PAULA ANDREA BUITRAGO LOPERA

o5z5ri@r.postjobfree.com

*** ********** *******

Salt Lake City, UT 84108 801-***-****

OBJECTIVE: A new challenging opportunity in my career as a researcher and engineer that allows

me to contribute with all my knowledge and expertise on polymers processing and characterization to optimization of existing processes and development of new processes and products to decrease cost, increase efficiency and productivity and optimize quality.

EDUCATION: University of Utah

Ph.D. Chemical Engineering Fall 2010

GPA: 3.53/4.00

University of Antioquia

B.S. Chemical Engineering August, 2004

Relevant Courses

Polymer Science Fluid Mechanics

Heat and Mass Transfer Kinetics

Computational Fluid Dynamics Green Engineering

Thermodynamics

Fundamentals of Combustion

Process Flare and Burner Operations, April 2009,

The John Zink Institute.

EXPERIENCE: Department of Metallurgical Engineering

University of Utah, UT March 2010- Present

Research Assistant - Post-Doctoral Fellow

• The research project is focused on the development and characterization of advanced catalyst for production of synthetic fuels such as dimethyl ether (DME). My duties include:

• Synthesis, characterization and test of catalyst.

• Perform BET, XRD, SEM, TCD, TPD, ICP, GC analysis to characterize new and spent catalysts.

• Operation and maintenance of high pressure, CSTR and packed bed reactors.

• Develop new catalyst formulations based on the analysis of experimental and characterization results.

• Presentation of oral and written technical reports.

• Team work is essential; all the laboratory activities are closely related.

• Layout, installation and start-up of the lab scale reactors.

Institute for Secure and Clean Energy (ISCE)

University of Utah, UT August 2006 - March 2010

Research Assistant

• Operated and optimized a reaction system to simulate the flue gas composition of the exhaust stream of coal-fired power plants.

• Used CHEMKIN to simulate the performance of the reactor system and developed a MATLAB code to predict multi-component extents of oxidation and adsorption.

• Conducted research focused on gas phase mercury removal under oxy-fuel, air-firing and heterogeneous conditions.

• Designed and implemented a new conditioning system to measure mercury speciation.

• Optimized flow systems for the injection of mercury oxidizers.

• Presented oral and written scientific reports for the mercury group and conferences.

Shellmar de Colombia S.A.

Medellin, Colombia Sept. 2004 – March 2006

Process and Quality Control Engineer;

Internal Auditor ISO 9001

• Implemented new operating conditions and raw materials for the optimization of production times, quality of the final product and economy of the process of production of plastic films by blown extrusion for food and drugs packaging and sealing applications.

• Chief Engineer for the polyethylene and polypropylene blown film extrusion process, quality control and raw materials selection.

• Project management.

• Updated ISO 9001 documentation, design and implementation of quality control procedures for raw and processed material as well as final product.

• Chief of the quality control team and member of the technical department.

• Tested and characterized different polymeric materials.

K’jiplas Ltda.

Medellin, Colombia July 2002– Sept. 2004

Production Engineer

• Designed and implemented a new screw for the blown film extrusion of polymeric materials to produce plastic films for food and drugs packaging and sealing applications. This new design reduced the waste material and start-up times.

• Optimization of raw materials and process variables for the polyethylene and polypropylene processing by blown film extrusion.

• Studied and optimized the effect of different process variables on the final product properties.

• Technical Support for the entire production process and the customer.

• Tested and characterized different polymeric materials.

• Developed production procedures manuals.

• Implemented quality control procedures.

• Leader of the production and quality control teams.

SKILLS: Personal

• Team leader/worker.

• Organized.

• Results-oriented.

• Problem solver.

• Resourceful.

• Quick learner.

• Self-Motivated.

Experience

• Polymer processing and characterization.

• Study and optimization of the process variables that affect the final product properties.

• Design and implementation of new experimental and industrial devices.

• Design of new polymeric films for food and drug applications based on its final application.

• Implementation of new raw materials to improve efficiency of the process.

• Improvement of the manufacture and quality control procedures.

• Team Leader.

• Manufacture processes.

• Research and Development.

• Statistical analysis of results.

• Technical reports and presentations.

• Synthesis, characterization and testing of catalyst for the production of dimethyl ether from syngas.

• High pressure reactors operation and maintenance.

• Operation and maintenance of CSTR and packed bed reactors.

• Experiments design.

• Combustion systems.

• Gas phase concentration measurements.

• Improvement of experimental methods for gas phase concentration measurements.

Software

• Chem3D

• ASPEN

• CHEMKIN

• MATLAB

• CCM+

• DARS

• Polymath

• GasEq

• Microsoft Office

Characterization techniques

• SEM

• XRD

• BET

• GC

• TCD

• ICP

• CVAFS

SELECTED

PUBLICATIONS: Silcox, G., Buitrago, P.A., Senior, C., Van Otten, B. “Gas phase Mercury Oxidation by Halogens: Effects of Bromine and Chlorine “Air & Waste Management Association, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 22-25, 2010.

Senior, C., Van Otten, B., Buitrago, P.A., Silcox, G. “Gas-Phase Mercury Oxidation by Bromine: Effects of Impinger-based Mercury Speciation Methods’. Air Quality VII, Arlington, VA, October 26-29,2009.

Buitrago, P.A., Silcox, G., Senior, C., Lighty, J. “Effect of flue gas composition on Mercury Speciation under Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Conditions”. AIChE Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN, November 8-13, 2009.

REFERENCES: Available upon request.

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