Contents

Photography Candice Mazzolini

Department of Chemical Engineering | Private Bag X3 | Rondebosch | 7701 | South Africa021 650 2518 | www.uct.ac.za | www.chemeng.uct.ac.za | sarojini.pillay@uct.ac.za

Published on behalf of the University of Cape Town’s Department of Chemical Engineering by John Brown South Africa www.johnbrownmedia.co.za

021 486 7600

DEPARTMENT

History of Chemical Engineering .......................................................................................................... 4Vision 2020 ..................................................................................................................................................... ..... 5Foreword .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

PROGRAMMES

RESEARCH

Undergraduate Programme ....................................................................................................................Postgraduate Programme .........................................................................................................................

Noteworthy News ..........................................................................................................................................Academic Staff and Research Fields ...................................................................................................Research in Engineering Education ....................................................................................................Catalysis Institute (CAT) ..............................................................................................................................Centre for Minerals Research (CMR) ....................................................................................................Centre for Bioprocessing Engineering Research (CeBER) ......................................................Crystallisation and Precipitation Research Unit (CPU) .............................................................Environmental and Process Systems Engineering (E&PSE) ......................... .........................Future Water: UCT’s Interdisciplinary Water-research Institute ..........................................Minerals to Metals (MtM) .................................................................................................... ........................Hydrometallurgy (Hydromet) .................................................................................................................Publications ........................................................................................................................................................

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10

The Department ..............................................................................................................................................Facilities and Equipment ............................................................................................................................Safety and Risk Management .................................................................................................................

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4 H I S T O R Y O F C H E M I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G

History of Chemical Engineering

he Chemical Engineering Department is located on the historic Upper Campus of the University of Cape Town, on the

southern slopes of Table Mountain’s Devil’s Peak. The Campus is adjacent to the Table Mountain National Park, part of the Cape Floral Region, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The fi rst home of the Chemical Engineering Department – constructed in 1969 to house only six academics, 12 postgraduates and an annual intake of 30 undergraduates – was the building

that is now called Hoerikwaggo. Despite continuous structural modifi cations, the increased number of students, coupled with a substantial increase in research activity, meant that we outgrew the building. .

Thus, in 2004, the Department relocated to the much larger New Chemical Engineering Building, which won an Award of Merit from the South African Institute of Architects for its design. At the time, the prediction was that the Department’s annual intake would grow by fi ve percent, and that there would be 450 undergraduates and

130 postgraduates in the programme within 10 years (by 2014). In 2013, in response to continued growth in both the undergraduate and the postgraduate programmes, the Department expanded further, and we came to share parts of the New Engineering Building with the Department of Civil Engineering, the Faculty Offi ce and the new Centre for Imaging and Analysis.

Our undergraduate body has continued to grow to such an extent that most lectures now take place in the new Snape Teaching and Learning Facility.

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1969The � rst home of the Chemical Engineering Department (Hoerikwaggo) was built

2013The Department expanded. Parts of the New Engineering Building were now shared

2004Relocated to the New Chemical Engineering Building

Award of Merit from the South African Institute of Architects for its design

V I S I O N 2 0 2 0 5

Vision 2020

Our sta� and students

• Our students are professionals and future leaders.

• Our sta� are passionate, committed and caring.

• Our diverse academic sta� are respected leaders in their � eld.

Our achievements• Our BSc, MSc and PhD graduates are independent thinkers.

• Our graduates recognise the needs of society in general and those of South Africa in particular.

• The Department focuses on innovation in technology, processes and research.

• We are experts in the transformation of the resource-based economy and in waste and water treatment.

• Our internationally recognised research excellence has helped us to rise to global research challenges

that have particular local relevance.

Our environment• The Department of Chemical Engineering is

a vibrant, exciting, fun place to work.

• There is time for creative and original thinking, innovation and inspiration.

• With our home at the University of Cape Town – an Afropolitan university – we are a hub

for high-achieving African and international scholars.

6 F O R E W O R D

he 2017 academic year started late as a consequence of the disruption of the 2016 academic year, which

required the introduction of a so-called mini-semester in January 2017 to be able to end the 2016 academic year successfully.

This resulted in a late finish of the 2017 academic year, a year which saw some tense moments on campus. There were threats of a shutdown in September 2017 by an alliance of a radical union and student activists, and severe protest action towards the end of October 2017, resulting in a two-day shutdown. The threat to the academic year resulted in extraordinary

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PROFESSOR ERIC VAN STEEN, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

measures that saw students writing exams in centralised, secure venues created on the sports fields to allow them to complete the academic year.

Despite these challenges, the Department succeeded in graduating 10 PhDs, 10 MSc (Eng), 1 MPhil and 99 BSc (Eng) students in the 2017 academic year. Our BSc (Eng) graduating class was the first class to come through our new curriculum. This curriculum has a greater emphasis on integrated project work underpinned by a strong theoretical basis. It also introduces advanced chemical engineering concepts in the context of areas of interest to the students, viz. bioprocess engineering, catalysis and catalytic processing, minerals processing and numerical simulation.

