He's an international man of mystery. Well, maybe not so mysterious as he often writes about his time in the chemical industry, including his run-in with an overserved gent at a trade show. With his degrees in biochemistry and radiation biochemistry in hand, he parlayed his knowledge into a career as a well-known, award-winning writer. But he is international – living in East Mayo, Ireland, tending to his menagerie of critters and renting out his holiday cottage to guests from all over the world.
He's been a fixture with Chemical Processing for as long as I can remember. Technically, I can remember much farther back, but Seán Ottewell started at CP in 2007 as a contributing editor (I started in 2008). And he has been my sounding board since I took over as editor-in-chief, offering me encouragement, snarky jokes and the kind of stability that only a true chemical engineer turned journalist can afford.
A few weeks ago, he informed me he is putting down his pen and retiring from his post as editor-at-large.
To say his voice will be missed is an understatement. Very few writers have the chops to cover fatbergs, medieval alchemy and adhesive technology with equal aplomb. And even fewer folks can claim they once relieved themselves on a neighbor’s hedge and then tie it into pertinent coverage for Chemical Processing. “It turns out I was trailblazing sustainable fertilization,” Ottewell wrote in his End Point column.
For nearly two decades, Ottewell has made the chemical industry interesting.
His September 2024 piece on Tycho Brahe, the 16th-century astronomer who moonlighted as an alchemist, examined recent forensic research on Brahe's mysterious work, blending history, chemistry and detective work in a way that left readers both informed and entertained.
Or consider his coverage of Neanderthal adhesives, where he examined archaeological evidence showing that our prehistoric cousins created compound adhesives with sophisticated chemical processing capabilities. Who else would think to connect 50,000-year-old birch tar technology to modern industrial chemistry?
Each month, I looked forward to seeing how he would pump creativity into his column. He explored the putrid history of purple dye production, connecting ancient processes to modern industrial chemistry. He investigated how chemical processors historically transformed battlefield bones into useful materials — a macabre but important piece of industrial history. He covered University of Colorado Boulder researchers who developed press-on nails from natural polysaccharides, showing how biochemistry meets beauty products. And yes, he wrote about fatbergs — those massive sewage system blockages — and the innovative surface treatments being developed to prevent them.
But Ottewell’s greatest contribution wasn't just his eclectic coverage. It was his ability to extract enduring lessons from the past and apply them to the present day.
His 2023 article on the 1992 Hickson and Welch explosion in the UK, triggered by urban explorer photos of the now-abandoned facility, showed how investigation reports from three decades ago continue to impact chemical industry safety practices today. Named one of CP's Editors’ Choice picks for 2023, the article exemplified his deep understanding of process-safety evolution and his commitment to ensuring that history's hard-won lessons aren't forgotten.
This is the Ottewell I'll miss most — the one whose scientific rigor, courtesy of his degrees from the University of Warwick and University of London, combined with his journalistic accessibility, made complex topics approachable.
And his international perspective — shaped by years editing The Chemical Engineer, European Chemical Engineer and European Process Engineer before joining us — brought a genuinely global viewpoint to an American publication. He reminded us that challenges and innovations in chemical processing don't stop at borders.
From archaeology to art conservation, from medieval alchemy to modern membranes, he consistently found unexpected connections that enriched readers' understanding of the chemical industry’s role in the world. He showed us that chemical processing journalism could be both scientifically sound and genuinely engaging, that you could make people laugh while teaching them about compound adhesives, and that the best stories often come from the most unexpected places.
I have extended an ongoing invitation to write guest columns for us if he finds he misses having deadlines and silly clarifying questions from fellow editors. I hope he takes us up on that. After all, someone needs to keep us honest about the chemistry behind everyday objects, and no one does it quite like he does.
Enjoy your retirement, Seán. And if you ever need a distraction from your cottage guests, you know where to find us.
About the Author
Traci Purdum
Editor-in-Chief
Traci Purdum, an award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering manufacturing and management issues, is a graduate of the Kent State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Kent, Ohio, and an alumnus of the Wharton Seminar for Business Journalists, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.