People and Places – Full CV Stephen Bush
Curriculum Vitae
Personal
Married in 1963 to Gillian Mary Layton
Two children – James Henry and Jane Elizabeth, who are also both married. Jane has two children (Anna and Robert) and James has three (Edward, Henry and George).
Education: Schools
- 1950-54 City of Bath School
- 1954-57 Isleworth Grammar School
- 1957 Advanced Levels in Maths, Applied Maths, Physics and Chemistry: 4 Distinctions
- 1957 State Scholarship
Education: Universities
- 1957-60 Trinity College, Cambridge
- 1958 First Class Honours in Engineering Prelims (placed first in university)
- 1958-61 Senior Scholar of Trinity College
- 1959 First Class Honours in Engineering Tripos part I
- 1960 First Class Honours in Engineering Tripos part II, with Distinction (one of two in University), BA
- 1960-63 NATO Research Studentship for tenure in the USA (one of two awarded to UK citizens)
- 1960-61 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- 1961 Straight ‘A’ grades in Electrical Engineering SM
- 1961-63 Trinity College, Cambridge
- 1961-63 Research Scholar in Control Engineering
- 1965 PhD on the “Mathematical Representation of Continuous Flow Processes for Automatic Control”
- 1978 MSc for Polymer and Chemical Engineering,University of Manchester
Academic Appointments
- 1979-1999 Professor of Polymer Engineering, 1979-2003 and Head of Polymer Engineering Division, UMIST
- 1982-83; 1985-87 Chairman of Mechanical Engineering Department, UMIST
- 1985-94 External Examiner at Universities of Ulster, Queens, Brunel, Lancaster, Open University
- 1989-93 Examiner on the UK Integrated Graduate Development Scheme in Polymer Engineering
- 2000-2005 Director of UMIST Centre for Manufacture
- 2003-2005 Professor of Process Manufacture, UMIST
- 2006-present Emeritus Professor of Process Manufacture and Polymer Engineering, Manchester
Distinctions and Awards
- 1960 Sir George Nelson prize for Applied Mechanics in the University of Cambridge
- 1968 Senior Moulton Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers for paper on “The design and operation of jet-stirred reactors for chemical kinetics studies”
- 1979 Sir George Beilby Medal and Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society of Chemical Industry, and the Institute of Materials, Metals & Mining. “In recognition of original work of exceptional merit carried out continuously over a period of years in the field of chemical and polymer manufacture”
- 2004 Winner of the Entrepreneur Magazine Innovation of the Year (for Rollet, the roto-moulded roll-cage pallet)
- 2005 Dupont Plastics Industrial Design Award Winner (for Rollet)
- 2009 Man of the Year for England, Award by American Biographical Institute, for “combined academic, business and political achievements”
- 2012 Joint winner of the Hanson Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers for paper on “Squaring the Circle of Renewable Energy” with D R MacDonald
- 2014 Brexit Prize finalist in the Institute of Economic Affairs international competition for Blueprints for Britain after leaving the European Union
Elected Fellowships of:
- 1985 Plastics and Rubber Institute
- 1988 Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- 1993 Institution of Chemical Engineers
- 1993 Institute of Materials, Metals and Mining
- 1998 Royal Society of Arts and Manufactures
Business Appointments
- 1963-71 Successively: Technical Officer, Section Manager, Group Manager in the Process Technology Group, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Corporate Laboratory
- 1971-79 Head of Systems Technology Department, ICI Europa Ltd
- 1984-85 Research Advisor to Board of Synterials plc
- 1987-present Managing Director, Prosyma Research Ltd
- 1990-2000 Chairman and co-founder of North of England Plastics Plastics Processing Consortium (NEPPCO)
- 2000-2006 Executive Chairman, NEPPCO Ltd
- 2001-2006 Director, SURGIPLAS Ltd
Honorary Professional Appointments
- 1978-81 Member of Council of Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- 1982-87 Member of Science and Engineering Council (SERC) Applied Mechanics Committee
- 1984-85 Chairman of UK Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) Working Party on the Future of Engineering Computing. (This produced the blueprint for the specification and management of SERC Engineering computing facilities in UK Universities over the ten years to 1995.)
- 1984-86 Member of Computing Committee, SERC
- 1985-87 Chairman of SERC Applied Mechanics Committee. (This period was responsible for the UK Special Programme on High Speed Machinery – later becoming a LINK programme.)
