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sound files : digital, mp3 file. |
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transcript : (114 leaves) ; 29 cm |
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Chemical Heritage Foundation Oral history transcript ; 0810.
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| Note |
Interview conducted by Hilary L. Domush and Jacqueline Boytim at Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 5-6 December 2013. (With Subsequent Corrections and Additions) |
| Summary |
L. Louis Hegedus grew up in Szolnok, Hungary, one of two sons. His father and brother were both chemical engineers, and his mother was a teacher. He received what he considers to be a broad and excellent education at the Verseghy Ferenc Gimǹzium and passed the very long and difficult entrance exam to the chemical engineering program of the Technical University of Budapest. After graduation he was recruited to work at the Research Institute for the Organic Chemical Industry, where he worked on the development of a polyester process. After one year at the institute, Hegedus obtained a visa to tour Europe and ended up with a job as a chemical engineer at Daimler-Benz in Manheim, Germany. Eventually his fianče was able to join him, and they married. Having gained a proficiency in English, Hegedus was accepted into the chemical engineering Ph.D. program at University of California, Berkeley; he wrote his dissertation on chemical reaction engineering with Eugene Petersen. He published many papers, seven from his dissertation, and wrote the first book on catalyst poisoning. Early computers required him to learn Fortran at Berkeley; he laughs to think of the meager computing power of those computers now. The Clean Air Act of 1970 had automobile manufacturers scrambling to design catalytic converters for all their cars, an enormous effort that Hegedus calls one of the largest privately-funded non-governmental research effort up to that time in history. Hegedus's work for General Motors during those years eventually led to his nomination to the National Academy of Engineering. He says General Motors hired a number of new graduates from top universities to work on the development of the catalytic converter with the thought that they did not know that it was impossible. Hegedus also thinks that the catalytic converter was one of the greatest technical successes of chemical technology ever. He accepted a job as a director of central research at W.R. Grace and Company. Although he had moved gradually into management as a research vice president, he continued to stay close to technical research, to publish, and to attend conferences, staying part of the scientific community. Legal and business problems mounted at Grace, however, and Hegedus was recruited to be research vice president for North America at Elf Atochem, the chemical branch of the French national oil company Elf Aquitaine. The company merged with Total and the spun off Arkema, a worldwide chemical company. Hegedus has retired from Arkema as senior vice president for research and development. In retirement, he founded his own consulting firm, as well as having been a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Research Triangle Institute. Hegedus discusses the balance between process and product research in chemical engineering, and the place of materials science in future work. From his perspective, the next exciting technology, already being worked on, is advanced batteries, which will lead to electric cars for all. Throughout his interview Hegedus evinces his love of and excitement about the challenges posed to chemical engineering. He is an amateur pilot, an area of his life that permits no risk, and he urges everyone to test drive the Tesla S. He has many publications, patents, and awards to his credit. |
| Cite As |
L. Louis Hegedus interview conducted by Hilary L. Domush and Jacqueline Boytim at Chemical Heritage Foundation, on 5-6 December 2013. (Philadelphia: Science History Institute, Oral History Transcript 0810). |
| Note |
Sound files Science History Institute. |
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Transcript Science History Institute. |
| Access Restrictions |
No restrictions on access. Reproduction and use with permission. |
| Biography |
L. Louis Hegedus grew up in Szolnok, Hungary. After completing the chemical engineering program of the Technical University of Budapest, he was recruited to work at the Research Institute for the Organic Chemical Industry, where he helped develop a polyester process. After touring Europe, Hegedus secured a job as a chemical engineer at Daimler-Benz in Mannheim, Germany. He was next accepted into the chemical engineering PhD program at University of California, Berkeley. He published seven papers from his dissertation and wrote the first book on catalyst poisoning. Hegedus next worked on the catalytic converter for General Motors, then accepted a job as a director of central research at W. R. Grace and Company. He was then recruited to be research vice president for North America at Elf Atochem. Hegedus has retired and founded his own consulting firm, and been a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Research Triangle Institute. |
| Indexes |
Transcript has been indexed. |
| Note |
Part or all of this item has been digitized by Science History Institute. |
| Local Note |
This oral history contains an errata slip to correct the dates listed on the title page and page [IV]. |
| Subject(s) |
Hegedus, L. Louis, 1941-2017, interviewee.
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Petersen, Eugene E., 1924-
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General Motors Corporation.
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Elf-Aquitaine (Company)
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W.R. Grace & Co.
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United States. Clean Air Amendments of 1970.
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Chemical engineers -- Hungary -- Biography.
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Chemical engineers -- Hungary -- Interviews.
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Automobiles -- Catalytic converters -- Research -- United States.
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Catalyst poisoning -- Research.
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| Genre |
Oral histories. lcgft
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| Alternate Author |
Domush, Hilary, interviewer.
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Boytim, Jacqueline, interviewer.
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Chemical Heritage Foundation.
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| Alternate Title |
L. Louis Hegedus oral history interview |
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Hegedus oral history interview |
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