Ralph Landau

Ralph Landau (May 19, 1916 – April 5, 2004) He is considered one of the top fifty foundational chemical engineers of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the 75 most distinguished contributors to chemical enterprise. He has published extensively on chemical engineering

In his 60s, he began a productive second career in economics at Stanford and Harvard Universities, examining economic theory, economic history and the application of technology in the chemical industry. the National Medal of Technology from the United States Government, He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering in 1937.

He went on to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received funding from a national Tau Beta Pi fellowship, applicable at the university of his choice, and further financed his doctoral work by working as a teaching assistant and research assistant. As part of the MIT program Landau participated in the Practice School. His industrial placements included a steel mill in Buffalo, New York, a paper mill in Bangor, Maine, and a chemical plant in Parlin, New Jersey.

M. W. Kellogg Company From 1941 to 1946, Landau worked as a process development engineer for the New Jersey–based M. W. Kellogg Company, one of the first engineering firms to specialize in design and development for the oil refining and chemical industries. Landau was initially involved in research on catalytic cracking.

Kellex Corporation

During World War II, M. W. Kellogg created a subsidiary company, Kellex Corporation, for work on the Manhattan Project. Scientists at Kellex attempted to design a production-scale facility to produce Uranium-235 for the atomic bomb. Through a process called gaseous diffusion, isotopes of U-235 were separated from the predominant isotope, Uranium-238 by turning uranium metal into uranium hexafluoride gas and straining it through a barrier material.

In 1943 Landau was invited to transfer to Kellogg's subsidiary, Kellex Corporation, to become head of the chemical department at the Manhattan Project's K-25 production plant at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. such as the perfluorocarbons perfluoroheptane and perfluoroxylene.

Scientific Design Co. In 1946, Landau co-founded Scientific Design Co., Inc. with Harry Rehnberg and Robert Egbert. Rehnberg was a construction engineer at Kellex, involved in building the fluorine unit Landau had designed. He became Scientific Design Co.'s first president, and Landau the executive vice president. At the time, most oil companies relied on outside research for process innovation. Scientific Design and other companies worked with clients to develop and pilot new chemical manufacturing processes, then patented and licensed those technologies for wider sales. Such specialized engineering firms accounted for 18% of new developments.

After completing an initial contract with Stauffer Chemical, Scientific Design bought a laboratory near 32nd St and Park Avenue in New York City. Ethylene oxide, a gas, was used for synthesis of ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol, a liquid, was used to manufacture polyethylene terephthalate resins (PET) for the bottling industry, antifreeze for automobile and airplane engines, Landau obtained the first of many patents, "Ethylene Oxide prepared by oxidation of ethylene using a silver catalyst", on November 27, 1956. They also marketed proprietary catalysts for the processes they developed. Amoco went on to become the world's largest manufacturer of terephthalic acid, and was later acquired by BP.

Other processes Under Landau's direction, Scientific Design also developed processes and sold licenses to make maleic anhydride, acetic anhydride, polyisoprene, and chlorinated solvents. It is a precursor to unsaturated polyester resins, used to make fiberglass composites for boats, cars, wind turbine blades and other products. It is used in the manufacture of copolymers to bind wood fibers into plastic, inhibits corrosion, create protective coatings, and repel water in sunscreens. Later, the company developed a process involving butane rather than benzene. By the 1970s, half of the world's production of maleic anhydride used one of the two processes.

Oxirane In 1967, Halcon partnered with Atlantic Richfield Co. (Arco) to form Oxirane, to produce propylene oxide, styrene, and tert-Butyl alcohol.

Research into new areas continued at Halcon after the creation of Oxirane. After Harry Rehnberg died in 1975, Landau become chairman and chief executive officer of Halcon.

From 1983 to 2004 Landau served as consulting professor of economics and chemical engineering at Stanford University

Stanford University Ralph Landau building at Stanford University, housing the Economics Department. He has also supported Stanford University. The Landau Building at 579 Serra Mall, designed by Anshen + Allen Architects, was completed in 1994. The building originally housed the Economics department and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). As of 2010, SIEPR moved next door, and the Stanford Center on Longevity moved into the Landau Building.

University of Pennsylvania In 1977, Landau was one of nine trustees and alumni at the University of Pennsylvania who established a challenge fund for a Million Dollar match, to help the annual giving program reach its goal of $4.5 million. He also established the Robert R. Marshak Term Professorship in Aquatic Medicine at the School of Veterinary Medicine. 1997 Othmer Gold Medal, Chemical Heritage Foundation 1982 Founder's Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers 1981 Perkin Medal, Society of Chemical Industry 1981 Chemical Pioneer Award, American Institute of Chemists 1977 Winthrop-Sears Medal, Chemists' Club 1973 Chemical Industry Medal, Society of Chemical Industry

Ralph Landau was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1972. He served as a councillor from 1973 to 1979, and as vice president from 1981 to 1990. From 1984 to 1989 he chaired the Academy's 25th Anniversary Fund Drive. He received the NAE Founders Award in 1994.

In 1988 Dr. Landau was elected a foreign member of the Royal Academy of Engineering (United Kingdom). He was also a fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1996.

Landau was awarded honorary degrees by the Polytechnic University of New York, Clarkson College, Ohio State University, and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received an honorary Doctorate of Science for being an "imaginative engineer, self-trained entrepreneur, and hands-on economist."

Ralph Landau died April 5, 2004.