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{{Infobox person
| name = Charles J. Plank
| image = Charles Plank - 1983.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Plank in 1983
| birth_name = Charles Joseph Plank
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|11|8}}
| birth_place = Calcutta, India
| death_date = {{death date and age|1989|10|23|1915|11|8}}
| death_place = [[Woodbury, New Jersey]]
| other_names =
| alma_mater = [[Purdue University]]
| known_for = Inventor of the zeolite catalyst
| occupation = Former Senior Scientist (highest scientific post) at [[Mobil]]
| nationality = American
| spouse = {{Marriage|[[Helen Eichel]]|1941}}
}}
'''Charles Joseph Plank''' (November 8, 1915 – October 23, 1989) was a chemist and inventor, who patented the process of [[zeolite]] [[Fluid catalytic cracking|catalytic cracking]] of hydrocarbons. He is responsible for 83 U.S. patents and several hundred patents outside of the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.invent.org/inductees/charles-j-plank|title=National Inventors Hall of Fame - Charles J. Plank|access-date=24 September 2019 }}</ref>

Plank was born in [[Calcutta]], India where his American parents were Methodist missionaries. As a child, he and his family returned to the United States, ultimately settling in Lafayette, Indiana. He graduated from [[Purdue University]] with a B.S. in chemistry, mathematics, and physics in 1936. Plank received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1942, also from Purdue University.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.invent.org/inductees/charles-j-plank|title=National Inventors Hall of Fame - Charles J. Plank|access-date=24 September 2019 }}</ref>

[[File:Charles J Plank and Edward Rosiniski describing their invention, Feb 1979.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Plank (right) and Rosinski (left) demonstrating their invention prior to their induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Feb 11, 1979]]

While researching catalysts for [[Mobil|Mobil Oil]] in the 1950s, Plank and his chemical engineer partner Edward Rosinski came up with the idea to use zeolite, a porous clay-like material that contains microscopic channels approximately the same size as the desired hydrocarbon length for gasoline. The superior activity and selectivity of the zeolite catalysts led to dramatically higher gasoline yields. Additionally, the increased gas oil conversions could be obtained without increasing gas or coke yields, two of the unwanted byproducts of cracking.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Invention of Zeolite Cracking Catalysts--A Personal Viewpoint|volume=222|pages=253–271|doi=10.1021/bk-1983-0222.ch022|series=ACS Symposium Series|year=1983|last1=Plank|first1=Charles J|isbn = 978-0-8412-0778-3}}</ref>

On July 12, 1960, US Patent No. 3,140,249, Catalytic Cracking of Hydrocarbons with a Crystalline Zeolite Catalyst Composite was submitted and was officially patented on July 7, 1964. Mobil named it "Zeolite Y" and began using the process commercially in 1964.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/c6/9d/ad/6a751ff6983d30/US3140249.pdf|title=US Patent No. 3,140,249, Catalytic Cracking of Hydrocarbons with a Crystalline Zeolite Catalyst Composite|access-date=7 May 2018 }}</ref>

In 1977, Plank was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Purdue University for his contributions to the scientific community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.purdue.edu/bot/honorary-doctorates/chronological.pdf|title=Purdue University Honorary Doctorate Degrees, 1888-current|access-date=31 May 2018 }}</ref>

In 1979, Plank and Rosinski were inducted as the 30th and 31st members of the [[National Inventors Hall of Fame]] for US Patent No. 3,140,249, Catalytic Cracking of Hydrocarbons with a Crystalline Zeolite Catalyst Composite.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Invention of Zeolite Cracking Catalysts--A Personal Viewpoint|volume=222|pages=253–271|doi=10.1021/bk-1983-0222.ch022|series=ACS Symposium Series|year=1983|last1=Plank|first1=Charles J|isbn = 978-0-8412-0778-3}}</ref>
<br>

By the mid 1980s, about 35% of US gasoline was produced from zeolite catalytic cracking, saving the country an estimated 200 million barrels of oil per year.<ref name="Big Ideas">{{cite book|first= Alex |last=Hutchinson |title=Big Ideas: 100 Modern Inventions That Have Transformed Our World |publisher=Sterling Publishing |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FtN7DIvmmF4C&q=charles+plank+big+ideas&pg=PA140 |page=57 |year=2009 |access-date=7 May 2018|isbn=9781588167224 }}</ref> Today this process is now used in every major oil refinery in the world, saving consumers billions of dollars a year while extending the Earth's precious oil reserves.<ref>Time Magazine, 1998</ref>

Plank died from complications from prostate cancer on October 23rd, 1989, survived by his wife Helen, his son Larry, daughter Lois, and four grandchildren.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Plank, Charles J.}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:Scientists from Kolkata]]
[[Category:20th-century American chemists]]
[[Category:Purdue University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Lafayette, Indiana]]
[[Category:Zeolites]]
[[Category:20th-century American inventors]]

Charles J. Plank - Revision history

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