John Antony Bishopp FIMMM, Managing Director of the adhesives and adhesion consultancy, Star Adhesion Ltd, has won the Society for Adhesion & Adhesives' de Bruyne Medal. The award will be presented at Adhesion 11 in September 2011. 

Bishopp made important contributions to the adhesives research programme at Hexcel Composites Ltd, Duxford. This phase of his career was devoted to hands-on, practical work in the development of adhesive systems, particularly brake-bonding and honeycomb adhesives which are still in use 30 to 40 years later. In later days, he had sole responsibility for the imaginative developmental work, based on phenolic, epoxy and bismaleimide chemistries, which led to effective formulations and the broadening of the company's portfolio.

As his work became more widely known, his expertise became increasingly sought-after by organisations seeking practical solutions to intractable problems and by those seeking to communicate and to instruct on adhesives and adhesion.

At Star Adhesion Ltd he has acted in a consultative capacity to various companies and universities on the use of structural adhesives employed in applications such as rocket motor construction and the automobile industry. 

He also undertakes a teaching and communications role involving lecturing, the presentation of web seminars and speaking at symposia and international conferences. He has become involved with National Geographic's ‘Engineering Connections' programme on adhesive bonding in the Sydney Opera House. This is a happy coincidence for an adhesives expert who happens to have a passion for opera.

Further information

The de Bruyne Medal is named in honour of Norman de Bruyne FREng FRS (1904-97), who was the founder of Aero Research Ltd, and John Bishopp is the sixth individual to receive the award. 

De Bruyne was a multi-disciplined scientist who translated theoretical science into practical, commercial applications. The medal is an acknowledgement of the recipient's personal contribution to innovation in the field of adhesives.

Contact Malcolm Bowditch, tel: +44 (0)1202 696610.