Paolo Galli
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Paolo Galli
Montell Polyolefins
Inducted 2009
Paolo Galli is a polymer chemist whose developments in the field of polymerization catalysts has led to the creation of new types of polyolefins. Galli is a 1961 graduate of the University of Padua with a doctorate in Industrial Chemistry. As an outstanding researcher, he was awarded a national award and stipend that allowed him to choose his employer. He elected to join the Montecatini Division of Italy’s Montedison SpA as a laboratory researcher under the mentorship of the famous chemist Guillio Natta, also a member of the Plastics Hall of Fame. There he developed new catalyst systems for polyolefins that resulted in isotactic polypropylene, a new mainstream plastic material. He also developed a number of catalyst systems for polyethylene.
Montecatini had developed methods to produce polypropylene in 1957 but the yields were low and economics were unfavorable. At the time, Galli had become director of Montecatini’s engineering research and pilot plant facilities. He was soon promoted to director of basic research and process development. Using his chemical intuition and mathematical modeling, Galli had recognized that the physical shape of the catalyst system was a critical factor for polypropylene polymerization. He determined that a spherical shaped catalyst having an appropriate diameter and porosity would greatly improve the polymerization yield for polypropylene given proper thermal control. The new polymerization process became commercially successful and was given the name Spheripol™ by Montecatini. The catalyst technology Galli developed has become a standard in the plastics industry and is used in more than 100 polypropylene production plants.
In 1983, Galli was appointed Vice-president of technology for Himont, a joint venture between Hercules and Montedison. He then became president of Montell Polyolefins, a company formed by the merger of Montedison and Shell. Galli held a number of other positions including scientific advisor for Borealis Polyolefins GmbH in Austria, and President of Orion Advanced Chemical Technologies. In the later part of his career, Galli held a number of other positions including scientific advisor for Borealis Polyolefins GmbH of in Austria, and President of Orion Advanced Chemical Technologies.
Areas of Expertise:
Plastic materials