Education
He studied chemistry at the Münster and Saarbrücken University.
He studied chemistry at the Münster and Saarbrücken University.
Wilhelm Keim was one of the key figures in the development of the SHOP – process (Shell higher olefin process). SHOP-olefines have a broad range of applications in industrial chemistry, e.g. for the modification of polyethylene as ethylene-alpha-olefine-copolymere, as source for synthetic fatty alcohols or olefine sulfonates. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Max-Planck-Institute für Kohlenchemie in Mülheim an der Ruhr, having studied under Karl Ziegler.
After several years in the chemical industry he became Professor at the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, where he was the director of the Institute for Technical and Petrol chemistry.
He retired in 2001.
Academia Europaea]
Keim has received numerous prestigious honours including member of board of the Degussa AG, member of the board of directors of the GDCh (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker) till 1996, chairman of the board of the DGMK Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Erdöl, Erdgas und Kohle e.V., honorary professor of the technical university in Dalian (China), honorary professor of the university in Hangzhou (China), adjunct professor Dharan King Fahd University (Saudi Arabia), Doctor Honoris Causa Université Lille Nord de France, Doctor Honoris Causa, member of Academia Europaea, and honorary member of the Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology).