
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results to students, post-doctoral fellows, and professors in an informal environment. The weekend began with a plenary lecture by invited guest Douglas Stephan, MCIC, from the University of Windsor. This was followed by 22 oral presentations over the next day and a half by students and post-doctoral fellows from the participating Maritime institutions. A very lively informal mixer was also held at the Coastal Inn Sackville on the evening of March 4, which was accompanied by a poster session. The gathering then moved to a local establishment where light refreshments were served and animated discussions continued well past midnight. The MIDW
concluded on Sunday with a plenary lecture by guest speaker John Corrigan, MCIC (The University of Western Ontario). The revival of the MIDW was fuelled by the addition of many new inorganic chemistry faculty in the Maritime academic institutions over the past few years. This year’s meeting enjoyed the participation of the community’s latest addition Laura Turculet, MCIC (Dalhousie). The continuing enrichment of inorganic chemistry research in the region was evident from the number and quality of student presentations. Prizes for oral presentations were awarded to undergraduate students Ben Tardiff (Mount Allison) and Derek Schipper (UPEI), and graduate student Adam Dyker (Dalhousie). Christian Garon (Mount Allison) was awarded the prize for Best Poster Presentation. The event was a tremendous success, and annual MIDW meetings are expected to continue. The organizers are grateful to Rigaku/ MSC Inc., NSERC, BoroScience Canada, the CSC, Mount Allison University, Dalhousie University, and Labatt Breweries for financial support. Also acknowledged are the Mount Allison Chemistry Society and the many student volunteers who helped out. For further information, check out the MIDW Web site at www.mta.ca/midw/. Glen G. Briand, MCIC
LOCAL SECTION NEWS NOUVELLES DES SECTIONS LOCALES
Toronto Section Open Evening
University of Guelph’s Len Ritter speaks on the risks associated with pesticide use.
The Toronto Section Annual General Meeting was held on March 29, 2006 in the auditorium of the Ministry of the Environment Laboratory Services Branch, Etobicoke, ON. At this meeting, the following new officers were instated by acclamation: Mark Vincent, MCIC, chair; Satyendra Bhavsar, MCIC, treasurer; and Nilima Gandhi, secretary. About 30 members attended the meeting where free pizza and soft drinks were served. The Open Evening combined the Annual General Meeting with a lecture by Len Ritter from the University of Guelph. Ritter is a professor and associate chair in the department of environmental biology and has devoted almost 30 years to the study of adverse health outcomes in association with exposure to pesticides. Ritter described the evolution of events that likely contributed to the ban in Toronto of urban use pesticides. He noted that concerns
about a possible association between adverse health outcomes and pesticide use span at least 30 years, and that the last five years have seen an accelerated and aggressive municipal agenda develop that has resulted in many urban municipalities either banning, or severely restricting, pesticide use within their respective jurisdictions. At the same time, Ritter noted that the public debate has been further fuelled by municipal policies on urban pesticide use that are often at odds with assessments that have been carried out by national and international regulatory authorities. Ritter concluded his presentation by reminding the audience that there is a broadly based lack of confidence in government policy makers, and that the debate will likely continue for some time yet before the controversy is resolved. Leslie Barton, MCIC
Edmonton’s 75th CSC Conference Lecture
Roald Hoffmann (1981 Chemistry Nobel Laureate) of Cornell University visited Edmonton, AB, from March 19 to 22 as the 10th Distinguished Lecturer in the 75th CSC Conference Lecture Series. In addition to delivering public and technical lectures,
Bottom photo by Creative Eye-mages Photography
Hoffmann gave a reading of some of his poetry and the visit culminated with a reading of his play “Should’ve.” The public lecture, “Chemistry’s Essential Tension—the Same and Not the Same,” was presented on Monday evening in Edmonton