Foreword

The Department will assess the impact of the new curriculum over the next few years. Our first impression is that in particular the number of BSc (Eng) students graduating in minimum time has increased substantially.

The year saw strong growth in the research output by the Department, establishing it as the premier research department in chemical engineering on the continent.

It was furthermore very pleasing to note that the Department was ranked eighth in the ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects in Mining and Mineral Engineering in 2017, emphasising the standing of our research worldwide.

THE YEAR 2017 SAW STRONG GROWTH IN RESEARCH OUTPUT BY THE DEPARTMENT, ESTABLISHING IT AS THE PREMIER RESEARCH DEPARTMENT IN CHEMICAL

ENGINEERING ON THE CONTINENT

DEPARTMENT

8 T H E D E P A R T M E N T

The Department

he Department of Chemical Engineering at UCT is one of six departments in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment; the others being the Departments of Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and the

Department of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics; and the Department of Construction Economics and Management.

The Department offers a four-year BSc (Eng) (chemical engineering), as well as master’s and doctoral degrees. The Department has recently restructured its undergraduate BSc (Eng) degree, with a strong focus on integrated project work

with a strong theoretical underpinning, ensuring a relevant study to take on the challenges of the 21st century. The MSc (Chem Eng), MPhil and PhD may all be pursued by dissertation only. There is also an option to pursue the MSc (Chem Eng) and MPhil by a combination of structured coursework and dissertation (60 credits coursework and 120 credits dissertation).

The Department of Chemical Engineering also has strong research activity, as evidenced by the number of university-accredited research groupings hosted by the Department and its research output in accredited journals, as well the large number of registered postgraduate students.

TFACULTY OF ENGINEERING & THE

BUILT ENVIRONMENT (EBE)

Chemical EngineeringElectrical

EngineeringMechanical Engineering

Architecture, Planning and Geomatics

Civil Engineering

Construction Economics and Management

Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS)

Director of Postgraduate

Studies (DPGS)Research Groups

BSc (Eng) Chem

MSc (Eng)MPhilMEng

PhD

Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research

Process Modelling and Optimisation

Environmental and Process Systems Engineering

Minerals to Metals Signature Theme

Future Water

Hydrometallurgy

Process Modelling and Optimisation

Centre for Minerals Research

Crystallisation and Precipitation Research Unit

Research in Engineering Education

c*change Centre of Excellence

HySA/Catalysis Centre of Competence

CatCentre

Catalysis Institute

T H E D E P A R T M E N T 9

Facilities and Equipment

ANALYTICAL LABORATORYThe Analytical Laboratory provides analytical material characterisation and support services to the Department of Chemical Engineering and other departments at UCT. Analytical and characterisation services are also provided to other institutions in South Africa, and small to medium-sized companies. The laboratory is equipped with an AAS and ICP-OES for elemental analysis and a LECO instrument for sulphur analysis. Particle size measurements can be performed on a Malvern Mastersizer or Zetasizer. Our users also have access to a TriStar II 3020 for surface area and pore size/volume measurements, an ASAP 2020 for chemisorption, AutoChem 2920 and AutoChem 2950 for temperature-programmed studies.

ELECTRONICS WORKSHOPThe Electronics Workshop provides technical support to research groups and postgraduate students in the field of electronics, embedded systems, instrumentation and software design. It also runs several Linux servers that host molecular modelling (Accelrys, VASP), Computational Fluid Dynamics (Fluent) and Finite Elements (Abaqus) software that is used in departmental research. In addition to this, the workshop advises staff and students on the conceptual design of instrumentation, data acquisition and control systems for test rigs, and implements and commissions these systems. Furthermore, the workshop designs, builds and commissions custom electronics and software solutions tailored to the requirements of the various research groups in the Department. LabVIEW, KiCad, SolidWorks and other CAD packages, as well as software simulation suites and industry-standard software tools are used. Digital fabrication and rapid prototyping using 3D-printing technologies are also offered.

MECHANICAL WORKSHOPThe Mechanical Workshop is a well-equipped fabrication facility with the capacity for prototype development and customised designs in various materials, including stainless steel and Perspex.

THE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FACILITYThe Chemical Engineering curriculum at the University of Cape Town has a strong focus on the integration of theory into practice. To meet this purpose of experiential learning, the undergraduate Experiential Learning Facility has equipment demonstrating state-of-the-art technology. This facility has the capacity to demonstrate the core learning elements of chemical engineering practice in a directed manner. The strong link between research and training introduces a detailed understanding of current engineering technologies, some of which have not yet been adopted in industry.

In addition to learning the governing physical and chemical principles, the facility gives students an opportunity to learn other skills pertinent to the functions of a modern engineer in industry. Students are also exposed to statistical methods of designing experiments and using these methods to analyse results. The performance of experiments in teams allows collegial learning, not only deepening understanding of engineering concepts, but also developing the skill of teamwork.Training in matters related to safety, health and the environment is a key feature of the training conducted in the laboratory, which functions as a low-risk entry point for students to become acquainted with complex instrumentation and control protocols on process rigs. This is a skill that they will later use extensively when dealing with larger-scale units in the Department and in industry. In summary, the Experiential Learning Facility plays a crucial role in providing knowledge of various engineering concepts and in building awareness of the role of engineers in technology development and testing.

DEPARTMENTAL FACILITIESThe Department of Chemical Engineering consists of several research groups with a variety of instrumentation. The facilities offered to students and researchers support research and teaching in the department and at the University of Cape Town. These are facilities and analysis options that can be catered for within the Department. Liquid and gas chromatography is performed using various detection methods such as UV/VIS or RID for liquid chromatography, FID, TCD or MS-detection for gas chromatography. Furthermore, two-dimensional GC analysis is performed using GCxGC with TOF-MS. In addition, the Department of Chemical Engineering has some unique equipment in the form of an in situ magnetometer (for measurement of content of magnetic material present under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions) and a novel in situ XRD set-up (for monitoring in situ transformations in solid materials at elevated temperatures and pressures). A variety of reactors are available at the Department for testing biological reactions (fermenter, airlift reactor), heterogeneously catalysed reactions (fixed bed reactors, slurry reactors, Berty reactor), catalyst for fuel cells (fuel cell stations), crystallisation processes (Eutectic Freeze Crystallisers and LabMax crystallisers) and precipitation reactions (multiphase stirred tank reactors, fluidised bed crystallisers and large-scale (100L) multiphase reactors). crystallisation processes (Eutectic Freeze Crystallisers and LabMax crystallisers) and precipitation reactions (multiphase stirred tank reactors, fluidised bed crystallisers and large-scale (100L) multiphase reactors).

THE DEPARTMENT RUNS AN ANALYTICAL LABORATORY, AN ELECTRONICS WORKSHOP, A MECHANICAL WORKSHOP AND AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FACILITY.

1 0 S A F E T Y A N D R I S K M A N A G E M E N T

Safety and Risk Management

he Department of Chemical Engineering is cognisant of the many occupational health and safety (OHS) risks in its extensive laboratories, as well as the importance placed on SHE (Safety, Health and the Environment) in the industries

that employ our graduates. We continually strive to instil a ‘no harm’ ethos in both our teaching and research operations.

OHS IN LABORATORIES AND THE WORKPLACEThe Department has a formal safety structure consisting of safety officers, typically heads of research groups, and safety representatives, usually senior laboratory staff involved in the day-to-day monitoring and implementation of safety issues, as well as evacuation marshals, first aiders, a chief fire officer and a Hazchem co-ordinator. We hold quarterly meetings in which laboratory inspections and incidents are reported and present a compulsory annual safety induction to all staff and postgraduate students.

SAFETY IN THE CURRICULUMHealth and safety permeates the undergraduate curriculum as a teaching strand, and our courses frequently hold safety sessions to teach students to build the habit of conducting risk assessments. OHS is formally integrated into final-year courses.

SAFETY TRAININGThe Minerals to Metals Initiative coordinates the South African sector of the Global Minerals Industry Risk Management (G-MIRM) Programme. Developed in Australia, it aims to increase safety by improving managers’ understanding and practice of risk management, thereby entrenching it in organisational culture.

RESEARCH IN SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENTAllied to the G-MIRM training activities, collaborative research in Safety Risk Management in the minerals industry is ongoing. This is primarily addressed by postgraduate dissertations with safety as a key area of focus, with students increasingly being encouraged to incorporate all appropriate safety considerations as part of their research.

‘NO HARM’ ETHOSOur vision is to be Africa’s leading chemical engineering department, through teaching and research. Safe and healthy learning and workplaces are indispensable to this vision. By teaching and practising current appropriate safety standards, we can be enablers of low-risk, healthy, non-polluting and resource-efficient industrial production. The five cardinal rules that we pledge to know and obey encapsulate the measures in place to achieve this vision are as follows:

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1 Be proactive and outspoken – Show concern for safety and for others.

2 No work without safety planning, thinking and documentation.

3 Form barriers between people and safety risks, especially chemicals.

4 Gases require advanced safety systems.

5 Always be ready for an emergency – evacuation without question.

CARDINAL SAFETY RULES

1 1

PROGRAMMES

1 2 U N D E R G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E

Undergraduate Programme

n the ECSA-accredited undergraduate programme, students are equipped for careers both in the process industries and as researchers

(though many also take up positions in related or other sectors). This is achieved through an underpinning of mathematics, basic science and engineering science fundamentals; the application of engineering practice-related knowledge, tools and skills to solve complex problems; and an exposure to complementary studies in the Humanities.

Starting in 2014, a new curriculum has been implemented, with the key drivers being to improve the quality of student learning, to increase the contemporary relevance of the offering and to make the curriculum more flexible to respond to future challenges. In 2017, the

I implementation phase was completed with the introduction of new advanced engineering courses at fourth-year level. In the next phase the emphasis will be strongly on further improving and strengthening the new curriculum Approximately 125 students (from diverse backgrounds) enter the programme each year. They are supported through a variety of measures, including a first-year mentorship scheme and team-building camp; dedicated year advisers; a well-developed tutor system; a one-week industrial field trip in the second year; and intensive winter and summer boot camps for students experiencing difficulties during the normal semester. These initiatives have enabled the Department to produce an average

of just over 103 graduates per annum in the past five years. The cohort that graduated in 2017 was the first in the new curriculum. Sixty- six percent of students graduated in minimum time (four years) and of the Black African South African demographic group, 67% graduated in minimum time. In both cases these were record minimum time throughputs.

