Business News
Another Xerox Researcher Joins the Ranks with 100th Patent
Wednesday 15. July 2009 - Marcel Breton is the sixth Canadian researcher at Xerox to reach patent milestone
Challenge, curiosity, and a strong interest in understanding how materials can be manipulated to create something new are the criteria that guided Marcel Breton to the decision to first study chemistry. Now a Xerox Research Centre of Canada principal scientist, Breton recently received his 100th U.S. patent, a rare achievement that puts him among the ranks of Xerox’s most inventive scientists, and the sixth Canadian scientist at Xerox Corporation to accomplish this feat.
His 100th patent, No. 7,531,033, is entitled “Pre-Treatment Compositions, Oil-Based Ink Compositions and Processes for Ink-Jet Recording.” His 101st patent on curable phase change compositions was issued within days of his 100th patent. Breton is one of only 19 Xerox inventors world wide to reach the elite 100-patent milestone.
“During his career at Xerox, Marcel has coordinated a number of multi-year research projects between XRCC and major universities,” said Hadi Mahabadi, vice president and centre director, XRCC. “Marcel also led the development of a simple and very effective solution to extend the life of colour fusers, enabling significant savings for Xerox and its customers.”
More recently, Marcel Breton led a team that developed a strategy and high-level implementation plan for manufacturing new solid inks, targeting the next generation of the recently launched Xerox ColorQube solid inkjet printer. He has also achieved Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Design for LSS Black Belt certification.
Prior to beginning his almost 29-year career at Xerox in 1980, Breton completed both his bachelor’s and master’s in chemistry at Laval University in Quebec, followed by his doctorate in chemistry at the University of Toronto. He joined XRCC as a post-doctoral fellow and initiated polymerization studies in organized monolayers and thin films.
“The challenges the position presented and the opportunity to work at a state-of-the-art materials research centre were the key elements in leading me to join XRCC,” says Breton. “The teamwork, diversity, and continuous research opportunities created by our efforts to find solutions for our customers make it as exciting for me today as it was when I first joined.”
Xerox Corporation operates research and technology centres in Canada, the United States and Europe that conduct work in colour science, digital imaging, computational methods, work practices, system science, materials science and other disciplines connected to Xerox’s expertise in printing and document management. The company consistently builds its inventions into business by embedding them in Xerox products, services and solutions, using them as the foundation of new businesses, or licensing or selling them to other entities.