Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 2022
  • M.S., Chemical Engineering, Tulane University, 2016
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, Tulane University, 2015
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Chemical, California, #7134
Professional Affiliations
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
  • The Electrochemical Society (ECS)
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)

Dr. Delafontaine uses his technical knowledge as a chemical engineer to investigate incidents in the chemical processing and petroleum refining industries. He conducts risk assessments and analyzes hazard mitigation strategies. He applies analytical chemistry techniques and conducts chemical process simulation using HYSYS and fluid dynamics simulation using AFT Arrow to investigate industrial root cause analyses, perform origin and cause investigations, and solve industrial challenges.

Prior to joining Exponent, he was a Research Assistant at University of California, Irvine (UCI) where he researched catalyst syntheses. He conducted electrochemistry experiments and characterized catalysts using a variety of analytical techniques, including X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and chromatography methods (i.e., GC-MS/LC-MS) for product characterization. He invented a method to scale-up catalyst syntheses for industrial applications. This work developed his expertise on process industry standards and safety requirements.