Industrial partners provide many vital inputs to the programme: bursaries for students; placements for student field trips and work experience (which all students must complete to be awarded the degree); service on the Advisory Board and Local Industry Forum; financial support from the Minerals Education Trust Fund; and significant contributions to new and improved equipment and infrastructure.

U N D E R G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E 1 3

OVERALL INTAKE: 2006-2017

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140

Num

ber o

f stu

dent

s

Entrance year

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2013

2012

2014

2015

2016

2017

Fig. 1 Overall intake between 2000 and 2017 by population group

International White/unknown Coloured Indian Black

GRADUATES: 2006-2017

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60

120

100

Num

ber o

f stu

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Graduation year

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2016

2017

2015

Fig. 2 Number of graduates from the programme between 2003 and 2017 by population group

International White/unknown Coloured Indian Black

1 4 U N D E R G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E

Alexander, Leolyn Neil

Amato, Michel Albert First Class Honours

Auzet, Lara Mary Honours

Balladon, Anthony James

Blake, Colin James Honours

Bleloch, Stuart James

Brandt, Alexander Benedikt Honours

Carreno, Jean-Claude Araujo Honours

Chen, Yi-Jou Honours

Chetty, Kreelan First Class Honours

De Beer, James Charles Doherty

De Koker, Loren Ruth First Class Honours

Dilima, Mihlali

Dlamini, Gcinisizwe Msimisi Honours

Dzimbanhete, Vimbainashe Lorraine First Class Honours

Erasmus, Damien Nicholas Honours

Esak, Fathima Hassim Honours

Ford, Jené Danielle Honours

Ganisyeje, Trisha Patricia Honours

Gertzen, Jonathan Nicholas First Class Honours

Goho, Danielle Sympathie First Class Honours

Govender, Avashnee Honours

Govender, Ruane Delvin

Hambrock, Mark Honours

Harrisankar, Naomi Honours

BSC CHEMICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATES (99) IN 2017

Hytoolakhan Lal Mahomed, Nasseela Honours

Innes, Simon James Skerten Honours

Jackson, Matthew Theodore

James, Robert Neil Honours

Jardien, Mogammad Yaameen

Jona, Luthando Obakeng

Kadri, Abeedah

Kisten, Yashna

Kwaramba, Tafadzwa Heath Chakaingesu Honours

Labi, Tita Ntow Honours

Laric, Nadia Adriana Honours

Lemeke, Tlaleng Regina

Lin, Tzu-Ting

Mahwayi, Lerato Dinah Honours

Makalima, Bafana Honours

Malick, Mogammad Redah

Mammen, Ashlen Honours

Mamputa, Noloyiso

Mandeya, Andrew

Mapeta, Malcolm Tendai Honours

Mathew, Amulya Annah Honours

Mchendrie, Anthony Warren Honours

Metcalfe, Liam James

Mhinga, Masana Honours

Mhlongo, Nkululeko Kuhle Honours

U N D E R G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E 1 5

Mhlongo, Sinethemba Honours

Mirza, Nisa

Mogotsi, Phetogo Ntlotleng Honours

Moloto, Boitumelo Ipeleng

Mooniyen, Shivonne

Morakile, Tumelo

Moydien, Mohamed Hassan Honours

Mpompo, Thandile Caroline

Mtetwa, Bongani Leslie Honours

Naicker, Jarryd Pravaan Honours

Naidoo, Jeovana Carolyn Honours

Ncube, Nkululeko

Nel, Joshua Lourens Honours

Nemauluma, Dakalo

Nemaungane, Heaven

Ngoato, Lesedi Mananeng First Class Honours

Nyama, Edith Raesetsa

Ollier, N’Goran Nogues Honours

Padayachee, Veroushia

Pather, Thanushri Honours

Pavlou, Dimitri Honours

Pavlou, Petro First Class Honours

Pienaar, Dandré

Pillay, Shaniq Ursula Honours

Poorun, Argon

Pringle, Merrick Beaumont Honours

Rajan, Ziba Shabir Hussein Somjee

Ramjee, Anjalee

Ramushu, Morufe

Rapotu, Blessing

Reddy, Areesen

Reddy, Preshanthan

Rezelman, Timothy Honours

Ries, Matthew Peter

Roto, Lelethu None

Sanders, Alison Brigitte Honours

Sello, Maunetlala Honours

Shaer, Gianluca Sasha Salvatore Ganter Honours

Singh, Akshi

Subroyen, Verona

Taderera, Lawrence

Tambwe, Olivier

Tetlow, Sarah Frances

Tigeli, Leboea Damiane Honours

Tigere, Lindelwa Ratidzo

Vallabh, Nikhil Honours

Van Zyl, Brits Honours

Zhang, Zekun Zek

1 6 P O S T G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E

Postgraduate Programme

he postgraduate programme is a core component of the offerings of the Department. Postgraduate students play a crucial role as tutors in the

