Joseph C. Bell has over ten years experience developing new technologies and transferring results into manufacturing processes. Joe is skilled in researching new products, optimizing and validating process operations, devising solutions to engineering problems and providing customer service. He has led project teams though the entire development cycle beginning with initial concept and lab experiments to engineering design and construction and ultimately to process operation. His experience includes particle technology, processing slurries, solids drying, polymer chemistry developing coatings, supercritical fluid applications, electrochemical processes, surface phenomena designing electrochemical processes, and researching heterogeneous systems.

As a Process Development Team Leader with PPT Research, Inc., Allentown, PA, Mr. Bell:

• Led the process development and engineering design and construction of a pilot plant to process and recover materials used in the semiconductor and solar cell industries. Achieved all technical and process design objectives in the first run.
• Evaluated a spray drying technology for processing solar cell industry materials. Modeled the heat transfer in the dryer and tested spray nozzle life on a small lab unit.
• Specified the technology for processing solar cell materials. Experimentally measured the physical properties and evaluated product performance under processing conditions.
• Directed commissioning and start up of the solar cell materials plant. Scaled-up the process and designed the equipment, working with the commercial unit vendors. Wrote commissioning plan, supervised the team, trained operating personnel, and reported progress and results to senior management.
• Managed the operation and technical development of the plant. Led process hazards review (Hazop), overseeing the implementation of all corrective actions. Developed and maintained p iping and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID) and equipment files and drawings.

As a Senior Product Development Engineer with Quaker Chemical Corp., Conshohocken, PA, Mr. Bell:

• Installed and commissioned an electrostatic coating system. Redesigned and expanded system to handle full production capacity. Eliminated part rejects and reduced waste disposal over 70%.
• Developed a supercritical fluid process using a high pressure spray to control particle size and material transfer efficiency. Completed a field trial of the system meeting all customer performance specifications.
• Formulated products for solubility with supercritical carbon dioxide reducing material usage cost 25% and produced a rapid cure polyurethane compatible with the electrostatic process.
• Designed processes to reproduce customer operations. Utilized computer controlled machinery and a piezoelectric device to measure cutting force and torque. Reduced product development time by 75%.

Mr. Bell holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, and MS and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.

This page was last updated May 19, 2009