Research Chemical Engineer
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ORCID: 0000-0002-5886-7147
Dr. Robert O. Dunn, Jr. is a senior research chemical engineer with the Bio-Oils research (BOR) group at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria, IL. The BOR group conducts basic and applied research to expand domestic use of products made from vegetable oils and their derivatives. Dr. Dunn’s research largely focuses on renewable fuels and fuel additives, lubricants and biosorbents made from vegetable oils and fats.
Dr. Dunn earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1987 where he conducted the first comprehensive study on the use of low-energy micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) to treat wastewater streams. From 1987-1988, Dr. Dunn served a post-doctorate appointment funded by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) in Morgantown, WV working on surfactant-flooding systems for enhanced petroleum recovery. Dr. Dunn joined the BOR staff at NCAUR in 1988 to develop technologies to improve the properties and performance of vegetable oil-based alternative fuels in direct-injection compression-ignition (diesel) engines.
Dr. Dunn is recognized world-wide as an authority on the cold flow properties and oxidative stability of alternative diesel fuels and lubricants made from vegetable oils and fats. Dr. Dunn’s findings were utilized as reference data in negotiations conducted by the National Biodiesel Board and the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) to establish the first fuel standard specification for biodiesel (specification D6751).
Dr. Dunn has more than 38 years professional experience in basic and applied research in the academic, industrial and government sectors. Dr. Dunn has two patents and has authored or co-authored 97 published manuscripts including 27 book chapters and review articles. Dr. Dunn has delivered 80 oral and poster presentations, including 37 invited presentations. Dr. Dunn has co-chaired 17 technical sessions with six international conferences. Dr. Dunn’s research has been featured in numerous news articles in publications including Agricultural Research, Biodiesel Magazine, Chemical Marketing Reporter, Inform, Lipid Technology Newsletter and Technical Insights’ Industrial Bioprocessing.
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Versatile Biobased Products with Multiple Functions In-House Appropriated (D) Accession Number:439260 
