Weiss, Donald Eric (1924 - 2008)

Summary

Don Weiss was co-inventor and primarily responsible for the development of the "Sirotherm" desalination and the "Sirofloc" water clarification processes. He was also responsible for initiating and overseeing the research and development that resulted in a new reconstituted wood product "Scrimber", a new nylon paper wood bale and replacement of asbestos fibres by cellulose fibres in asbestos-cement products. Weiss was Chief of the CSIRO Division of Chemical Technology from 1979 to 1984, followed by a 5-year term as Director of CSIRO's Planning and Evaluation Advisory Unit.

Details

In 1989 D. E. Weiss and A.. J. Priestley (with colleagues) were awarded the CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement for development of the SIROFLOC process for preparation of potable water.

Chronology

1945

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Adelaide

1945 - 1946

Career position - Shift Chemist, Associated Pulp and Paper Mills

1947

Career position - Development Chemist, Commonwealth Serum Laboratories

1948 - 1965

Career position - Research scientist, Chemical Engineering Section (later Physical Chemistry Section), Division of Industrial Chemistry, CSIR (later CSIRO)

1950

Award - Rennie Memorial Medal, Australian Chemical Institute

1955

Award - Russell Grimwade Prize, University of Melbourne

1959 - 1960

Career position - Member of Committee, Society of Chemical Industry of Victoria

1960

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Adelaide

1965 - 1971

Career position - Chief Research Scientist I, CSIRO Division Applied Chemistry

1965 - 1976

Career position - Member, Victorian Branch Committee, Australian Water and Wastewater Association

1966

Award - H. G. Smith Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1970 - 1971

Career position - Chairman, Victorian Branch, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1971

Career position - Chief Research Scientist II, CSIRO Division Applied Chemistry

1971

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1971

Award - Archibald D. Olle Prize, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1971 - 1973

Career position - Member, Water Quality Technical Committee, Water Resources Council of Australia

1971 - 1974

Career position - Assistant Chief, CSIRO Division of Applied Chemistry and Officer-in-Charge, Forest Products Laboratory

1973 - 1974

Career position - President, Victorian Branch Committee, Australian Water and Wastewater Association

1973 - 1979

Career position - Chief, CSIRO Division of Chemical Technology

1975 - 1987

Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS)

1976

Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - Public service

1977

Award - Leighton Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1978 - 1979

Career position - Member of Council, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences

1979

Career position - President, Australian Branch, International Water Association

1979

Career position - Member, Water Quality Research Sub-committee, Water Resources Council of Australia

1979 - 1984

Career position - Director, Planning and Evaluation Advisory Unit, CSIRO

1982

Award - Applied Research Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1984 - 1985

Career position - President, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1987 - 2008

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) [Foundation Fellow AATS 1975]

1989

Award - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement (with Anthony Priestley and colleagues)

1992

Award - Society of the Chemical Industry, London Award

2001

Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society and science in chemistry

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Ewers, W. E.; and Weiss, D. E., 'Keith Leonard Sutherland 1916-1980', Historical Records of Australian Science, 5 (2) (1981), 78-88. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9810520078. Details
• Spurling, Thomas H., 'Donald Eric Weiss 1915-1998', Historical Records of Australian Science, 22 (1) (2011), 152-70, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR10014. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q66738108. Details
• 'Weiss, D E (1924-2008)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-586697. Details

Resource Sections

• Ward, C., 'Donald Eric Weiss', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Weiss-Donald-Eric. Details

See also

• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/index_w.html. Details
• Beale, Bob, Engineering a Legacy: Memories of the journey of CSIRO Chemical Engineering (Clayton, Victoria: CSIRO Minerals, 2005), 124 pp. pages 15, 26, 28. Details
• Ward, Colin, 'CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2013, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/csiro-entrepreneurship-award/. Details