Steven Monaco, Ph.D. is a Senior Consulting Scientist at RJ Lee Group. Over the past 20 years, he has led teams and projects while solving complex industrial manufacturing and materials problems in a cost effective and innovative manner. He has extensive experience in project management, process development, plant technical support, cost analysis, and new product development in metals, chemicals, and fossil energy. His broad technical expertise includes lubrication, surface science, gas/solid interactions, materials synthesis and characterization, adsorption, catalysis and sorbents, polymers and coatings, corrosion, and water treatment. Dr. Monaco also has significant technical and managerial experience in Research & Development, notably in the steel sector including steel pickling, rolling, and annealing operations.

Previous projects include conducting studies of process fluids including rolling oils, picking inhibitors, corrosion inhibition oils, temper fluids, and lubricants such as greases and bearing oils in efforts to enhance quality, improve productivity, qualify products, and reduce costs in steel production facilities. His knowledge of surface chemistry and gas-metal reactions has been used to improve steel surface cleanliness, optimize cycles, and reduce gas use in annealing operations. Dr. Monaco also developed and evaluated novel rolling, hot band scale removal, and surface modification technologies with applications to the processing and coating of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS).

Dr. Monaco is the author of several papers, publications, and presentations, and is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Association for Iron & Steel Technology.