undergraduate courses, and therefore the programme is essential to the functioning of the Department as a whole. The Department offers a PhD and a research-only MSc (both by dissertation), the taught MSc and a taught MPhil (both by coursework and dissertation) degrees. These degrees may be carried out in any of the following research areas: bioprocess and catalytic process engineering; crystallisation and precipitation; environment and process systems engineering; minerals processing; hydrometallurgy and process modelling. The MSc by a combination of coursework and research is offered in the areas of bioprocess and catalytic process engineering. All postgraduate studies based in the Department of Chemical Engineering involve a substantial research project in the context of larger research programmes. The Department prides itself on the availability of modern, world-class research facilities for postgraduate studies. All postgraduate students are required to undertake the course on Research Methodology and Communication (CHE5055Z), leading to the formulation of a detailed research proposal. For PhD students, the proposal is presented in a seminar to the Department and reviewed by a panel comprising three academics, before registration is finalised by the Doctoral Degrees Board. In 2017, a detailed cohort analysis covering the years 2005 to 2016 was conducted to evaluate the progress of postgraduate students. Total enrolment was in the order of 160 to 180 postgraduate students in recent years, of which around 45% are now PhD students. While a ‘steady state’ between intake and graduation has been achieved with MSc students, the PhD cohort is still growing. Concerns relating to MSc students taking relatively long to graduate and a significant rate of discontinuation among PhD students have been identified and are being addressed.

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P O S T G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E 1 7

1 8 P O S T G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E

MASTERS CHEMICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATES (11) IN 2017

PHD CHEMICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATES (10) IN 2017

Ahmed, Uwais MSc (Eng) by dissertation

Chikochi, Christoper MSc (Eng) by dissertation

Cilliers, Pierre MSc (Eng) by coursework and dissertation

De Flamingh, Francois MSc (Eng) by dissertation

Dube, Thobile MSc (Eng) by dissertation

Kato, Shuhei MPhil (120 research 60 course)

Khasu, Motlokoa MSc (Eng) by dissertation

Manana, Buhle MSc (Eng) by dissertation

Muketekelwa, Saliya MSc (Eng) by dissertation

Myers, Matthew MSc (Eng) by dissertation

Van Niekerk, Wesley MSc (Eng) by coursework and dissertation

Abrahams, Robin Kyle PhD

Achaye, Innocent PhD

Africa, Cindy-Jade PhD

Brighton, Mark PhD

De Vries, Christian PhD

Jackson, Colleen PhD

Nesbitt, Allan PhD

Ogunmpdimu, Olumide PhD

Short, Michael PhD

Smit, Rene PhD

P O S T G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E 1 9

RESEARCH

2 0 N O T E W O R T H Y N E W S

Noteworthy News

A ROUNDUP OF THE LATEST RESEARCH, ACHIEVEMENTS AND COLLABORATIONS

SCIENTIFICLEADERSHIP WORKSHOPIn addition to the 2017 Faraday Discussion held in Cape Town, the DST-NRF Centre

of Excellence in Catalysis c*change hosted the SynCat Ac@demy for a workshop

on Scientific Leadership. Over 30 young researchers from c*change, UCT and other

associated HEIs attended the two-day workshop presented by Professors Hans

Niemantsverdriet and Graham Hutchings (both

scientific advisers to c*change and

named Honorary Professors at

UCT in 2017) and Jan Karel

Felderhof. The course

programme offered

insight into many

skills, ranging

from self-

leadership

to leading

a team,

developing

research

strategy and

effectively

presenting

science.

CLAUDE LEON AWARDAssociate Professor Adeniyi Isafiade was awarded the 2017 Claude Leon Award for his attempts at integrating renewable energy into the networks that bring us crucial resources, such as energy and water.

Cledwyn Mangunda, a PhD candidate in the Crystallisation and Precipitation Research Unit, received the best-poster prize in the Chemical Engineering category. Posters were judged on their approach and content, the significance of the research, audience consistency, aesthetic and wow factor. Cledwyn was also judged on his presentation, his knowledge of the topic and how he answered the questions.

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE CRYSTALLISATION AND PRECIPITATION RESEARCH UNIT (CPU)

Genevieve Harding, a master’s student in the Crystallisation and Precipitation Research Unit, was one of the top three presenters at the mineral-research showcase held by the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM).

N O T E W O R T H Y N E W S 2 1

THE WESTERN CAPE MINQUIZ TEAM The Western Cape team with Minquiz 2017 MC Nanji Sheni (Mintek) From left: Rodney van Wyk (Monument Park High School), Nanji Sheni, Laaiqah Jeewa (Protea Heights Academy), Adam Begg (SACS) and Joshua Putterill (Somerset College).Minquiz is South Africa’s premier annual national science competition for Grade 12 learners. The Department of Chemical Engineering was the proud host of the Western Cape provincial round of Minquiz 2017. The Western Cape provincial organiser, Dr Kirsten Corin, was ably assisted by an eager team of postgraduate volunteers to create a very enjoyable event. The National competition took place from 18 to 19 July 2017 at the Mintek Head Office in Randburg. The Western Cape team comprised learners from SACS, Somerset College, Monument Park High School and Protea Heights Academy.

