x ◾  The Author
towers that are used in over 450 towers. Robbins developed
a number of liquid–liquid extraction processes for product
recovery and for process water purification. He developed the
AquaDetox aqueous purification device and design technology
for stripping residual solvents and impurities from water to the
parts-per-billion range. He also developed other commercial
wastewater purification technology to reduce trace impurities
to unprecedented low levels of parts-per-quadrillion. Robbins
developed the Sorbathene pressure swing adsorption process
to remove hydrocarbons, solvents, and monomers from vent
emissions. Robbins is the author of 19 publications, 18 U.S.
patents, and more than 185 technical reports for Dow.
Dr. Robbins has served as an adjunct professor at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and Michigan State University. Robbins
received the prestigious H. H. Dow Gold Medal from the
board of directors of The Dow Chemical Company in 1993,
and in 2003 he received the inaugural award for the Process
Development Division of the national American Institute of
Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Dr. Robbins received his B.S.,
M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from Iowa
State University.