- 1985-87 Member of Council of Plastics and Rubber Institute
- 1993-2003 International Representative of the Polymer Processing Society
- 1996-2002 Director and founder of the Plastics Design and Manufacturing Unit, set up with a major grant to research and establish new ways of increasing the flow of new polymer products to the market
- 2002-2005 Member of Council of Manchester Statistical Society (founded 1833)
- 2005- Editorial Board of Journal of International Industrial Systems Engineering
- 2007- Advisor to US University Innovation Centre
Research Interests
Broadly – the science and economics of manufacture.
Specifically:
- Design and scale-up of manufacturing processes and products, particularly for polymer composites, bulk chemicals, synthetic fibres
- Mathematical modelling of complex chemical kinetics and fluid mixing mechanisms based on the finite cell principle, and its extension to economic systems
- Techno-economic models of manufacturing technology and their application to issues of productivity and competitiveness
Key Papers relating to Research Interests
- The measurement and prediction of sustained temperature oscillations in a chemical reactor, Proc. Roy. Soc. A309, 1-26 (1969)
- The experimental and computational determination of complex chemical kinetics mechanisms, Proc. Roy. Soc A351, 33-53 (1976) (with P Dyer)
- Analysis of Active and Passive Mixing Systems for Reaction Injection Moulding in 3ème Conf Intern. sur Réactivité Chimique des Polymères en cours de Transformation, 107-114, Strasbourg, France (5-7 Sept 1984)
- Long glass fibre Reinforcement of Thermo-plastics. Experimental and theoretical results for injection and blow moulding, sheet and pipe extrusion, Int. Polymer Proc 14 (3) 282-290 (1999) ISSN 0930 777X
- Rheological Characterisation of Discrete Long glass fibre (LGF) Reinforced Thermoplastics, Composites A31 (2000), 1421-31 (with F G Torres and J M Methven)
- Scale, Order and Complexity in Polymer Processing, Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. 214E, 217-232 (2000) ISSN 0954 4089
- On the Importance of Manufacture to the Economy, Manchester Statistical Society, 167, 1-46 (2000) ISBN 0 85336 155X
- A Techno-Economic Model Applied to the Development of New Products and Improved Processes, Chemical Engineering Research & Design, 2005, 83 (A6), pp. 646-54
- A Techno-Economic Analysis of Future Nuclear Energy Systems, Proc. Inst. Chem. Engrs. 2nd Conference on Sustainable Nuclear Energy, Manchester, 9-11 April 2014, www.icheme.org/.
See Science & Engineering and Industry & Economics Sections of this website for around 150 other scientific publications, 90 engineering reports and 20 granted patents.
Plastics/Composites patented/Proprietary Technology developed and sold
| Name | Nature | Licensed to/Partnership with |
|---|---|---|
| SAFIRE | Moulding of Long-fibre reinforced Thermo Plastic products | Prosyma Research Ltd (UK)
Everite (Pty) Ltd (S. Africa) Nueva AG (Switzerland) |
| GRANEX | Pultrusion and Granulation Process for Long-fibre reinforced injection moulding compounds | Prosyma Research Ltd (UK)
Everite (Pty) Ltd (S Africa) Marks and Spencer plc (for Textiles field) PolyCogran (S. Africa) |
| SMARTFORM | Self-forming Polymer Composites | Marks and Spencer (for Textiles field) |
| ROTOFOAM | One-shot foamed Roto Mouldings | Micropol Ltd (UK) |
| CIRRAC | Combustion Inhibited Rubber Recyclate Alloys and Compounds | IBEX Ltd (roof tiles) |
| VISCOR | Viscosity and Shrinkage Controlled Thermoset Moulding Resins | Scott Bader Ltd (all applications) |
| ROLLET© | Demountable, Modular essentially all-plastic roll cage pallet | The Rollet Company Ltd |
| BIOKAB | Light-weight, anti MRSA/C-Difficile cabinet for use in hospitals and nurseries | Brimaid Ltd |
Design and Operation of Full-scale Plant
The ultimate objective of the Science of Process Manufacture is to design and control industrial processes. The following are the principal examples where this has been achieved and the lessons learned fed back into the science.
