US-based Eastman Chemical Company has been awarded the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChe) Industrial Research and Development Award for the year 2011 for developing and commercialising the copolyester, Eastman Tritan.
AIChe 2011 Industrial Research and Development Award
The copolyester, which was first produced commercially in the year 2007, is ideal for usage in consumer house articles, sports water bottles, packaging, medical devices and other small scale appliances. Eastman has recently opened a manufacturing facility exclusively for Eastman Tritan at Kingsport in the US. The material was developed during a period of four years through various stages such as design stage, rapid semi-works, plant development and product qualification. Several employees of the company were also individually recognised for the awards. They included the Executive Vice President, Dr. Emmett Crawford, Director Specialty Coatings and Polymers Technology Dr. Chris Killian and Dr. David Porter, Senior Research Associate.
Eastman Tritan, which is a copolyester has a combination of various properties such as resistance to chemicals and heat, toughness, clarity and ease in processing. The material is also free of bisphenol A. The AIChe is an association, which has been formed by 40,000 chemical engineers across 92 countries. The members of the association are based in various organisations such as universities, government institutions and corporations. The main focus of the association is to exchange information on nanotechnology, biological, environmental engineering and renewable energy sources.