Award of Merit given for plastics committee contributions.

Press Release Summary:



ASTM International Committee D20 on Plastics presented Award of Merit and accompanying title of fellow to Mark Lavach, manager of applications development and technical services in Functional Additives Division at Arkema Inc. Lavach works on several D20 subcommittees and is chairman of D20.13 on Statistical Methods as well as vice chairman of D20.20 on Plastic Lumber. With contributions recognized by various awards from D20, Lavach has been ASTM member since 1994.



Original Press Release:



Mark Lavach Receives ASTM International Award of Merit for Contributions to Plastics Committee



W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.-ASTM International Committee D20 on Plastics has presented the Award of Merit to Mark Lavach, manager of applications development and technical services in the Functional Additives Division at Arkema Inc., King of Prussia, Pa. The Award of Merit is the highest organizational recognition for individual contributions to ASTM standards activities, and includes the title of ASTM fellow.

Lavach works on several D20 subcommittees and is chairman of D20.13 on Statistical Methods and vice chairman of D20.20 on Plastic Lumber. He previously served as vice chairman of membership and vice chairman of products on the main committee. D20 has recognized his contributions with several awards, including an Award of Appreciation, Award of Recognition, Outstanding Achievement Award and the Award of Excellence. A member of ASTM International since 1994, Lavach is also a member of Committees E11 on Quality and Statistics and E60 on Sustainability.

At Arkema, where he has been on staff since 1984, Lavach specializes in polymer additives for thermosets and thermoplastics and applications development of polymer systems. Prior to assuming his current role in 1998, Lavach was a scientist in the PVC additives group and a senior research chemist in the plating division. He has received several awards for his work in polymer additives at Arkema, including the Chairman's Award.

Outside ASTM International, Lavach is a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers, where he has served as president of the Palisades-New Jersey Section; the American Architectural Manufacturers Association; the American Chemical Society the American Composite Manufacturers Association; and the Vinyl Siding Institute, where he received the Ken Mieure Award for Distinguished Service in 2011. He has authored several publications on polymer additives and physical testing, and holds multiple U.S. patents.

A graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University where he received a bachelor's degree in chemistry, Lavach holds a master's degree in engineering science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a certificate in technology management from the California Institute of Technology.

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