Dr. Dean Rende, Senior Manager for Adsorbents Research and Development at Honeywell's UOP, has received the prestigious 2012 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Gordon E. Moore Medal for his innovation in chemistry.
The medal recognizes Rende’s outstanding work in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative catalysts that are used in the manufacturing of petrochemical monomers and biodegradable detergents.
The findings of Rende have a wide application in catalysis and they have led to the commercialization of a ground-breaking catalyst-manufacturing method. Particularly, the chemist has commercialized two new industrial catalysts for commercial alkane dehydrogenation and oxidation. Rende also made an effort to develop an adsorbent ion exchanger material, called UOP IONSIV Ion Exchangers, that can remove radioactive particles from water in a selective manner. The material has been utilized at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility to remove radioactive cesium in the polluted water caused by tsunami and earthquake which occurred in Japan in 2011.
The President and CEO of Honeywell UOP, Dr. Rajeev Gautam remarked that the SCI medal is a great credit for Rende's achievements and also a testimony for all the innovative work that are performed at UOP to advance various fields ranging from petrochemical and refining to biofuels. By recognizing extraordinary individuals and their innovation, SCI intends to encourage public awareness of R&D in modern chemical industries, stress the role of innovative research in the economy, and increase the students’ interest in applied chemistry.
Source: http://honeywell.com/