Darren Baker Email & Phone Number

Kingston, Tn, Us

Geretsried, De

Incredible work here, great environment to be in, wonderful people!

Tell me about your lignins and let us see if there is opportunity.

Knoxville, Tn, Us

Tasked with relating lignin chemistry and macro-molecular properties to material processing, cost, and product performance, I made very significant impacts towards commercialization of a family of lignin-containing profitable BioLAN(TM) materials with reduced GWP in comparison to the incumbent petrochemical material (ABS for automotive interiors). Contributions towards BioLAN(TM) Tier One automotive supplier approval and the commercialization platform were:- Elimination of the widely recognized lignin odor associated with its use in commercial products. The resulting lignin-containing BioLAN(TM) materials are now considered odor-free by a Tier One automotive supplier using automobile producer testing methods.- Simplification of BioLAN(TM) formulations to achieve reduced CAPEX/OPEX while maintaining product performance specified by the same Tier One supplier.- Manipulation of processing conditions to improve product performance by up to double compared to earlier compounds and formulations. Possessing a broad range of knowledge and experience in a wide variety of lignins enabled my decisive recommendations and work towards polymer selection, processing and resultant injection molding of the materials used in BioLAN(TM).- Calculation and monitoring of GWP and cost impacts.- Evaluation of lignin analytical vendor data with recommendations for improved measurements and data analysis. Design of lignin testing methods (thermal, rheological, odor).

Göteborg, Se

Having directed or participated in successful research programs at RISE Innventia AB / RISE Bioeconomy I returned to the United States.I coordinated and participated in programs funded by both industry and government. One particular program I led was a successful partnership with eight funding companies and other RISE scientists concerning the valorization of lignins for non-carbon fiber applications. Lignins were recovered from pulp mill black liquors, and applied to resin, activated carbon, and non-structural applications.Other projects included:https://greenlight-project.eu/news/Evaluation of routes (ultrafiltration, pH inversion, solvent) towards refined lignin preparationCorrelation of lignin characteristics and properties with processing efficacy and product performanceDevelopment of lignins with robust melt spinning characteristics for laboratory (<100 filament), pilot filament production, and for melt blowingLignin carbon fibers with much improved tensile properties and alternatively with modification directed towards energy storage carbonsDevelopment of methods to either reduce or eliminate the need for oxidative thermostabilization during manufacture of carbon materials from ligninInvestigation of lignin carbon nanofiber preparation and use in several applications. kg scale lignin carbon nanofiber productionOdor elimination towards polymer compounds and cost considerations

Us

Please contact me if you are considering a position here, I can provide some direction.- Established infrastructure and lignin carbon fiber program at UTIA. Included spinning equipment, conversion facilities and related lignin analytical equipment.- Novel conception of lignins refined to provide derivatives suitable for multiple products. Discovered and applied sequential solvent refining techniques for the preparation of enhanced lignins from kraft and organosolv lignins. Directed towards/used in the manufacture of monomers, carbon fibers, carbon nanofibers, lignin fibers, and carbon foams. - Discovered and applied methods for refining lignin to produce carbon nanofibers and carbon fibers.- Produced the first reported fibers and carbon fibers from kraft softwood lignin.- Produced the first fibers and carbon fibers from NREL/UTK organosolv lignins (EvolUTIA) based on switchgrass and hardwood (poplar).- Made significant changes to an NREL based organosolv process originating with Bozell to direct the process towards the production of improved lignins (EvolUTIA). In the past, lignins were the byproduct of pulping for cellulose, and in this case I examined the process for the production of higher value lignin.- Odor elimination towards lignin materials and polymer compounds.(incomplete, editing)

Oak Ridge, Tn, Us

Investigated preparation of lignins for melt spinning and production of carbon fiber.- Invented thermal treatments of organosolv and kraft hardwood lignins to remove volatiles, increase molecular weight, glass transition, and therefore increased conversion rates to carbon fiber and CF mechanical properties- Produced multifilament 100% lignin fibers to convert to CF with mechanical properties in excess of those previously reported- Batchwise production of kg quantities of lignin CF for evaluation in industrial products- Prepared lignins with properties such that they could be melt spun and then oxidatively thermostabilized in much less than one hour- Implemented the first reported use of UV irradiation in the thermostabilization of lignin filaments to decrease conversion times by an order of magnitude for lignin filaments with longer conversion times.- Evaluated lignin blends (softwood/hardwood) for the continuous melt spinning of predominantly softwood kraft lignins- Evaluated lignin blends with various polymers to attempt improvements in filament spinning - Determined previously unknown lignin property relationships with conversion parameters and CF properties- Developed thermal analysis techniques applicable to lignins, filament and conversion properties- Performed additional tasks which included evaluation of lignin composite fiber blends (e.g. CNT) and maintenance of equipment.

Bachelor'S Degree, Chemistry

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Materials Sciences & Engineering - Crosslinking Of Synthetic Fibres Using Disulphonyl Azides