More than 50 years ago, Chemical Processing inaugurated the Vaaler Awards to honor products and services that have dramatically improved the operations and economics of plants in the chemical industry. The awards are named after John C. Vaaler (1899-1963), chairman of Chemical Processing’s Editorial Board from 1961 until his death. He became editor-in-chief of Chemical Processing in 1946, after 24 years in the chemical and related industries.
The biennial Vaaler Awards are bestowed by Chemical Processing in a variety of categories. An independent and impartial panel of judges drawn from the chemical industry chooses the winners. These judges evaluate each entry for the significance of the contribution to chemical plant operations; its novelty or uniqueness; and its breadth of application.
Eligibility
The competition is open to products and services aimed at the chemical industry, including petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. To be considered for a 2023 Vaaler Award, the product or service must have been commercialized in the United States between May 2021 and June 2023.
Award Categories Entries must fall within one of the following ten categories:
1. Fluid flow (pumps, valves, compressors, blowers, piping, etc.)
2. Instrumentation and control (sensors, analyzers, automation systems, etc.)
3. Motors, drives and related equipment (including bearings, speed reducers, etc.)
4. Material processing and storage (mixers, blenders, reactors, storage vessels, etc.)
5. Filtration and separation (including centrifuges, mass-transfer equipment, etc.)
6. Heating and cooling (heat transfer fluids, heat exchangers, cooling towers, etc.)
7. Powder and solids handling (feeders, conveyors, mills, agglomerators, etc.)
8. Environmental, health, safety and security (pollution abatement systems, personal protective equipment, hazard mitigation devices, etc.)
9. Software and Internet technologies (simulators, web-based services, etc.)
10. Miscellaneous (including construction materials, corrosion control products, etc.)
The panel of judges will be comprised of a number of experienced engineers working for operating and engineering companies. It will select at most a single winner for each category. No award need be given in every category.
Entering the Competition
A company may enter as many products and services as it wishes. For each entry, submit the following information on company letterhead:
- The name, telephone number and e-mail address of the person making the nomination.
- A statement about the product or service. This statement should contain five parts:
1. The category number and name in which the product or service is being entered (for example, # 6, heating and cooling).
2. An explanation of 100 words or less about the entry’s development, design and purpose. Specify the name of the product or service, and the month and year in which it was commercialized in the United States.
3. A description of 100 words or less about the entry’s significance to chemical plants. This should make clear the particular technical and economic benefits it provides.
4. A summary of 100 words or less about the entry’s unique features. This should detail the ways in which the entry offers more than an incremental improvement over other offerings.
5. Discuss, in 50 words or less, the entry’s potential breadth of application within the chemical industry. This should cover the additional industry sectors and uses for which it holds promise.
- Submit twelve (12) copies of each entry. Securely attach each copy to the front of a simple folder (no three-ring binders, please). Include in each folder copies of any supporting technical literature, user testimonials, photographs, etc. Do not send the actual product.
- Include an entry fee of $150 for each nomination, to help defray the costs of the judging. Make the check payable to “Endeavor Business Media, LLC” If you are submitting more than one entry, you may send a single check to cover all entries, provided the materials are mailed together in a single package.
- Mail entries to: Vaaler Awards Editor, Chemical Processing, 1501 E. Woodfield Road, Suite 400N, Schaumburg, IL 60173.
- All entries must be postmarked by July 31st, 2023. Winner Notification Chemical Processing will notify winners by mail in October 2023 and will announce the winners then on www.ChemicalProcessing.com. Winners will be featured in Chemical Processing’s December 2023 issue.
Questions? Direct any questions about the 2023 Vaaler Awards to Traci Purdum, editor-in-chief, at (630) 454-7077 or via e-mail at [email protected]
