Mr. Katz obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Bucknell University in 1948, and took graduate studies in polymer chemistry at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. From 1950-1954, his title was Radiation and Polymer Chemist at Electronized Chemicals Corporation. This position involved research regarding effects of high energy electrons on monomers, polymers and other materials. From 1959-1962 he was a Materials Engineer at Reaction Motors Division of Thiokol Corp. Responsibilities included the development of plastics, composites, adhesives and coatings for use in aerospace engines. This work resulted in patents for inventions used in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs. In 1966, he was a Project Engineer at Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical Division, performing research and development of plastics, composites, adhesives and coatings for use in advanced rocket and aircraft engines.
In 1966 Mr. Katz founded Utility Development Corporation in Livingston, NJ, as a consulting, research and development firm in the fields of plastics and composite materials. Mr. Katz has successfully completed R&D projects for industrial firms and government agencies. Typical projects have included the evaluation of whisker-reinforced-composites, materials and process development for an improved gas mask used by the U.S. Air Force and Navy, and the development of a line of UV curable coatings for decoration and protection of various substrates. In 1986 Mr. Katz formed Radcure Corporation in Fairfield, NJ to commercialize UV curable coatings for both industrial and decorative markets. Mr. Katz served as President of Radcure until it was acquired by Altana in 2006. Mr. Katz still serves as President of UDC and is actively involved with both R&D product development and consulting.
Mr. Katz was elected a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers in May of 2000 and as a Fellow of the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering in 2001.
Mr. Katz has been granted twelve U.S. Patents and was the editor of two well known handbooks in the industry---the Handbook of Fillers for Plastics and the Handbook or Reinforcements for Plastics. His list of publications includes the following:
Katz, Harry S., Non-Silane Coupling Agents in the Handbook of Adhesives., Third Edition, Ed. I. Skeist, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1990.
Katz, Harry S., Additives in the Handbook of Plastic Materials and Technology., Third Edition, Ed. I. Skeist, John Woley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1990.
Katz, Harry S. and J.V. Milewski, eds. Handbook of Fillers for Plastics (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1987).
Katz, Harry S. and J.V. Milewski, eds. Handbook of Reinforcements for Plastics (NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold,1987).
Katz, Harry S. and J. Wittig, Jr. "Development and Fabrication of Track Pads," U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command Technical Report No. 13199, July 1986.
Katz, Harry S., Milewski, John V., and Lee Kenneth W., "Evaluation of a New Ceramic Reinforcing Fiber," 40th Annual Conference, Reinforced Plastics/ composites Institute, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Feb. 1985
Katz, Harry S. "Carbon/Graphite: Reinforcements are Coming of Age," Plastics Compounding, March/April 1979, pp. 18-25.
Katz, Harry S. and B.M. Walker, Introduction, "Handbook of Thermoplastic Elastomers," ed. B.M. Walker (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1979).
Katz, Harry S. and J.V. Milewski, eds., Handbook of Fillers and Reinforcements for Plastics(NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1978)
Katz, Harry S., "Fillers and Reinforcements for Improved Plastics: 13th National SAMPE Confer.," Oct. 13-15,1981,pp.32-37.
Katz, Harry S. and Leo Ehrenreich, "Glass Fillers," Additives for Plastics: New Developments, volume 2, ed. by Raymond B. Seymour, (New York: Academic Press, 1978).