Alexander Anim-Mensah

Alexander Anim-Mensah also known as Alexander Raymond Anim-Mensah is a Ghanaian-American Chemical Engineer, Inventor and Author especially known for some contributions he made towards the field of membrane science and technology. His contribution included the use of acoustics, specifically Ultrasonic Time-Domain reflectometry (UDTR) for real-time investigation of solvent resistant polymeric membranes behaviors under compaction or swelling in organic environment.

Alexander Anim-Mensah
Born
Takoradi, Ghana
NationalityGhanaian-American
Education
Occupation
  • Chemical engineer
  • inventor
  • author
Known forContributions towards the field of membrane science and technology
HonorsITW's Distinguished Patent Fellow

Anim-Mensah used this already known UDTR technique for real-time studying of these specific polymeric membranes mechanical behavior while permeated during separation. The UDTR technique allowed correlating real-time polymeric membrane behaviors especially to their compaction and/or swelling characteristics to their performance which he defined a membrane dimensionless number β as the logarithmic of the ratio of swelling to compaction (i.e. β = log (Ls/Lc)) as important parameter underlying many polymeric membranes performance in organic solvent separation. The swelling obtained from the real-time swelling (Ls) data while membrane is not permeated and allowed to swell until steady state and the compaction (Lc) data obtained in real-time when the swollen membrane is compacted during permeation under a transmembrane pressure. This swelling and compaction data as well as the ratio provides some insight in understanding these membranes performances as well as being helpful in the design and selection of polymeric membranes and their solvent for optimum separation performance in the organic solvent environment.[1]

Anim-Mensah is involved in some thirty (30) inventions secured by US and international patents in areas including sensing, energy recovery, improved chemical & water use efficiencies, refrigeration & heat pumps, optimization, process & product improvements, waste minimization, and environmental impacts reduction.[2][3][4][5]

In 2019, he was a recipient of ITW Distinguished Patent Fellow Award[6] for having inventions with exceptional technical and commercial successes.[7][8] The nominated Fellow for the US National Academy of Inventors has co-authored two (2) books[9][10] and some technical papers in the area of membrane science and technology [11][12] In his book Prediction of Polymeric Membrane Separation and Purification Performances he showed mathematically how the logarithm of ratio of membrane swelling (Ls) and compaction (Lc) measured in real-time correlated well with the membrane performance date (i.e. rejection) provided some insights.

Volunteer/educational engagements

As an innovation value chain processes and management specialist, Anim-Mensah was featured on the VOA NightLife Africa Radio on the subject of  "How Effectively Harnessing of African Ideas is The Bedrock of African Industrialization".[13] He was featured on “Africa Must Industrialize Now: The Urgency for Value Addition to Africa Products” Webinar by AfCFTA Policy Network which featured Thomas Mensah (engineer) of Ghana, and Alvin Alexander, System Engineer and Founder at Orion Applied Science & Technology OrionAST.[14] The Doctor cofounded two NGOs[15] all in Ghana with some like-minded colleagues, as a way of giving back to especially support the youths as part of his public educational activities to support them to take their ideas to make positive globe impacts. Among others, he serves on several boards and holds membership in organizations including serving as an External Advisory Board Member at the University of Cincinnati's Chemical and Environmental Engineering Program;[16] and is on the Board Member of SAYeTECH Co. LLC, a small but growing agriculture equipment business in Ghana with the aim to feed the poor[17] and others. Anim -Mensah is an Expert Reviewer (volunteer) on Energy and Water for the United States Department of Energy Technology Commercialization Fund.[18]

Early life and education

Anim-Mensah was born in Takoradi Ghana to two Kwahu parents; his late father Kwame Anim-Mensah was both a businessman and cocoa farmer while his late mother Kate Animah was a homemaker. He is one of their thirteen children. He had his primary education at the Young Christian Preparatory School in Sekondi-Takoradi Ghana;[19] and his secondary education at the GSTS[20] where he obtained his Ordinary Level (“O”) and Advanced Level (“A”) certificates in Science and Technical education.

He obtained his PhD, MSc., and BSc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati-Ohio,[21] and also studied at North Carolina A&T State University,[22] and the KNUST,[23] respectively. Some of his numerous specializations include Technology, Operations and Value Chain Management Capability from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.[24]

Career

Anim-Mensah started his career with an internship in 1995 at the West African Mills Co LLC (WAMCO) and in 1997 at the Ghana Cement Works all in Takoradi Ghana.[25] He obtained his  chemical engineering bachelor's degree around 1998 at the KNUST and then taught Science & Math at the Takoradi Secondary School in Takoradi Ghana early in 1999 as part of a required one year National service. At the end of his National Service he joined Ghana's Tema Oil Refinery[26] as a Process & Environmental Engineer in early 2000, processing crude oil and managing its waste products. He then left Ghana after a year to North Carolina to pursue his master's degree in Chemical Engineering. In 2003 he enrolled at the University of Cincinnati-Ohio's PhD Chemical Engineering Program specializing in Membrane Science & Technology specifically assessing solvent resistant polymeric nanofiltration membranes for small molecule purification and solvent recovery for re-use and other specialties. Anim-Mensah joined Procter & Gamble Cincinnati-Ohio as a co-op working in the capacity of a Research & Product Development Engineer position for 6 months.[27] In November 2006, he joined the former Siemens Water Technologies in Colorado Springs CO as a Technical Services Manager. He is now an Engineer Manager with ITW's Food Equipment Group in the Dayton, Ohio area.

Recognition

In 2019, he was one of the Recipient of ITW's Distinguished Patent Fellow Award[28] for having inventions with exceptional technical and commercial successes.

References
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  2. "specialties". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  3. "patents google". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  4. "patents justia". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  5. "patent guru". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  6. "Distinguished Patent Fellow". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  7. "Distinguished Fellow". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  8. "patent images" (PDF). Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  9. books. ISBN 3659143782.
  10. "more books". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  11. "research". doi:10.1080/01496395.2010.493835. S2CID 95475184. Retrieved 27 September 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. "more research". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  13. "VOA". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  14. "AfCFTA event". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  15. "i2iMegaHub". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  16. "public service". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  17. "SAYeTECH board". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  18. "DOE,US". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  19. "early life". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  20. "high school". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  21. "school at Ohio". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  22. in North Carolina. OCLC 57364108. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  23. "KNUST". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  24. "at MIT". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  25. "intern". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  26. "at oil refinery". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  27. "professional life". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  28. "patent fellow award". Retrieved 27 September 2020.
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