Fundamentals of mixing relevant to pharmaceutical engineering, flow patterns, dead zones, components of mixers, importance of baffling, determination of flow, power, and shear rates, effect of rheology, .shaken, not stirred., why viscosity affects more than just Reynolds numbers, continuous processing, heat transfer, suspending solids that sink or float, wetting out solids, concepts of crystallization, catalysis, mass transfer, liquid-liquid dispersions, emulsions, and separations, fermenters, hydrogenators, other gas-liquid applications, pit-falls of scale-up, why scale down is the better way to design, process intensification and solids-solids mixing.
Department:
Chemical Engineering & Materials Science
Program:
Pharmaceutical Process Engineering
Dr. Tom Post served as VP of Mixing Technology at Lightnin, a subsidiary of SPX Process Equipment. While there, he discovered and patented better ways to produce copper and other base metals through liquid-liquid solvent extraction. He also played a key role in industrializing and optimizing up-pumping technology, which has been particularly beneficial for fermentation, hydrogenation, and crystallizers. Previously, Dr. Post worked at SmithKline & French Laboratories as an Associate Senior Investigator where he was responsible for improving selectivity and scale-up of new drug projects. While there, he introduced batch vacuum distillation and led a new pilot-lab for the scale-up of reactions and purifications. In 2000, Dr. Post established his own consulting company, Post Mixing Optimization and Solutions in Pittsford, NY, providing consulting and specialized services in optimization of mixing and chemical processes. Dr. Post provides consulting services to several companies in the areas of mining, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and general chemistry. Dr. Post has been very active in researching the influence of fluid mixing on the selectivity of chemical reactions, heat and mass transfer, scale-up, solids suspension, gas-liquid-solid contactors, liquid-liquid dispersions, power requirements, fluid flow patterns in stirred tanks and motionless mixers. Other specialties include the electrochemical method and separations technologies such as distillation and large-scale chromatography. He has more than 40 publications, countless presentations, 4 patents, and one book to his credit. He has given mixing seminars in over 30 countries. Dr. Post received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.
Research & Education
Research
Dr. Post has been very active in researching the influence of fluid mixing on the selectivity of chemical reactions, heat and mass transfer, scale-up, solids suspension, gas-liquid-solid contactors, liquid-liquid dispersions, power requirements, fluid flow patterns in stirred tanks and motionless mixers. Other specialties include the electrochemical method and separations technologies such as distillation and large-scale chromatography. He has more than 40 publications, countless presentations, 4 patents, and co-authored one book in the above mentioned fields. He can manage people well, whether in English or German, and his greatest strength is being able to listen and find solutions to mixing and chemical process problems quickly. He has given mixing seminars in over 30 countries.
Education
Diploma (MS equivalent) 1978, PhD 1983, both in Chemical Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
Experience & Service
General Information
In 1987, Dr. Post moved to LIGHTNIN, Rochester, NY as Senior Research Engineer where he subsequently rose to the position of Vice President of Mixing Technology, and Vice President of R&D. He was a member of LIGHTNIN’s executive team reporting directly to the president. As VP of Mixing Technology, he was responsible for leading LIGHTNIN, the world leader in mixing technology, in discovering new mixing technologies and better uses of existing technologies and being LIGHTNIN’s spokesperson on mixing issues at conferences. He discovered and patented better ways to produce copper and other base metals through liquid-liquid solvent extraction. Dr. Post turned the mixing world upside-down by industrializing and optimizing up-pumping technology, which has been particularly beneficial for fermentation, hydrogenation, and crystallizers. In his position, he also provided assistance to LIGHTNIN’s affiliates, licensees, and representatives around the world, including a 2-month visit to China, Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia. He negotiated the largest contract for LIGHTNIN with a mining company in South Africa: more than $80 Million US over the first 5 years.
In 2000, Dr. Post established his own consulting company, Post Mixing Optimization and Solutions (formerly ConsultDrPost) in Pittsford, NY, providing consulting and specialized services in optimization of mixing and chemical processes. He presents 3-day continuing education courses and provides consulting services to several companies in the areas of mining, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and general chemistry.
Dr. Post has been very active in researching the influence of fluid mixing on the selectivity of chemical reactions, heat and mass transfer, scale-up, solids suspension, gas-liquid-solid contactors, liquid-liquid dispersions, power requirements, fluid flow patterns in stirred tanks and motionless mixers. Other specialties include the electrochemical method and separations technologies such as distillation and large-scale chromatography. He has more than 40 publications, countless presentations, 4 patents, and co-authored one book in the above mentioned fields. He can manage people well, whether in English or German, and his greatest strength is being able to listen and find solutions to mixing and chemical process problems quickly. He has given mixing seminars in over 30 countries.