- Chlorination of hydrocarbons: methane, ethane to make solvents and monomers in the UK
- Epichlorohydrin from Propylene (Nobel/Petrocarbon process in Poland)
- Ethylene and Propylene by naphtha cracking (ICI Olefines 6, Teesside and BP Grangemouth
- Injection Moulding of PP/Long glass fibre composites (SAFIRE process in South Africa)
- Injection Moulding of PP, ABS, Nylon (many different sites in the UK)
- Nylon 66 (ICI Continuous process in the UK and South Africa)
- Nylon intermediates: cyclohexane, adipic acid, adiponitrile (various – mainly ICI in the UK)
- Poly Acrylo nitrile Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) Moulding of car front and rear ends (UK and Czechoslovakia)
- Polyester polymer and fibres (ICI and Cookson Fibres in the UK, Germany, South Africa and the USA)
- Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP) pipes by extrusion (SAFIRE) process in South Africa
- Polyethylene (ICI high pressure process in Rozenburg, Holland and Fos sur Mer, France)
- Polymethylmethacrylate (ICI Perspex in Rozenburg, Holland)
- Polypropylene glass fibre composites (BASF/SASOL/SAFRE process in South Africa
- Rotational Moulding of PE (various UK companies)
- Thermoforming of long glass fibre reinforced PP (SAFIRE) sheet (UK)
- Unsaturated polyester Sheet Moulding Compound (VISCOR process in the UK, France and India)
Consultancy work for Industry carried out through Prosyma Research Ltd at various times
| Plastics & Polymer Composites | Chemicals and Resins | Other Process Industries |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Grant Ltd | ICI plc | ICI Ltd |
| Schlegal (UK) Ltd | Scott-Bader Ltd | Synterials plc |
| Curver (UK) Ltd | Sandoz (UK) Ltd | Caxios Pipes Ltd |
| T&N Materials Ltd | BTR plc | British Nuclear Fuels Ltd |
| Ametex AG (Switzerland) | Costain-Petrocarbon Ltd | Terrys-Suchard Chocolates |
| Nueva AG (Switzerland) | Cerams Research Ltd | |
| Lucas (Electrical) Ltd | CAMAC (USA) Fibres Ltd | |
| Lucas plc | Cookson Pigments (USA) Inc | |
| Everite (Pty) Ltd (S. Africa) | United Biscuits plc | |
| Kimberley Clark (UK) | Gilkes Pumps Ltd | |
| Mercury Plastics Ltd | British Aluminium plc | |
| Thompson Plastics Ltd | NORPAK Ltd | |
| Polyline Ltd | ||
| Roussel Laboratories (UK/France) | ||
| Weltonhurst Ltd | ||
| Optoplast plc | ||
| Amidex (Pty) Ltd (S. Africa) | ||
| United Co-ops North West | ||
| Rouvex Ltd | ||
| Bettix Ltd |
Political Work
- 1990-98 Vice Chairman of Campaign for an Independent Britain (CIB) and principal organiser of the campaign against the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the abolition of the pound sterling (1990-97), and the adoption of the Europlug (1994)
- l990- Member of the Campaign for Real Education
- 2009 Editor and Co-founder (with Mrs G M Bush) of Britain-Watch.com
- 2010 Parliamentary Candidate for Suffolk Coastal in the UK General Election standing for the United Kingdom Independent Party (6% of votes and deposit saved)
- Contributor to many current affairs programmes, including BBC2 Business Breakfast, Radio4 Today, Moral Maze, Straw Poll, Alan Beswick and Esther Rantzen programmes, Granada Tonight, Look NorthWest, Anglia Regional News
Key Publications relating to Political Interests
“Britain’s Future” series published by Prosyma Research Ltd:
- 1990 “Independence or Extinction – No Middle Way”, ISBN 0 9517475 0 9
- 1992 “The Meaning of the Maastricht Treaty” (with G M Bush), ISBN 0 9517475 1 7
- 1998 “Business, Industry and a New Relationship with the European Union”, ISBN 0 9517475 2 5
- 2014 A Brexit Blueprint: Britain Revitalised and Independence Regained, published by Institute of Economic Affairs. BushBrexit2
- 2016 Britain’s Referendum Decision and its Effects, published by Technomica, ISBN 978 0 9931108 9 4
Also
- 1990 “More Matter Less Art”, published by Prosyma Research Ltd
- 1994 “Britain’s Industrial Dunkirk”, Independent Newspaper, 21st February 1994
- 2004 “University Admissions and Fees”, published by Campaign for Real Education, ISBN 1 872953 30 1
- 2012 “Band of Brothers – Recovering the English Nation”, published by Quarterly Review 6 (2) pp 5-19.
Plus around 125 other articles and letters in the national press.