UCT RECEIVES QS RANKINGUniversities and subjects at universities

worldwide are ranked. One of these ranking systems is the ShanghaiRanking. It placed Mining and Mineral Engineering at UCT eighth in the 2017 world rankings.

Congratulations to Professor Dave Deglon on being elected Fellow of the South

African Academy of Engineering. Professor Deglon currently holds the Anglo American Platinum Chair in Minerals Processing and is the Director of the Centre for Minerals

Research. This is a worthy tribute to his many achievements throughout his career.

2 2 P O S T G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E

C*HEMROOTS: A GATEWAY TO STEM CAREERSPhysical sciences is a gatekeeping subject for admission

to tertiary-level science and engineering programmes.

One of the main reasons for this is that physical sciences,

like mathematics, is a measure of students’ ability to

think critically and solve problems. However, the reality

in South Africa paints a dismal picture, with a very small

number of learners excelling in the subject.

The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis,

c*change identified this gap and acted upon it. A

curriculum change in 2006 introduced new topics to the

physical sciences curriculum. c*change, with financial

support from SASOL, developed a Chemical Industry Resource Pack, providing teachers with content and

context to teach the new topics. A major strength of

this project was its distribution through 60 training

workshops throughout South Africa, where teachers

had the opportunity to engage with the materials and

learn how to integrate it into their teaching practices.

The material was published under an open-source

licence, making it available to teachers free of charge.

The project was concluded in 2012, although

continued interest was signalled by teachers, especially

in terms of practical work. In 2016, under the lead of

Associate Professor Nico Fischer, the idea of c*hemRoots

was developed. This new initiative provides educative

curriculum materials, which focus on using practical

work as a teaching strategy to promote conceptual

understanding of key topics in chemistry. Educative curriculum material that not only provide teaching

resources, but also provide content and pedagogy

support, have been found to be effective in supporting

practising teachers. This type of teacher-support material

is available in developed countries, but little is aligned to

or available for the current South African curriculum.

C*CHANGE HOSTS FIRST AFRICAN FARADAY DISCUSSIONS CONFERENCEIn January 2017, c*change, the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis hosted in the Department of Chemical Engineering, organised the first-ever Faraday Discussions event on the African continent. Faraday Discussions, a conference series established more than 100 years ago and promoted by the Royal Society of Chemistry, are held in a unique format in the scientific community.

Focusing on topics from physical chemistry, chemical physics and biophysical chemistry, oral presentations are given by both invited speakers of high international standing as well as speakers selected based on submitted abstracts. Focusing on the topic of Catalysis for Fuels, leading scientists met in Cape Town from 24 to 26 January to discuss the newest developments in the field of catalyst design for synthetic fuels, hydrocarbon conversion, novel photocatalysts and insights from theory. The scientific committee consisted of researchers from c*change (Professor Neil Coville from Wits, and Professor Eric van Steen and Associate Professor Nico Fischer from UCT) as well as international researchers, and was chaired by Professor Graham Hutchings FRS (Cardiff University and scientific adviser to c*change). Invited speakers at the event included eminent researchers such as Professor Nora de Leeuw (University College London), Professor Matt Neurock (University of Minnesota), Professor Ding Ma (Peking University), Professor Unni Olsbye (University of Oslo), Professor Avelino Corma (University of Valencia), Dr Philip Gibson (SASOL), Professor Kazunari Domen (University of Tokyo), Professor Can Li (Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics) and Professor Michael Claeys (Director of c*change, UCT).

Both c*change and the Catalysis Society of South Africa made special bursaries available to postgraduate and postdoctoral fellows at South African HEIs to attend this prestigious once-in-a-lifetime event. Besides the collection of presented articles and discussions published by the Royal Society (Faraday Discussions, 2017, Vol 197) the international peer-reviewed journal ChemComm also published a report on the event (DOI:10.1039/C7CC90124K).

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT SHORT COURSEAs of 2016, the Chemical Engineering curriculum includes an elective fourth specialisation course in Life Cycle Assessment worth eight credits. This course is not offered in regular semester time. Instead, it is a five-day intensive course in the winter term, which also accepts industry participants for the first three days for the purpose of continuing professional development. In 2017, 15 regular students and five CPD participants successfully completed the course. Instructors included Adjunct Associate Professor Pippa Notten, Professor Harro von Blottnitz, Dr Valentina Russo and alumna Mrs Ilhaam Patel.

Catalysisfor Fuels

Organised by the Faraday Division in association with the Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division (ESED)

Faraday Discussion

24–26 January 2017Cape Town, South Africa

rsc.li/fuels-fd2017

210619_RP16053_148 x 105 EVENTS_A6 postcard.indd 1 7/29/2016 3:34:49 PM

P O S T G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M M E 2 3

CUTTING-EDGE EFC: FROM THEORY TO

REALITY

The first full-scale eutectic freeze crystallisation (EFC) wastewater treatment unit located at the Tweefontein colliery in

Mpumalanga. Professor Alison Lewis, the CPU team and industrial partners contributed to moving EFC from theory to reality. The unit, which was purchased by Glencore and built and designed by Prentec, is based on research done by CPU staff and students

at UCT’s Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.

