John H. Sinfelt (February 18, 1931 in
Munson, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania – May 28, 2011 in
) was an American
chemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is a professional, equipped with the knowledge of chemical engineering, who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products and deals with the ...
whose research on
catalytic reforming
Catalytic reforming is a chemical process used to convert petroleum refinery naphthas distilled from crude oil (typically having low octane ratings) into high-octane liquid products called reformates, which are premium blending stocks for high-o ...
was responsible for the introduction of
unleaded gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most Spark-ignition engine, spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists ...
.
Sinfelt worked for the Standard Oil Development Company (now Exxon Mobil Research and Engineering), where he specialized in developing techniques to speed up chemical reactions. He later patented that method.
Honors and awards
*1975
National Academy of Engineering
*1977
Dickson Prize in Science
*1978
James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials
The James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials is a prize that has been awarded annually by the American Physical Society since 1975, but was only given that name following its endowment by IBM in 1999. Prior to that it was known as the Internation ...
*1979
National Medal of Science
*1979 elected to the U.S.
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
*1989 elected to the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...
*1984
Perkin Medal
*1984
American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal
The American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal is the highest award of the American Institute of Chemists and has been awarded since 1926.
It is presented annually to a person who has most encouraged the science of chemistry or the profession of ...
*1986
E. V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
*1988
Chemical Pioneer Award The Chemical Pioneer Award, established in 1966, is awarded by the American Institute of Chemists to recognize chemists or chemical engineers who have made outstanding contributions to advances in chemistry or the chemical profession.
Recent rec ...
*1994 elected to the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
References
1931 births
2011 deaths
American chemical engineers
National Medal of Science laureates
Businesspeople from Pennsylvania
Penn State College of Engineering alumni
University of Illinois alumni
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
20th-century American businesspeople
{{US-chemist-stub
Members of the American Philosophical Society