City Hall with a welcome from Mayor Steven Mandel, greetings from Greg Taylor, dean of science, University of Alberta, and thanks from Bernard West, MCIC, CIC chair. The talk discussed similarities between the arts and science and the inherent tensions within chemistry and between chemistry and the arts. Both scientists and non-scientists were challenged to look at things from a different perspective. It was standing room only at the University of Alberta chemistry department for “All the Ways to Have a Bond.” This lecture provided a stimulating view of the various models that have been proposed for chemical bonds. In the evening, the poetry reading at The King’s University College was accompanied by organ and piano music by Joachim Segger. At the end of the evening Alice Major, Edmonton’s poet laureate, read a poem that she had written to honour Hoffmann’s visit. The reading of the play-in-progress was a collaboration with The King’s University College, Theatre Alberta, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Alberta Playwrights’ Network. This first reading of the play “Should’ve”
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LOCAL SECTION NEWS NOUVELLES DES SECTIONS LOCALES
was also the first public performance in the new theatre at The King’s University College. Among other things, the play explores the issue of ethics in science and the reading was followed by a lively discussion with the audience. In addition to the above events, Hoffmann spent time with students from the University of Alberta and The King’s University College, and discussed topics ranging from chemistry to science and religion. This visit certainly met our objective of bringing
together the Edmonton chemistry community and also involving the general public. All the events were well attended and the Edmonton Journal had a prominent article with the title, “Chemist-Poet Bridges Gap Between Science and Art.” The 75th Lecture Series is a legacy of the very successful 75th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition held in Edmonton in 1992. The original funding of $18,000 together with support from other sources has
NCW NEWS NOUVELLES DE LA SNC
STUDENT NEWS NOUVELLES DES ÉTUDIANTS
been used to bring ten distinguished chemists to Edmonton. The 75th Lecture Committee acknowledges generous financial support from the CIC Chemical Education Fund, the Alberta Heritage Fund for Medical Research, Syncrude Canada Ltd., Canada Council for the Arts, Theatre Alberta, The King’s University College, and the University of Alberta. Roger Cowles, FCIC
Vancouver Island CIC Student Symposium
Public Understanding of Chemistry 2006 Thank you to the Sponsors (as of April 10, 2006)
Gold CIC Chemical Education Fund Merck Frosst Canada Ltd.
Syncrude Canada Ltd. Anachemia Science
The annual CIC Student Symposium was held on January 24, 2006 at the University of Victoria. Six students presented talks on a wide range of chemical topics. The quality of the talks and the resulting discussions were excellent. The awards winners and the title of their talks are listed below. The awards and the wine and cheese social that followed were generously supported by Axys Analytical Services, Bruker Biospin, and the chemistry department of the University of Victoria, in addition to the Vancouver Island CIC Local Section.
Bronze
Award winners are:
Bruker BioSpin Ltd. Cognis Oleochemicals Canada Limited Cognis Canada Corp. Syngenta Crop Protection (Canada) Inc.
First place Second place
Soukaina Karaouny, Ryan Abel
Third place Fourth place
Jakub Drnec Eleanor Huettmeyer
Fifth place (tie)
Katie Elliot
Silver
28 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
“Antisense Oligonucleotides” “Colloidal Silver Used Therapeutically as an Antibacterial Compound” “Cellular Automata on the Edge of Chaos” “Chemistry and the Societal Impacts of Crystal Meth Addiction” “Which Came First—Informational or Functional Polypeptides: A Glimpse into Prebiotic Chemistry and the Origins of Life” and Fan Jiang, “Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life”
EVENTS ÉVÉNEMENTS
STUDENT NEWS NOUVELLES DES ÉTUDIANTS
U.S. and Overseas
Arthur Bollo-Kamara Scholarship The Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta (ACPA) invites all undergraduate and graduate students in chemistry programs in Alberta to apply for the Arthur Bollo-Kamara Scholarship. This $500 award honours the memory of Arthur Bollo-Kamara, an active professional chemist, a gifted musician, and a founding member of the ACPA. Please visit the ACPA Web site at www.pchem.ca/Scholarship.htm for further details.
The application deadline is
July 31, 2006.
