Walter Joseph Podbielniak (1899-1978), known as 'Dr Pod'[1][2] was an American chemist, chemical engineer, and inventor of centrifugal devices for distillation and liquid-liquid contacting used in the petroleum industry and the production of penicillin.

Life

Podbielniak was born Władisław Josef Podbielniak March 13, 1899, to Polish immigrant parents in Buffalo, New York,[1] and graduated in Analytical Chemistry at Buffalo University in 1920.[2] He first worked as an analytical chemist for the National Aniline and Chemical Company, then went to study chemical engineering at the University of Michigan, receiving a BSc in 1923.[2] He stayed on to do research on distillation in association with Phillips Petroleum Company, earning a PhD entitled Vaporization of Complex Mixtures in 1928.[2][3]

On June 18, 1928, he married chemist Władzia Gajda.[4]

His PhD equipment was the basis for a commercial analytical device to fractionate petroleum, which he patented,[5] and he and his wife sold to the expanding petroleum industry. Two models covered low (–180 to +100 °C) and high temperature (0 to +300 °C). In 1934, they set up a company Podbielniak Inc. to sell them and offer analytical and consultancy services.[1] They produced automatic versions of their fractionator, and expanded into analytical gas chromatography.[1] For the low temperature fractional distillation apparatus, Podbielniak received the Hanlon Award of the National Gasoline Association of America in 1951, which was said to be "the most valuable single tool in the analysis of gas and liquid hydrocarbons ... familiarly known as the ‘Pod column’ in practically every oil company plant and laboratory," [1][6]

In the 1930s they published a series of patents for centrifugal devices[7] for both fractional distillation[8] and for liquid-liquid extraction.[9][2] The Podbielniak Contactor for liquid-liquid extraction was particularly successful and important in the production of penicillin during World War II.[2][10]

In 1961 Podbielniak Inc. was taken over by Dresser Industries[11]

In 1959 the couple divorced,[4] and in 1966 he married Nancy Bruce.[12]

He died 13 December 1978 in Rancho Santa Fe, California.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ettre, Leslie (September 1999). "Podbielniak, Inc., Gas Chromatography, and Seaton T. Preston". Journal of Chromatographic Science. 37 (9): 2A–8A. doi:10.1093/chromsci/37.9.2A.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sella, Andrea (3 September 2021). "Podbielniak's contactor". www.chemistryworld.com. Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "Vaporization of Complex Mixtures". search.lib.umich.edu. University of Michigan. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Science Team Part: he sues her and 'rival'". Chicago Daily Tribune. Chicago. 29 August 1959. p. 7.
  5. ↑ US Expired 2009814A, Walter J Podbielniak, "Method and apparatus for analyzing liquid and gas", published 1935-07-30
  6. ↑ "Walter Podbielniak Receives 1951 Hanlon Award". Butane-Propane News. June 1951. p. 123.
  7. ↑ US Expired 2044996A, Walter J Podbielniak, "Method of securing counter current contact of fluids by centrifugal action", published 1936-06-23
  8. ↑ US Expired 2003308A, Walter J Podbielniak, "Centrifugal fractionating method and apparatus", published 1935-06-04
  9. ↑ US Expired 2109375A, Walter J Podbielniak, "Apparatus for effecting countercurrent contact between fluids", published 1938-02-22
  10. ↑ Perry, Robert H. (1974). Perry's Chemical Engineering Handbook. McGraw-Hill. pp. 21–29. ISBN 9780070855472.
  11. ↑ Anonymous (February 1961). "Company News". British Chemical Engineering. 6 (2): 146.
  12. ↑ "Cupid Has Lots More Victories". Chicago Daily Tribune. Chicago. 8 September 1966. p. 43.
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