UCT AWARDED EUROPEAN COMMISSION HORIZON 2020 GRANTUCT is one of 16 partners to be awarded a European Commission Horizon 2020 Grant (2017 to 2020) for a project that works to enable significantly more efficient water recycling at mining sites and the valorisation of the solid-waste residues. Both improvements will bring cost savings and added income streams at mine sites. Additionally, their overall environmental footprint will be minimised and the positive image of the operations will be enhanced. The 16 partners include nine industrial partners, two RTOs and five universities from seven EU member states (Finland, France, Austria, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal) as well as Turkey and South Africa.

HOW C*CHANGE IS A CATALYST FOR TRANSFORMATION AT UCTFor change to occur, a catalyst is required. Someone or something needs to create change that, in turn, will spark a chain of events. As one of the first centres of excellence established by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in the country, c*change is that something, providing a blueprint for transformation at tertiary level.

Hosted by the Catalysis Institute in the Department of Chemical Engineering at UCT and led by Professor Michael Claeys, c*change is a virtual centre funded by the DST through the National Research Foundation (NRF).

Professor Claeys is the director of c*change and leads the nationwide collaboration of 14 research groups at 10 universities. Currently there are between 55 and 60 postgraduate students in the centre, exceeding the required number of 40 as defined by its agreement with the NRF. In addition, 15 postdoctoral research fellows receive support. The c*change funding covers the students’ bursaries as well as the running costs of the respective scientific projects for the duration of their study. At PhD level, yearly costs vary between R250 000 and R300 000.

This NRF funding is made available to c*change because of their adherence to a strategic commitment to transform the unit. A service-level agreement with the NRF details demographic targets and the duration of degrees, and lists required outputs. Professor Claeys emphasises that they have consistently managed to meet the targets and nurture a group of students that is ‘pretty much representative of the country’, with half of the participants identifying as female and two-thirds as black.

HOSTING INTERNATIONAL GUESTS On 7 February 2017, The Department was visited by the Government of Western Australia and Murdock University. The meeting was hosted by Max Price and the topic discussed was ‘research activities along the mineral to metal value chain’.

2 4 A C A D E M I C S T A F F & R E S E A R C H F I E L D S

NAME RESEARCH FIELD

Dr Lawrence Bbosa Centre for Minerals Research – Comminution research, primarily focusing on fundamentals of particle breakage and computational modelling

Dr Paul Bepswa Centre for Minerals Research – Design of high-precision metal accounting measurement networks and investigations into the operational performance of tumbling mill comminution circuits

Dr Megan Becker Centre for Minerals Research, and the Minerals to Metals Initiative – Process mineralogy and applied mineralogy, geometallurgy

Dr Sharon Blair Catalysis Institute – Director of HySA/Catalysis – Technology transfer

Mr Walter Böhringer Catalysis Institute – Heterogeneous acid catalysis (core area) and hydroprocessing

Professor Dee Bradshaw Centre for Minerals Research – Flotation Chemistry

Associate Professor Jennifer Broadhurst Minerals to Metals – Sustainable development of mineral resources with specific focus on environmental issues

Dr Roald Brosius Catalysis Institute – Shape-selective hydrocracking of wax to high-quality diesel in advanced microporous materials

Dr Jessica Chamier Catalysis Institute – Materials scientist developing and synthesising new materials for membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) used in fuel cell design. We are focusing on the design, development and electrocatalytic evaluation of novel catalyst support materials as well as methods for catalyst deposition and impregnation

Professor Michael Claeys Catalysis Institute – Director of the DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis (c*change), Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, in situ catalyst characterisation, nanomaterials

Dr Kirsten Claire Corin Centre for Minerals Research – Water in flotation, froth flotation, flotation and grinding chemistry, flotation electrochemistry, QPXRD

Professor David Deglon Centre for Minerals Research – Computational fluid dynamics and flotation cell modelling

Dr Marijke Fagan-Endres Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research – Heap bioleaching, bioflotation, hydrology, tomography (MRI and X-ray CT), microcalorimetry

Associate Professor Nico Fischer Catalysis Institute – Study and characterisation of heterogeneous catalyst systems for synthesis gas conversion reaction including CO₂ activation processes with special focus on the development and application of in situ characterisation techniques

Dr Elaine Govender-Opitz Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research – Application of biohydrometallurgicalprocesses for the treatment of primary and secondary metal resources

Academic Sta� & Research Fields

2 5

Professor Sue Harrison SA Research Chair in Bioprocess Engineering and Director of the Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research – Interaction of micro-organisms with the environment; microbial ecology and community dynamics in planktonic and sessile environments; energy-efficient reactor systems; biokinetics, metabolic modelling of biomass and bioproducts; and integrated bioprocess systems. The above is applied to the fields of alkane biotechnology, biomanufacture of pigments, enzymes and nutraceuticals, yeast handling, mineral bioleaching through heap and tank processes, acid rock drainage (ARD) prevention, ARD remediation through sulphate reduction, wastewater bioprocessing, algal bioprocesses for bioenergy and fine chemicals, bioprocess design, and evaluation for sustainable process engineering

