The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), America Group, announced today that John Sworen, Technical Fellow at The Chemours Company, will be awarded the 2019 SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal. In its sixteenth year, this honor recognizes his contributions in the research and development of non-fluorinated, renewably sourced durable water repellents for use in the consumer textile market. SCI established the Gordon E. Moore Medal to recognize early-career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to quality of life.
The Society of Chemical Industry, America Group, announced that John Sworen, Technical Fellow at The Chemours Company will be awarded the 2019 SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal.
The Society of Chemical Industry, America Group, announced that John Sworen, Technical Fellow at The Chemours Company will be awarded the 2019 SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal.
“Increased demand for renewably sourced products without sacrificing performance durability calls for innovative ideas to deliver a superior product,” said Craig A. Rogerson, Chairman, President, and CEO of Hexion Inc. and Chair of SCI America. “John’s work on Zelan™/ Teflon EcoElite™ exceeds expectations, delivering a breakthrough technology committed to reducing the environmental footprint of treated fabrics. SCI is pleased to honor John’s outstanding work and contribution to science and industry.”
Sworen led a team that invented the Teflon EcoElite™ finish, the first renewably sourced, non-fluorinated fabric treatment for durable water repellency and manufactured with 60% renewably sourced raw materials. This means that much of what goes into Teflon EcoElite™ can be naturally regrown and replaced over time. Simultaneously, its performance far exceeds existing non-fluorinated technologies, such as paraffin and silicones. Unlike those types of non-fluorinated finishes, Teflon EcoElite™ continues to repel water and water-based stains for 30 washes or more. Other product benefits include that the finish is up to 3x more durable than existing non-fluorinated repellents, maintains fabric breathability for maximum comfort, compatible with common finishing auxiliaries, including resins and cross-linking agents and not made with genetically modified organisms (GMO) or alkylphenol ethoxylate (APEO).
“The world is demanding more sustainable solutions, and John has delivered,” said Paul Kirsch, president of Fluoroproducts at Chemours. “His work on Teflon EcoElite™ has given the textile industry the first-ever non-fluorinated plant-based durable water repellant, which is no small feat. We are so proud that he has received this richly-deserved recognition and can’t wait to see what he will discover next,” he added.
Sworen will be presented the award at a luncheon in his honor during Innovation Day, hosted jointly by SCI and the Science History Institute (the Institute) on September 10, 2019 at the Institute’s headquarters in Philadelphia.
About John Sworen
John is a Technical Fellow at The Chemours Company, where his work includes product development of non-fluorinated durable water repellents for use in the consumer textile market. John led a team that invented the Zelan™ technology platform, a superhydrophobic material that has been adopted by many major brand houses.
John began his career as a research investigator at Chemours predecessor company DuPont. While at DuPont, he led the company’s development of fluorinated surface protection products, inventing and commercializing 18 products used as paper, textile, and tile repellents with best-in-class toxicology profiles.
In 2008 John received the Bolton/Carothers Innovative Science Award for the development of a shortchain soil protectant used in carpeting materials. In 2018 Teflon EcoElite™, one of the products developed by John’s team at Chemours, was the third-place winner for the Product of the Year award at the Bio-Based World News Innovation Awards. Teflon EcoElite is the company’s non-fluorinated, renewably sourced, 60% plant-based water repellent.
He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from The Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organic and Polymer Chemistry from the University of Florida. John is a Six Sigma Black Belt, has published 13 journal articles, and he holds 27 granted and pending patents.
About the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Gordon E. Moore Medal
The Society of Chemical Industry – America Group has established the SCI America Gordon E. Moore Medal as the premier recognition for early career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to the quality of life.
About the Society of Chemical Industry
SCI America was founded in 1894 in New York City. It provides a unique networking forum for chemical industry leaders, industrial scientists, and technologists to exchange new business ideas and best practices. It celebrates achievements in industrial chemistry through three medal awards: The Perkin Medal, the Chemical Industry Medal, and the Gordon E. Moore Medal. The organization works to inspire students to enter technical careers by offering its members an opportunity to participate in an annual scholars program. SCI America also offers its members the opportunity to become part of its growing network by participating in its annual Innovation Day, where young industry leaders come together to celebrate innovation in the chemical industry and to seek solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.
By highlighting extraordinary individuals and their work, SCI America aims to promote public understanding of research and development in modern chemical industries, enhance the interest of students in applied chemistry by providing role models, and emphasize the role of creative research in the global economy. For more information, visit SCI America’s website: www.sci-america.org. SCI America events are managed by the Science History Institute.
About the Science History Institute
The Science History Institute collects and shares the stories of innovators and of discoveries that shape our lives. The Institute preserves and interprets the history of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences. Headquartered in Philadelphia, with offices in California and Europe, the Institute houses an archive and a library for historians and researchers, a fellowship program for visiting scholars from around the globe, a community of researchers who examine historical and contemporary issues, an acclaimed museum that is free and open to the public, and a state-of-the-art conference center.
About The Chemours Company
The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) is a global leader in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts, and chemical solutions, providing its customers with solutions in a wide range of industries with market-defining products, application expertise and chemistry-based innovations. Chemours ingredients are found in plastics and coatings, refrigeration and air conditioning, mining, and general industrial manufacturing. Our flagship products include prominent brands such as Teflon™, Ti-Pure™, Krytox™, Viton™, Opteon™, Freon™ and Nafion™. Chemours published its first corporate responsibility commitment report in 2018, which highlights goals aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The company has approximately 7,000 employees and 28 manufacturing sites serving approximately 3,700 customers in over 120 countries. Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol CC.
Source: Chemours