August 12–17, 2006. 19th International Conference on Chemical Education, Seoul, Korea, www.19icce.org August 27–30, 2006. 11th APCChE Congress, Asian Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, www.apcche2006.org August 27–31, 2006. CHISA 2006, Prague, Czech Republic, www.chisa.cz/2006 August 29–September 2, 2006. XIXth International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry, Istanbul, Turkey, www.ismc2006.org September 2–9, 2006. International School “Bernardino Telesio,” Residential School in Applied Mass Spectrometry and Related Topics, University of Calabria, Italy, chimica.unical.it/workshop/ September 10–14, 2006. ACS Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, www.acs.org
Canada Conferences June 28–30, 2006. CSChE/AIChE Industrial Energy Management in the 21st Century, Edmonton, AB, www.chemeng.ca/profdev
September 24–28, 2006. INTERACT 2006, Perth, Australia, www.promaco.com/au/conference/2006/raci October 1–4, 2006. XXII InterAmerican Congress of Chemical Engineering, Buenos Aires, Argentina, www.ciiq.org/argentina2006 November 12–17, 2006. AIChE Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, www.aiche.org
July 23–28, 2006. 23rd International Carbohydrate Symposium, Whistler, BC, www.ics2006.org, ics2006@nrc.gc.ca July 26–30, 2006. The Sixth Canadian Computational Chemistry Conference (CCCC6), Vancouver, BC, www.chem.ubc.ca/CCCC6 August 9–13, 2006. Ltos-12, Twelfth Symposium on The Latest Trends in Organic Synthesis, St. Catharines, ON, www.brocku.ca/ chemistry/faculty/hudlicky/ltos/intro.html October 15–18, 2006. 56th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Sherbrooke, QC, www.csche2006.ca May 26–30, 2007. 90th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, Winnipeg, MB, www.chimiste.ca/conferences/ cic_calendar__e.htm
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We protect all innovations in biotechnology, proteomics, pharmaceuticals and chemistry on a global basis. Please contact us at Sim & McBurney and Sim, Lowman, Ashton & McKay LLP 330 University Avenue, Sixth Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1R7 Telephone: 416-595-1155 Fax: 416-595-1163 E-Mail: mailsim@sim-mcburney.com or mailsim@sim-lowman.com
EMPLOYMENT WANTED DEMANDE D’EMPLOI October 28–31, 2007. 57th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Edmonton, AB, www.chemeng.ca/conferences/ csche_annual__e.htm October 19–22, 2008. 58th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Ottawa, ON, www.chemeng.ca/conferences/ csche_annual__e.htm August 23–27, 2009. 8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering and 59th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Montréal, QC, www.chemengcongress2009.com
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JUNE 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 29
The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (CJChE) has an eighty-year successful history of producing high-quality, cutting-edge research. From its modest beginnings, the
The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering
CJChE developed into an outstanding journal, publishing original research, new theoretical interpretations and critical reviews in the science and industrial practice of chemical and biochemical engineering and applied chemistry. The CJChE is now poised to build on its national and international reputation. In the years ahead, the CJChE’s goals are: to continue to attract high-quality submissions; to expand its scope to include articles on modern developments in chemical engineering, thus cutting across traditional boundaries and reaching out to frontiers of chemical engineering research; and to interest younger researchers from across Canada and around the world to submit their best work to the CJChE.
Devoted to the publication of chemical engineering science, industrial practice and applied chemistry Published on a non-profit basis by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, the CJChE welcomes submissions of original research articles in the broad field of chemical engineering and its applications. The CJChE publishes six issues per year. Each volume contains fully reviewed articles, notes or reviews. See our Web site for a sample copy and further details. Editor
K. Nandakumar, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Associate Editors
B. G. Amsden, Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON A. K. Dalai, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK R. E. Hayes, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB B. Huang, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB R. S. Sanders, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
30 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE JUIN 2006
www.cjche.ca
The Chemical Institute of Canada
2007AWARDS
The Chemical Institute of Canada Medal is presented as a mark of distinction and recognition to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the science of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada. Sponsored by The Chemical Institute of Canada. Award: A medal and travel expenses.
The MontrĂŠal Medal is presented as a mark of distinction and honour to a resident in Canada who has shown significant leadership in or has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada. In determining the eligibility for nominations for the award, administrative contributions within The Chemical Institute of Canada and other professional organizations that contribute to the advancement of the professions of chemistry and chemical engineering shall be given due consideration. Contributions to the sciences of chemistry and chemical engineering are not to be considered. Sponsored by the MontrĂŠal CIC Local Section.
Award: A medal and travel expenses up to $300. The Environmental Improvement Award is presented to a Canadian company, individual, team, or organization for a significant achievement in pollution prevention, treatment, or remediation. Sponsored by the Environment Division. Award: A plaque and travel assistance up to $500.
The Macromolecular Science and Engineering Award is presented to an individual who, while resident in Canada, has made a distinguished contribution to macromolecular science or engineering. Sponsored by NOVA Chemicals Ltd. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize of $1,500, and travel expenses.
The CIC Award for Chemical Education (formerly the Union Carbide Award) is presented as a mark of recognition to a person who has made an outstanding contribution in Canada to education at the post-secondary level in the field
of chemistry or chemical engineering. Sponsored by the CIC Chemical Education Fund. Award: A framed scroll, $1,500 cash prize.
