John J. Mooney Received the ASME Soichiro Honda Medal

NEW YORK, Nov. 28, 2011 – John J. Mooney, a resident of Wyckoff, N.J., and president of Environmental and Energy Technology and Policy Institute (EETPI), and John J. Mooney L.L.C., was honored by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers).  He was recognized for the invention, development and commercialization of the three-way catalytic converter used on all gasoline fueled automobiles and light-duty trucks in North America, Europe, Japan and other industrialized countries.  He received the ASME Soichiro Honda Medal.

The medal, established in 1983, recognizes an individual for an outstanding achievement or a series of significant engineering contributions in developing improvements in the field of personal transportation.  The award was presented to Mr. Mooney during ASME’s 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, to be held in Denver, Nov. 11 through 17.

Mooney spent 43 years with Engelhard Corporation (Iselin, N.J) before retiring from the firm as technical director in 2002.  He is renowned as the co-inventor, with Dr. Carl D. Keith, of the three-way catalytic converter for spark-ignition engines in automobiles and light trucks.  He also invented the diesel oxidation catalyst and catalyst-based diesel particle filters for emissions control of on- and off-road, light- and heavy-duty diesel engine vehicles and equipment as well as other unique catalysts for small engines used in two-wheeled vehicles and hand-held chainsaws and lawn and garden engines.

Mooney played a key role in the commercial development of these new, effective catalytic devices by providing a thorough understanding of the technology to engine and vehicle manufacturers worldwide; through these efforts he became known as the catalytic converter teacher.  Since the catalytic converter uses only unleaded gas, Mooney presented information on the detriment of leaded gas to human health. He was able to convinced authorities in China and India to switch immediately to unleaded gasoline, rather than have a long phase-out period for leaded gas.

Following his retirement from Engelhard Corporation, Mooney started EETPI, a not-for-profit company; and John J. Mooney L.L.C.  Through EETPI, he has been working with the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, a United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).  A study he conducted debunked the myth that leaded gasoline provided valve seat lubrication, resulting in a UNEP pamphlet that convinced 51 African and over 70 other world nations to switch to unleaded gas in time frames ranging from under six months to two years; thus leaded gasoline has been virtually eliminated in the world.

Mooney’s current career focus is diesel engine emissions control—eliminating insoluble particles in the size range of 5 to 500 nanometers in diameter, which are known to cause serious health problems. 

In 1990, Mooney was elected a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers, now known as SAE International. He is also a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Mooney has authored/co-authored more than 70 publications.  He holds 17 U.S. patents.

Mooney received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Seton Hall University (South Orange, N.J.) in 1955.  He earned his master’s degree in chemical engineering at Newark College of Engineering, now the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), in 1960.   In 1991, he earned a master’s degree in marketing at Fairleigh Dickenson University (Teaneck, N.J.).  Mooney received an honorary D.Sc. from NJIT in 2007.

About ASME ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.