Morning Moderator

Neil Mendes 
Alpine Polytech

Neil is the CEO of Alpine Polytech an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 an Accredited Laboratory providing material and equipment performance testing. Neil currently sits on the board of the EPG and has served as Chair two times as well and is currently the Area Director for Gulf Coast. Prior to Co-founding Alpine Polytech, Neil spent 20 years with Greene, Tweed, Neil was SVP of Sales & Marketing, prior to that he served as GM/VP of the Energy Business.

Morning Speakers and Presentations

Jesse Thompson
Federal Reserve Bank

Jesse Thompson serves as senior business economist at the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Thompson, who joined the Bank in 2010, performs research and analysis on issues affecting the Houston and Gulf Coast economy. In particular, he studies issues surrounding area hydrocarbon industries. He also collects information for the Dallas Fed’s Beige Book summary of current economic conditions. He is author of the monthly Energy Indicator and Houston Economic Indicators. He also contributes to the publication Southwest Economy. Thompson earned an MA in economics, with emphasis on empirical microeconomics, and BA in philosophy and economics from the University of Houston.

Erik Wiest
OneSubSea

Erik is a core components engineering manager at OneSubsea. He manages a team of engineers who are responsible for seals, valves, fasteners, and other core building blocks for subsea production systems. Erik has 12 years of experience in the oil & gas industry, mostly focused on new product development. He holds a masters of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida and a bachelors of science in mechanical engineering from Rice University.

Overview of the API SC17 PFAS Seal Task Group - There are regulatory efforts to restrict PFAS materials. As such, fluoropolymer manufacturers are changing supply chains and manufacturing processes. These changes bring into question the validity of existing seal qualifications. This presentation will cover the work of API SC17’s PFAS Seal Task Group to determine if these changes invalidate API seal qualifications. The evolution of the task group’s thinking, known challenges, and the current draft will be presented.

Mike Sanchez
AGC Chemicals Americas

Mike Sanchez has been with AGC Chemicals Americas for the past nineteen years. He has worked as a Technical Service Engineer for the Fluon+ MPC group since 2018 and has a history working in polymers going back to the 1990s. Mr. Sanchez has BS degrees in Chemical Engineering (SUNY at Buffalo) and Chemistry (Rochester). He appreciates the opportunity to support the energy industry and spends much of his free time on vintage road bicycles in rural Pennsylvania (when the weather permits).   

Fluoropolymer Compounds with Controlled Nano-Structures (CNS) - AGC has evaluated carbon nanostructures (CNS) in fluoropolymers to create conductive cladding materials with improved durability and high-temperature resistance. Testing confirmed that CNS provided significantly higher conductivity than conductive carbon black pigments at equivalent weights. Increasing CNS levels enhanced tensile and flexural strengths but also reduced melt flow rates and elongation at break values.

Deepika Gaddam
SIGMA Virtual Molding

Deepika Gaddam is Vice President of SIGMA Virtual Molding, Inc., leading Strategic Growth and Business Development. Since 2020, she has helped companies accelerate success through virtual molding technologies. With 16+ years in die casting, she partners with manufacturers to use simulation to design smarter, reduce risks, and speed product launches. She holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Wright State University and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

AE-Driven Part Cost and Design Using Simulation -   A new mold, part, or process is often thoroughly analyzed and optimized before cutting steel—but the most technically sound plan doesn’t always lead to the most cost-effective outcome.  This presentation illustrates how mold layout, material selection, and process parameters influence overall manufacturing cost. Using SIGMASOFT®, I will highlight the importance of evaluating the balance between cost, time, and quality to ensure a successful and commercially viable part or process launch.

Afternoon Moderator

Betty Huang
Element 

Betty is a polymer engineer at Element Materials Technology in Houston, with 25 yrs of experience in R&D, 13 years of material characterization and testing in Oil & Gas downhole tools. She has been an active EPG member since 2013 and previously served one term as an end-user director. Betty regularly participates in serval API committees, polymer manufacture, AM and hydrogen test. 2026, she will devote to ISO 23936. Outside of work, Betty enjoys gardening, jogging, photography and exploring national parks.

Afternoon Speakers and Presentations

 
Emmanuel Anim - Danso
Syensqo

Emmanuel Anim-Danso is a CTD Engineer at Syensqo, specializing in advanced materials for the electronics and industrial sector. Since joining the company he has led and contributed to multidisciplinary projects focused on high-performance polymers and innovative material solutions. Emmanuel holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the University of Akron and a B.S. in Chemistry. His expertise includes polymer compounding, advanced materials characterization, and the development of novel test methods to optimize performance and reliability in demanding applications.

Advancing Sustainability in Energy: High-Performance Recycled PEEK - Details coming soon!

Junpei Terada
Daikin

Junpei graduated with a master degree from Kyoto Institute of Technology Graduate School on March 2006. Joined Daikin Industries, Ltd. as a member of the R&D dep. Chemicals Div. on Apr. 2006, and belonged to development of fluoroelastomer as well as FFKM. In 2016, joined Marketing Dep, and resposible for battery materials. From 2022, responsible for battery materials R&D and global business. Then shifted to Daikin America, Inc. from July 2025 as VP of New Business Development.

Daikin's unique base resistant FKM in O&G Application - The packer seals and o-rings for O&G field are needed heat resistance, amine resistance, aromatic hydrocarbons resistance as well as low temp. properties. Daikin's unique base resistant FKM can be covered for those requirement. We would like to present the detail of our products.

Preston Weintraub
UTEX

Preston Weintraub is a mechanical engineer with 30+ years of commercializing and innovating products, in subsea drilling and production control valves and downhole extreme environment tools. He has enhanced understanding of design of seals through his work with polymer experts. He holds 22 patents, trained at Case Western Reserve University, Purdue and TCU and was selected as a Heart Energy 2020 Energy Innovator Honoree in 2020.

Material Selection Through Application Based Testing - A case study evaluating material behavior spanning extreme temperatures and pressures, for a challenging application. Topics include compression set and squeeze loss, cyclic compression, stress-strain at operating temperatures, extrusion resistance, pressure vs. temperature, fracture toughness and in-situ pressure testing to differentiate elastomers in a sealing application.

Dr. Kevin Kulbaba
ARLANXEO

Dr. Kevin Kulbaba studied Chemistry at Western University and then obtained his PhD in Inorganic Polymer Chemistry at the University of Toronto. He is currently working for ARLANXEO Inc., in London, Ontario, Canada with over 25 years of experience in the field of polymer science, including 20 years of elastomer and rubber compounding. Kevin is currently a Technical Development manager focused on the North America market for tire and specialty applications.

Therban in EV Fluids - This presentation introduces Therban (HNBR) designed for demanding environments which can be extended for use in electric vehicle thermal management and transmission fluids which are supposed to be milder on seals than traditional ICE vehicles. Performance of compounds in fluids is hard to predict, and some compositions may not fully known. This talk will highlight the potential of HNBR as an alternative to fluorinated elastomers for specific applications amid evolving PFAS regulations.