CelluForce Nanotechnology Scientist Richard Berry Awarded 2012 Purvis Memorial Prize
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CelluForce's (Montreal, Qué., Canada) Dr. Richard Berry, a leader in the development of NanoCrystalline Cellulose (NCC) was honored this past week with the 2012 Purvis Memorial award by the Society of Chemical Industry at the SCI Canada Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Toronto. Dr. Berry is recognized for his contribution in the industrial development of NanoCrystalline Cellulose, a recyclable, non-toxic, and renewable material extracted from trees.
‘'It is an honor to receive this recognition for work that has been done by remarkable teams at FPInnovations, Domtar, and now CelluForce," Dr. Berry said. While at FPInnovations, he developed significant pulping technology in the elimination of dioxins, high-temperature peroxide bleaching, aldehyde-enhanced bleaching, and more recently neutral bleaching.
Dr. Berry's initiatives in the past four years helped to convince industrial and government stakeholders of the huge industrial potential of NCC and have allowed Canada to take NCC research in university and industry laboratories to industrial and commercial reality. He now has moved to CelluForce, the joint venture of Domtar and FPInnovations, where he is working to ensure the technical and business success of the demonstration plant that has a capacity of 1 metric tpd.
The Purvis Memorial Awards honors Canadians in academia or an industry, based on chemistry, who have significantly strengthened their sector or an institution that industry relies upon. The chemical industry embraces traditional chemical companies focusing on chemical manufacture and distribution, but also industries such as coatings, crop protection, environmental services, food, pharmaceuticals, plastics, synthetic fibers, and pulp and paper.
Dr. Berry also recently received the 2009 Nano-industry award from NanoQuébec for his contribution to the development of NanoCrystalline Cellulose. He has taught numerous courses for TAPPI, PAPTAC, and FPInnovations and chaired the 2000 International Pulp Bleaching Conference. He holds 13 patents and his work has been published in more than 80 articles and in two monographs.
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