Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, 2021
  • B.S., Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2016
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer, Illinois, #062075487
  • Professional Engineer Chemical, Minnesota, #63284
  • 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Operation and Emergency Response Certification (HAZWOPER)
  • Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI)
  • Certified Gas Engineer (CGE)
Professional Honors
  • Chemical Engineering Citation Award, Purdue University, 2023
  • Prof. K.C. Chao and Jiun Chao Graduate Education Endowment Grant, Purdue University, 2020
  • Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (Heat and Mass Transfer), Purdue University, 2018
  • Ross Fellowship, Purdue University, 2016–2017
  • Melby Scholarship, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2015
  • Gensler Scholarship, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2015
  • Eugene and Patricia Kreger Herscher Scholarship, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2014 & 2015
  • Engineering Great People Scholarship, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2014
Professional Affiliations
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
  • • Session Chair – Midwest Regional Conference 2022-25, Catalysis, Reaction/Green Engineering, Process Safety
  • • Session Chair – Spring AIChE 2022, Fuels and Petrochemical Division, Catalysis Session
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
  • National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)
  • American Society of Gas Engineers (ASGE)

Dr. Lardinois applies the fundamentals of chemical engineering, chemistry, mechanical engineering, and material science to investigations and analyses of safety incidents or technical issues involving chemical/mechanical processes, fires/explosions, industrial and fuel gas equipment, formulations, and consumer products. Dr. Lardinois is an active member within the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and American Society of Gas Engineers (ASGE) by way of participation, publications, presentations, and conference organization. Examples of Dr. Lardinois' technical consulting work includes:

Fire and Explosion Sciences

Dr. Lardinois has extensive experience investigating incidents related to fires and explosions in various industry sectors, such as agriculture, hazardous waste, residential appliances/products, and industrial chemical/utility process plants. Dr. Lardinois applies the fundamentals of engineering principles, physics, and laws of science to investigate complex incidents, often relying on calculations, modeling, laboratory testing, standards, and regulations to evaluate evidence and test hypotheses. He has investigated fires, combustion explosions, mechanical overpressure explosions, and chemical releases in a variety of settings, ranging from residential to large industrial facilities. Dr. Lardinois developed expertise with self-heating and reactive chemical hazards evidenced by numerous technical projects, research, publications, and presentations, especially for fiber materials, reactive metals, vegetable oil-containing materials, adsorbent materials (e.g., carbon), and coatings. Additionally, he offers technical services in the fuel gas industry (natural gas, LP, and propane gas) as it relates to piping, connections, regulators, materials of construction, odor fade, burners, gas-fired appliances/boilers, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Dr. Lardinois has advised clients on forced failure analyses and fire risk evaluations for consumer products and appliances from a system level down to the component level. 

Mechanical Systems, Processes, and Construction

Dr. Lardinois leads investigations related to mechanical systems and processes (residential and industrial) involving water losses, fuel gas systems and components, chemicals, and process plant construction. His expertise has been leveraged to support clients on projects related to Design-Bid-Build (DBB) and Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC). Specific examples include investigations of issues related to operations, maintenance, and management of large capital assets, such as turbines, generators, dryers, and hydroelectric pumps, with evaluations focused on the performance and installation against recommended and generally accepted good engineering practices (RAGAGEP), contractual specifications, Owner requirements, design/technical specifications, and/or regulatory requirements. 

Emissions and Technologies

Another core area of Dr. Lardinois' technical consulting portfolio focuses on emissions and technologies for pollution abatement. His Ph.D. thesis work focused on automotive exhaust pollutant (NOx, COx) abatement systems and controls. This research expertise has been leveraged at Exponent to support a variety of other emission related projects, such as vehicle defeat devices, hazardous gas scrubbing/adsorption processes, carbon monoxide or flue gas releases, and decomposition of fluoropolymers (PFAS abatement). Dr. Lardinois has worked with clients to understand the failure mechanisms of problematic emission systems or formulations, and provided guidance on alternative technologies, formulations, and/or strategies to meet challenging contractual and regulatory requirements or lower risk.  

Chemical Characterization, Kinetics, and Analytical Chemistry

Dr. Lardinois champions the area of chemical characterization, kinetics, and analytical chemistry. During his Ph.D. thesis, Dr. Lardinois developed novel, analytical characterization methods to address the fundamentals of complex chemicals and their formulations. He has published and presented detailed analyses of kinetics, catalyst deactivation, and catalyst regeneration to a wide variety of industries. These skills have been leveraged at Exponent to solve clients' challenges as it relates to contamination, performance, quality, and risks of a variety of formulations (catalysts, active pharmaceutical ingredients, adsorbent beds) and processes across many industries, such as pharmaceutical, automotive, hazardous waste, coatings, and chemical. 

Path to Exponent

Dr. Lardinois received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin — Madison, where he researched the upgrading of biomass derived feed stocks to value-added chemicals. After a summer sojourn to the Technical University of Vienna in Austria, Dr. Lardinois started his Ph.D. studies at Purdue University. His dissertation focused on the influence of zeolite material properties and external gas conditions on the thermodynamics and kinetics of metal structural interconversion for the abatement of NOx pollution from automotive engine exhaust. Throughout his Ph.D. studies, Dr. Lardinois worked with many advanced catalyst/material characterization instruments and frequently consulted with automotive companies.