Deadlines The deadline for all CIC awards is July 3, 2006 for the 2007 selection.
Nomination Procedure Please submit your nominations to: Awards Manager The Chemical Institute of Canada 130 Slater Street, Suite 550 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 Tel.: 613-232-6252, ext. 223 Fax: 613-232-5862 awards@cheminst.ca Nomination forms and the full Terms of Reference for these awards are available at www.cheminst.ca/awards/ cic_index_e.html.
Important ...
Submission deadline is July 3, 2006
The Canadian Society for Chemistry
2007AWARDS
The Alcan Award is presented to a scientist residing in Canada who has made a distinguishing contribution in the fields of inorganic chemistry or electrochemistry while working in Canada. Sponsored by Alcan International Ltd. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize of $2,000, and travel expenses up to $1,000.
The Alfred Bader Award is presented as a mark of distinction and recognition for excellence in research in organic chemistry carried out in Canada. Sponsored by Alfred Bader, HFCIC. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize of $3,000, and travel expenses up to $500.
The Award for Pure or Applied Inorganic Chemistry is presented to a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant who has made an outstanding contribution to inorganic chemistry while working in Canada, and who is within ten years of his or her first professional appointment as an independent researcher in an academic, government, or industrial sector. Sponsored by the Inorganic Chemistry Division. Award: A framed scroll, travel expenses for a lecture tour.
The Boehringer Ingelheim Award is presented to a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant whose PhD thesis in the field of organic or bioorganic chemistry was formally accepted by a Canadian university in the 12-month period preceding the nomination deadline of July 3 and whose doctoral research is judged to be of outstanding quality. Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize of $2,000, and travel expenses.
The Clara Benson Award is presented in recognition of a distinguished contribution to chemistry by a woman while working in Canada. Sponsored by the Canadian Council
of University Chemistry Chairs (CCUCC).
Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize of
$1,000, and travel expenses up to $500.
The Maxxam Award is presented to a scientist residing in Canada who has made a distinguished contribution in the field of analytical chemistry while working in Canada. Sponsored by Maxxam Analytics Inc. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize of $1,000, and travel expenses up to $1,000. The R. U. Lemieux Award is presented to an organic chemist who has made a distinguished contribution to any area of organic chemistry while working in Canada. Sponsored by the Organic Chemistry Division. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize of $1,000, and travel expenses up to $1,000.
The Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research Award is presented to a scientist residing in Canada, who shall not have reached the age of 40 years by April 1 of the year of nomination and who has made a distinguished contribution in the fields of organic chemistry or biochemistry while working in Canada. Sponsored by Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize of $2,000, and travel expenses.
The Bernard Belleau Award is presented to a scientist residing in Canada who has made a distinguished contribution to the field of medicinal chemistry through research involving biochemical or organic chemical mechanisms. Sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb Canada Co. Award: A framed scroll and a cash prize of $2,000. The Fred Beamish Award is presented to an individual who demonstrates innovation in research in the field of analytical chemistry, where the research is anticipated to have significant potential for practical applications.
The award is open to new faculty members at a Canadian university and they must be recent graduates with four years of appointment. Sponsored by Eli Lilly Canada Inc. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize of $1,000, and travel expenses.
The Keith Laidler Award (formerly the Noranda Award) is presented to a scientist who has made a distinguished contribution in the field of physical chemistry while working in Canada. The award recognizes early achievement in the awardee’s independent research career. Sponsored by Systems for Research. Award: A framed scroll and a cash prize of $1,500.
The W. A. E. McBryde Medal is presented to a young scientist working in Canada who has made a significant achievement in pure or applied analytical chemistry. Sponsored by Sciex Inc., Division of MDS Health Group. Award: A medal and a cash prize of $2,000.
Deadline
The deadline for all CSC awards is July 3, 2006 for the 2007 selection.
Nomination Procedure
Please submit your nominations to: Awards Manager The Canadian Society for Chemistry 130 Slater Street, Suite 550 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 Tel.: 613-232-6252, ext. 223 Fax: 613-232-5862 awards@cheminst.ca Nomination forms and the full Terms of Reference for these awards are available at-www.chemistry.ca/awards/ csc_index_e.html.
Important ...
Submission deadline is July 3, 2006
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