# Wilhelm Keim

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{{Short description|German chemist (1934–2018)}}
'''Wilhelm Keim''' (1 December 1934 – 30 September 2018) was a German chemist and professor of chemistry at the Technical Chemistry and former director of the ''Institute for Technical and Petrol Chemistry'' at [RWTH Aachen](/source/RWTH_Aachen) in [Germany](/source/Germany).

Wilhelm Keim was one of the key figures in the development of the ''SHOP'' – process ([Shell higher olefin process](/source/Shell_higher_olefin_process)). SHOP-olefines have a broad range of applications in industrial chemistry, e.g. for the modification of [polyethylene](/source/polyethylene) as ethylene-alpha-olefine-copolymere, as source for synthetic fatty alcohols or olefine sulfonates.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-SpDAoNM7eYC&dq=Shell+Higher+Olefins+Process+Encyclopedic+dictionary+of+Chemical&pg=PA236 Encyclopedic Dictionary of named processes in chemical technology: SHOP-process]</ref>
:[[File:SHOP.svg|540px|thumb|The first step in Keim's SHOP process is the conversion of [ethylene](/source/ethylene) to a mixture of even-numbered α-olefins, which ultimately are converted to surfactants.]]

He studied chemistry at the Münster and Saarbrücken University. He earned his [PhD](/source/PhD) degree from [Max Planck Institute for Coal Research](/source/Max_Planck_Institute_for_Coal_Research) in [Mülheim an der Ruhr](/source/M%C3%BClheim_an_der_Ruhr), having studied under [Karl Ziegler](/source/Karl_Ziegler). After several years in the chemical industry he became professor at the [RWTH Aachen](/source/RWTH_Aachen), where he was the director of the Institute for Technical and Petrol chemistry. He retired in 2001.

Keim has received numerous prestigious honours including member of board of the Degussa AG, member of the board of directors of the [GDCh](/source/GDCh) (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker) till 1996, chairman of the board of the [DGMK Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Erdöl, Erdgas und Kohle e.V.](/source/DGMK), honorary professor of the technical university in Dalian (China), honorary professor of the university in Hangzhou (China), adjunct professor Dharan King Fahd University (Saudi Arabia), Dr. [Honoris Causa](/source/Honoris_Causa) [Université Lille Nord de France](/source/Universit%C3%A9_Lille_Nord_de_France), Dr. [Honoris Causa](/source/Honoris_Causa),  member of [Academia Europaea](/source/Academia_Europaea), and honorary member of the [DECHEMA](/source/DECHEMA).<ref>[http://www.dgmk.de/Engler_Medaille/Keim.pdf Carl Engler award 1999]</ref>

== Publications ==
*  Grundlagen der industriellen Chemie : techn. Produkte u. Prozesse / Wilhelm Keim;  Arno Behr; Günter Schmitt, {{ISBN|3-7935-5490-2}} (Salle); 3-7941-2553-3 (Sauerländer)

== References ==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Keim, Wilhelm}}
Category:1934 births
Category:2018 deaths
Category:People from Oberhausen
Category:20th-century German chemists
Category:Members of Academia Europaea
Category:Academic staff of RWTH Aachen University
Category:Foreign members of the Russian Academy of Sciences

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