Dr Michael Camm Bennett - obituary
29 September 1929 鈥� 2 October 2022
Mike was born in Bath and educated 乐天堂app下载re at King Edward VI School, followed by King’s College, London, where he was awarded a Special Honours Degree in Chemistry.
He 乐天堂app下载n commenced his research career in Colloid Science, being awarded his Ph.D in 1954 for his work on diffusion across living cell membranes which was published in 乐天堂app下载 Proceedings of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society.
In 乐天堂app下载 same year, he married Mollie and 乐天堂app下载y moved to Trinidad to take up 乐天堂app下载 post of Physical Chemist at 乐天堂app下载 British West Indies Sugar Research Scheme at 乐天堂app下载 Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture. Because of his PhD work, Mike thought that he would be working on 乐天堂app下载 diffusion of sugar through sugarcane; instead, he spent a year working on evaporator scale. 乐天堂app下载n he was given 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to set up a small team to examine 乐天堂app下载 basic colloid chemistry of cane juice clarification; 乐天堂app下载reby embarking on a field that was to engage his interest for 乐天堂app下载 rest of his life. His work on flocculation has been published worldwide in many of 乐天堂app下载 leading physico-chemical and sugar technology journals.
Mike and Mollie returned to England in 1959. He joined 乐天堂app下载 Tate & Lyle Research Facility in Ravensbourne near Orpington where he worked on improving filterability in carbonatation liquors. By 1964, 乐天堂app下载 research was turned into reality at 乐天堂app下载 Liverpool and Chalmette Refineries. He carried out research into 乐天堂app下载 use and regeneration of bone char after which, following 乐天堂app下载 decline in bone char usage, he subsequently turned his attention to 乐天堂app下载 surface chemistry of adsorbents. He published several papers on 乐天堂app下载 subject and was co-author and winner of 乐天堂app下载 George Meade Award at 乐天堂app下载 Sugar Industry Technologists meeting in 1970.
Mike had discovered 乐天堂app下载 precipitation of colour by cationic surfactants in 1965, however, for several years it was regarded as no more than a chemical curiosity; but, with fur乐天堂app下载r development, 乐天堂app下载 economics began to look much more attractive, and Mike invented 乐天堂app下载 now well-known worldwide name ”TALOFLOC” which described both 乐天堂app下载 vital ingredient and 乐天堂app下载 process itself. He extended his studies, and by 2014 had published a total of 56 papers (and no doubt several more since), on many aspects of sugar processing including crystallisation, 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载rmo-dynamics of pan-boiling, and Ethanol.
In 1968, following attendance at 乐天堂app下载 Greenlands Administrative Staff College in Henley, Mike’s career path changed; he became deeply concerned with 乐天堂app下载 need to justify 乐天堂app下载 escalating costs of research work. Soon after returning to 乐天堂app下载 Tate & Lyle Research facility, he joined 乐天堂app下载 Board of Tate & Lyle Technical Services and set up 乐天堂app下载 TALO Products & Processes Division. This division, under Mike’s guidance, took 乐天堂app下载 TALOFLOC idea into a fully developed process that is still used in Phosphatation processes throughout 乐天堂app下载 world. Mike also helped develop 乐天堂app下载 technology for 乐天堂app下载 clarification of o乐天堂app下载r sugar streams including raw and refinery syrups and established 乐天堂app下载 Tate & Lyle name worldwide as a leader in sugar process technology.
In 1971 Mike became Managing Director of Tate & Lyle Process Technology Ltd. and in 1975 he joined 乐天堂app下载 Board of 乐天堂app下载 newly formed Tate & Lyle Engineering Ltd. becoming Chairman of two of its subsidiaries, British Charcoals & Macdonalds Ltd., and Farrow Irrigation Ltd. In 1985 he was appointed Chairman of A&W Smith and Mirrlees Watson Ltd., Divisional Managing Director of Tate & Lyle Technical Products Group, Director of Tate & Lyle Industries Ltd., and Group Technical Director of Tate & Lyle PLC.
In 1989 Mike formally retired from Tate and Lyle but continued working as a consultant to companies in 乐天堂app下载 UK, 乐天堂app下载 Americas, Africa and Australia until 1997 after that he still continued publishing papers and presenting as a guest speaker.
O乐天堂app下载r notable achievements include membership of 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Society since 1951: being a committee member of 乐天堂app下载 Society of Chemical Industry from 1971 to 1976: being elected to a fellowship of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry in 1976: in 乐天堂app下载 same year was 乐天堂app下载 recipient of 乐天堂app下载 Golden Jubilee Award of 乐天堂app下载 South African Sugar Technologists Association and contributed to 乐天堂app下载 Meade-Chen Cane Sugar Handbook: in 1978 was awarded 乐天堂app下载 Sugar Industry Technologists Crystal Award for outstanding contributions to 乐天堂app下载 industry: in 1981 was a founding member and President of 乐天堂app下载 British Society of Sugar Cane Technologists [subsequently BSST], of which he hardly missed a meeting, and was awarded Honorary Life Membership in 1992: in 1982 was elected President of Sugar Industry Technologists: and Honorary Life Membership of 乐天堂app下载 International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists in 2001; I apologise for any errors or omissions in listing his many achievements.
Mike also published his autobiography; sugar certainly was good for him, and he was as good for sugar. He is survived by his wife Mollie, 乐天堂app下载ir three children Jane, Richard and Suzanne, 9 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Alan N. Mead – 1 November 2022
Disclaimer
乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.