Prof. Nam-pyo Suh Honored for Outstanding Achievement

SPE's TPM&F Presents their Annual Outstanding Achievement Award at ANTEC 2007 in Cincinnati, OH

Professor Nam P. Suh, Ralph E. and Elaine F. Cross Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology received the Thermoplastic Materials and Foams Division Outstanding Achievement Award for 2007. The award was made on May 8, 2007 at the SPE ANTEC at Cincinnati, Ohio.

Suh was recognized for his life-time contributions to the science and engineering of plastics and plastics processing. In 1973 Suh founded the MIT-Industry Polymer Processing Program (P3) for research on the fundamental issues facing the plastics industry. This was one-of-a-kind program that was emulated all over the USA as a model for university-industry cooperative research. Some of the research areas included structure/property relationships, non-Newtonian flow modeling, characterization and technology development of fiber-reinforced composites, reaction injection molding, and low thermal inertia injection molding. The program produced many innovations, new technologies, and many PhD’s that became leaders in academia and plastics industry.

In early 1980’s Suh invented microcellular foams in response to a call from the P3 member companies to reduce the amount of materials used in thin walled packaging made from solid plastics. It soon became apparent that the idea to introduce a large number of very small bubbles in plastics has a wide range of applications, and research activity started on every continent. At every ANTEC Since 1990 there has been at least one technical session in the TPM&F program devoted to advances in the science and technology of microcellular foams!

Professor Suh’s impact has been felt far beyond the boundaries of academics. He is one of the founders of Trexel, Inc, a company started to commercialize the microcellular technology. Based on Suh’s innovations on use of supercritical fluids for foam extrusion, Trexel’s microcellular injection molding technology has over 100 licensees today. The microcellular molding process is being used to make commercial parts such as Hewlett-Packard printer housings, Delphi engine air-flow sensors and laminated cargo covers for the Porsche Cayenne. Prof. Suh continues to serve on Trexel’s Board of Directors.

Prof. Suh was born in Korea in 1936. He got his BS and MS in mechanical Engineering from MIT and a PhD in Mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1964. He started his academic career at the University of South Carolina at Columbia in 1965 and moved to MIT in 1970, where he served in many capacities including as Department Head for 1991-2001. Prof. Suh supervised over 100 graduate students at MIT and has authored or co-authored 250 technical publications and 50 patents. Prof. Suh is currently on leave from MIT to serve as President of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

The Outstanding Achievement Award was established in 1981 to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement and growth of thermoplastic materials and foams, and is the highest honor awarded by the TPM&F Division of SPE. The selection is made annually by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the Division.

This year’s award is co-sponsored by MicroGREEN Polymers Inc., of Arlington, Washington, who donated $ 1000 for the honorarium. This financial support to the TPM&F Division is gratefully acknowledged.

Vipin Kumar, Outstanding Award Chair

Past Award Recipients