STA*Research - Specialist Consultants To The Petrochemicals Industry

Ken Sinclair, Principal, STA*Research 

Ken Sinclair is the Principal of STA*Research (Lacey, Washington State (Seattle area), USA), a consultancy specializing in the strategic interpretation of technology for the plastics industries. Mr. Sinclair has more than 35 years experience as a consultant to the petrochemicals and polymers industries. He is a specialist in polyolefin technology, and specifically in the relationships between catalyst/process combinations and the structures, properties, applications, markets, and costs of polymers produced. His primary aim is to provide the industry with insights into the role of technology and its exploitation in the achievement of competitive advantage in the marketplace.

A frequent speaker at international conferences, he has authored a number of articles published in leading industry journals, has lectured on polyolefin manufacturing & technology, and has conducted many private seminars on competitive strategies, research planning, technology interpretation, and process evaluation in the polyolefin industry. He has been the prime author of several multiclient studies on polyolefins technology, markets, and business management that are recognized worldwide as benchmark studies in this field.

A chemical engineer with a BSc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, Mr. Sinclair spent 8 years with chemical plant contractors in the United Kingdom, followed by 6 years as a Consultant with Chem Systems International (now Nexant, Inc.) in London, and 16 years as a Senior Consultant with SRI International in California. He left SRI at the beginning of 1996 to set up STA*Research.

Contact

Ken Sinclair

Principal

STA*Research

2849 Lakeview Drive SE

Lacey, Washington 98503

USA

(949) 600-6546

 

KEN SINCLAIR -- SUMMARY OF PUBLISHED ARTICLES & PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

"Recent Advances in Polyolefin Manufacturing Technologies," presented at the Polyolefins 2008 International Conference, Society of Plastics Engineers, Houston, February 25, 2008.

"The Growing Importance of Performance LLDPE in Global Markets," presented at the 2006 Nova Licensing Conference, Calgary, AB, September 18, 2006.

"Innovation & Globalization In Polyolefins Technology," presented at the Baxter Healthcare Corporation 2005 Medical Plastics Global Conference, Mundelein, IL, June 28, 2005.

"Metallocene polyolefins: progress and prospects," published in Hydrocarbon Processing, April, 2004, Gulf Publishing

"Production Potential of SSCs in Solution, Slurry and Gas Phase Processes," delivered at MetCon 2004, Houston, May 13, 2004, The Catalyst Group Inc.

"Polyketones: Current Status of Production Technology and Future Commercial Prospects" presented at Specialty Polymers 2003, Philadelphia, November 2003, The Catalyst Group Inc.

"Polyolefins: Current and Future Prospects," presented at Advances in Polyolefins 2003, Sonoma, October 2003, American Chemical Society.

"Commercialization of New Polymers: From Zero to Lift-Off," delivered at MetCon 2003, Houston, May 8, 2003, The Catalyst Group Inc.

"Global Market Outlook for 2nd Generation Metallocene Polypropylene," delivered at MetCon 2002, Houston, June 7, 2002, The Catalyst Group Inc.

"Metallocenes and Single-Site Catalysts: Global Status and Future Trends," presented at the DeWitt & Company World Petrochemical Review, Houston, March 21, 2002.

"Recent Advances in Polyolefin Manufacturing Technologies," presented at the Polyolefins 2002 International Conference, Society of Plastics Engineers, Houston, February 25, 2002

"Overview of Nanocomposite Opportunities," presented at Nanocomposites 2002, Amsterdam, January 28-29, 2002, Emap Conferences.

"Future Trends in Polyolefin Materials," in Insertion Polymerization (W. Spaleck Ed.), Macromolecular Symposia, Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2001.

"The Market Potential for Nanocomposites: Quantifying the Opportunities," delivered at Nanocomposites 2001, Chicago, June 25-27, 2001, Executive Conference Management.

"The Outlook for Single-Site and Conventional Catalysts in the New Millennium," delivered at MetCon 2000, Houston, June 8, 2000, The Catalyst Group Inc.

"Process/Product Optimization Developments In Polyolefins," delivered at Flexpo 2000, Galveston/Houston, August 24, 2000, Chemical Market Resources, Inc.

"The Impact of Technological Advances on Polyolefins & Elastomers," delivered at The Second Houston Polyolefins & Elastomers Conference, October 31-November 2, 1999, PlastiChem Consultants.

"Polyethylene Production Technology: Selecting The Optimum Process/Licensor Combination," delivered at the NOVA Chemicals Technology & Licensing Conference, Mississauga, October 1999.

"What's New In The Polyolefin Revolution - Limitations In Processing," delivered at the Global Plastics Processing Conference, Dallas, September 12-15, 1999

"The Future Potential of Metallocene Polypropylene," delivered at MetCon ‘99, Houston, June 10, 1999, The Catalyst Group Inc.

"Trends In Polyolefin Manufacturing Technology: Synergistic Interactions Between Process Development, Catalyst Development, And Market Specialization," delivered at The Third Polymers Producers Conference, AICHE Spring Meeting, Houston, TX, March, 1999.

"The New Generation Polyethylene Technologies: A Comparison," delivered at Polyolefins XI, SPE Regional Technical Conference, Houston, TX, February 1999.

"Economic Factors Determining Market Acceptance of Single-Site Catalyzed (SSC) Polymers," delivered at MetCon ‘98, Houston, June 10, 1998, The Catalyst Group Inc.

"The Impact of Metallocene Technology on Polyolefins & Elastomers," delivered at The Houston Polyolefins & Elastomers Conference, February 1-3, 1998, PlastiChem Consultants.

"SSC Technologies: Incubators For Innovation In Polyolefins," delivered at Advances In Polyolefins, ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry, Napa, CA, September, 1997

"Emerging Applications for Metallocene Polypropylene," delivered at Metallocene Technology ‘97, Chicago, June 1997, Executive Conference Management.

"Metallocenes: Catalysts For Growth In Synthetic Elastomers", delivered at the Annual Meeting of the IISRP, Vancouver, BC, May 1997.

"Market Update on Metallocene-Catalyzed Polymers," delivered at the CMAI 1997 World Petrochemical Conference, Houston, March, 1997

"The Renaissance in Polyolefin Manufacturing Technology," delivered at Polyolefins X, SPE Regional Technical Conference, Houston, TX, February, 1997

"To License Or Self-Develop: Options For Suppliers And Converters Of Metallocene Resins", delivered at SPO ‘96, Houston, September 1994, Schotland Business Services Inc.

"Global Outlook for Metallocene Technology," delivered at Additives for Metallocene Catalyzed Polymers, Chicago, IL, June, 1996

"Metallocenes: Avoiding Opportunity Overload", published in Plastics Formulating & Compounding, May/June, 1996

"Tailoring A Wide Array of Polymers with Ziegler-Natta Catalysis," delivered at the SPE Annual Technical Conference, Indianapolis, May, 1996

"Global Market Potential for Metallocene-Based Polymers," delivered at Metallocenes ‘96, Düsseldorf, Germany, March 1996.

Pre-1996:

About 20 presentations at international polyolefins industry conferences, with an emphasis on polyolefin technology (catalyst, process & product) and the dynamics of new product introduction in this industry. These included presentations during the 1980s and 1990s to meetings of the CMRA, AICHE, SPE, ACS and SPI Canada. Also authored two articles published in leading chemical industry journals.