Lifetime Technical Achievement Award

Dr. Pai Chuan Wu

Inducted 2006

P.C. Wu with INDA president Rory Holmes

P.C. graduated from Tunghaii University in Taiwan, and completed his Masters in Chemical Engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1968 followed by a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at SUNY-Buffalo. He performed post-doctorate work at the Stevens Institute of Technology in polymer rheology and processing. During his tenure in academia he worked on ethylene-polyethylene phase diagrams that were instrumental in the development of two-phase resins which are in common use today.

He started his professional career at American Can Company in Neenah, Wisconsin where he worked on both rigid and flexible packaging films. He was instrumental in introducing melt rheology principles to that organization. His worke there also include both extrusion and blow molding.

In 1977, he joined Clopay Plastic Products Company, and he has been with this company ever since being a key contributor to the hygiene, non-woven and films industry for 29 years, and recently retired in February of this year from Clopay. During this period he moved from the ranks of Research Associate to the position of Senior Director of Product Devlopment-Hygiene and Global Coordinator for P&G projects. Through his tenure, has has been the leading product developer for the organization and has been influential in developing and commercializing the technology base for Clopay. He is one of the pioneers in commercializing microporous breathable film technology and elastomeric film laminates in the industry and has 31 patents in the field of polymeric films and non-woven laminates to date with an additional 4 filed patent applications and 2 more provisional patents in queue.

Listed below are some of the various products that have been developed and commercialized for the hygiene (personal care products) industry.

1978 Film Baby Diaper Backsheet
1984 Re-fastenable backsheet for Baby Diapers
1988 Non-breathable film/nonwoven leg cuffs for Baby Diapers
1988 Backsheet for Feminine Care catamenial devices
1995 Nonwoven Strip clothlike bacsheet NA/Europe
1995 Side Panel Film for Baby Diapers NA/Europe
2001 Breathable backsheet NA/Europe
2001 Tape laminates for Baby Diaper Fastening Systems
2001 Hot Needle Apertured film with controlled air-permeability (heat wraps)
2001 Tampon overwrap film
2004 Printed breathable backsheet for Baby Diapers
2004 Elastomeric tri-laminates for Baby Diaper ears

Most of his inventions involve use of films, and film/nonwoven laminates with the majority of these products being dedicated to the personal care absorbents product industry. Below is a list of the patents issued to Dr. Wu and assigned to Clopay Plastics:

1	U.S.Patent #6,951,591	10/4/05	High speed method of making plastic film and nonwoven laminates
2	U.S. Patent #6,740,184	5/25/04	High speed method of making plastic film and nowoven laminates
3	U.S. Patent #6,656,581	12/02/03	Incrementally Stretched Non-Embossed Films Having High Moisture Vapor Transmission Rates (MVTR)
4	U.S. Patent #6,013,151	01/11/00	High Speed Method of Making Microporous Film Products
5	U.S. Patent#5,865,926	02/02/99	Method of Making a Cloth-like Microporous Laminate of a Nonwoven Fibrous Web and Thermal Plastic Film Having Air and Moisture Vapor Permeabilities with Liquid Barrier Properties
6	U.S. Patent#5,861,074	01/19/99	Method of Making an Elastic Laminated Sheet of an Incrementally Stretched Nonwoven Fibrous Web and Elastomeric Film
7	U.S. Patent#5,851,937	12/22/98	Cloth-like Totally Biodegradable and/or Compostable Composites and Method of Manufacture
8	U.S. Patent#5,592,690	01/14/97	Elastic Laminated Sheet for Article of Clothing
9	U.S. Patent#5,634,216	01/03/97	Elastic Laminated Sheet for Socks
10	U.S. Patent#5,422,172	06/06/95	Elastic Laminated Sheet of an Incrementally Stretched Nonwoven Fibrous Web and Elastomeric Film and Method
11	U.S. Patent#5,407,979	04/18/95	Biodegradable Film and Method of Making Same
12	U.S. Patent#5,382,461	01/17/95	Extrusion Laminate of Incrementally Stretched Nonwoven Fibrous Web and Thermoplastic Film and Method
13	U.S. Patent#5,336,457	08/09/94	Method of making a Compostable Polymeric Composite Sheet
14	U.S. Patent#5,296,184	03/22/94	Method of Making an ultra Soft Cloth-like Embossed Plastic Film Having Post-Embossed Stretched Areas
15	U.S. Patent#5,308,693	05/03/94	Unstretched Synthetic Papers and Methods of Producing Same
16	U.S. Patent#5,254,111	10/19/93	Barrier Cuff for Disposable Absorbent Articles
17	U.S. Patent#5,202,173	04/13/93	Ulta Soft Cloth-like Embossed Film Having Post-Embossed Stretched Areas
18	U.S. Patent#5,200,247	04/06/93	Biodegradable Film containing and Alkanoyl Polymer/PVA Blend and Method of Making Same
19	U.S. Patent#5,196,247	03/23/93	Compostable Polymeric Composite Sheet and Method of making or Composting Same
20	U.S. Patent#5,172,936	12/22/92	Iin-mold Label Having Removable Coupon Portion
21	U.S. Patent#5,147,346	09/15/92	Coextruded Mulit-Layer Theromoplastic Sheet Material Having One Layer with High Modulus for Repositioning Tape-Tab Fasteners Theron, Absorbant Articles and Methods
22	U.S. Patent#5,143,774	09/01/92	Nonwoven Fibrous Embossed Plastic Film
23	U.S. Patent#5,084,039	01/28/92	Disposable Diapers, Absorbent Articles and Thermoplastic Sheet Material Having Improving Tape Adhesion
24	U.S. Patent#4,668,463	05/26/87	Method of Making Linear Low Density Polyethylene Film
25	U.S. Patent#4,626,574	12/02/86	Linear Low Density Polyethylene Film and Method of Making
26	U.S. Patent#4,546,029	10/08/85	Random Embossed Matte Plastic Film
27	U.S. Patent#4,465,729	08/14/84	Cross-Tearable Plastic Films
28	U.S. Patent#4,380,564	04/19/83	Cross-Tearable Decorative Sheet Material
29	U.S. Patent#4,376,147	03/08/83	Plastic Film Having a Matte Finish
30	U.S. Patent#4,298,647	11/03/81	Cross-Tearable Decorative Sheet Material
31	U.S. Patent#4,284,671	08/18/81	Polyester Compositions for Gas an Moisture Barrier Materials

P.C. has been involved with INDA for the last 26 years. He has also been a presenter at various industry conferences and has published several papers on our technologies. Listed below are some of the papers and articles that has had published or presented at conferences:

“Evolution of Microporous Film Technology” Presented at Nonwoven Technology Conference, 3/9/04-3/11/04, Sorrento, Italy
“Metallocene Ethylene based resins in Cast Film Extrusion and Application”, Presented at Metcon, 5/25/94, Houston, Tx
“Monte Carlo Simulation of Structore of Low-Density Polethylene”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Pro. Res. Devlopk, Vol.11, No.3, 1972 (p352-356)
“Simulation of the Mold-filing Process”, Polymer Engineering and Science, march, 1974, Vol. 14, No.3 (PP 223-230)
“Volumetric Properties of Supercritical Ethane-n-Heptane Mixtures: Molar Volumes and Partial Molar volumes” AlChe J. Vol. 19, No.3, may 1973 (PP 553-540)
“Volumetric Properties of Supercritical Ethane-n-Haptane Mixtures: The Isothermal Compressibility in the Critical Region”, AlChe J. Vol. 19, No.3, May 1973 (PP 540-546).