Mr Hilton Heydenrych Crystallisation and Precipitation Research Unit – Development of a systematic approach for the treatment of effluent water streams using multi-criteria evaluations and comparisons of simulated processes to develop new heuristic principles for the design of water-treatment processes; chemical engineering education-curriculum design and the analysis of throughput issues

Dr Robert Huddy Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research – Microbiology of mixed microbial bioprocess systems, including bioremediation of thiocyanate-laden mine water effluents and biological sulphate reduction

Mr Nabeel Hussain Centre for Catalysis Research – Development of materials and components for low-temperature PEM fuel cells

Associate Professor Adeniyi Isafiade Environmental and process systems engineering and process modelling and optimisation – Bioenergy supply chain optimisation, process integration for materials, water and energy optimisation and systemic approach to mining accident causality

Mr Thanos Kotsiopaulos Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research – ARD mitigation of abandoned mine wastes using permeable reactive barriers. Research extends to the advancement of new products through innovative bioprocess technologies with an emphasis on industrial application

Professor Patricia Kooyman Catalysis Institute – Nanomaterials for catalysis, nanomaterial synthesis, characterisation and application. (In situ) high-resolution ransmission electron microscopy

Associate Professor Pieter Levecque Catalysis Institute – Catalysts and components for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, photocatalytic water splitting

Professor Alison Lewis (Dean) Director of the Crystallisation and Precipitation Research Unit – Industrial precipitation and crystallisation, recovery of value from effluent streams, water treatment through crystallisation, Eutectic Freeze Crystallisation, product and particle analysis; process analysis and control for optimised product quality; crystallisation process development; aqueous chemistry modelling of speciation, thermodynamic equilibria, hydrodynamic and population balance modelling of precipitation systems

Mr Niels Lüchters Catalysis Institute – HySA catalysis – Fuel to hydrogen

Mr Arthur Mabentsela Centre for Minerals Research – Numerical and physical modelling of pyrometallurgical operations

Professor Aubrey Mainza Centre for Minerals Research – Comminution and classification research; focusing on modelling of comminution and classification unit devices and using these in circuit design and optimisation studies

Mr Malibongwe Manono Centre for Minerals Research – A fundamental study into the role of electrolytes on reagent interaction mechanism in the flotation of a PGM ore in response to water quality

Dr Rhiyaad Mohamed Catalysis Institute – Research and development of materials and components for low-temperature PEM electrolyser applications

Dr Belinda McFadzean Centre for Minerals Research – Flotation chemistry

Professor Klaus Möller Process modelling and optimisation research group – Development of multispecies, multiphase process models

Assistant Professor Jochen Petersen Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research – Hydrometallurgy, especially heap (bio) leaching of low-grade minerals, heap reactor characterisation and modelling, hydrometallurgical process analysis, leaching kinetics in ammonia and cyanide systems and bioleaching processes

Ms Tokoloho Rampai Centre for Minerals Research – Carbide MAX phases composites with cubic boron nitride ceramics, pyrometallurgy

2 6 A C A D E M I C S T A F F & R E S E A R C H F I E L D S

NAME RESEARCH FIELD

Dr Siew Tai Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research – High-value bioproducts, vaccines and biopharmaceuticals; bioreactor design, cell culture in bioreactors; beer and wine fermentation; metabolic engineering, systems biology, bioenergy and techno-economics

Dr Shiro Tanaka HySA/Catalysis – Technology innovation and development on the materials and designs for hydrogen fuel cells

Mr André van der Westhuizen Centre for Minerals Research – Comminution and fine-particle processing

Ms Tracey van Heerden Catalysis Institute – Investigating metal-support interactions on cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalysts

Professor Eric van Steen Catalysis Institute/DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis c*change – Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, nanomaterials, molecular modelling of heterogeneous catalytic systems and reaction kinetics

Professor Harro von Blottnitz Environmental and Process Systems Engineering – Industrial ecology, life cycle assessment, material flow analysis, recycling systems, organic waste valorisation with a focus on biogas, all applied to questions of resource-efficient and clean production, also in informal settings; engineering education for sustainable development; sustainable mineral resource development

Mr Jason Waters Centre for Minerals Research – Comminution and classification (including fine particles processing and rheology)

Mrs Jenny Wiese Centre for Minerals Research – Investigation of the influence of chemical and operational parameters on flotation performance

EMERITUS STAFF

Emeritus Professor Cyril O’Connor Centre for Minerals Research – Flotation; reagent studies

Emeritus Professor Jean-Paul Franzidis SA Research Chair in Minerals Beneficiation & Director of Minerals to Metals Signature Theme – Integrating and expanding capacity in minerals beneficiation research

HONORARY STAFF

Honorary Professor Jennifer Margeret Case Centre for Research in Engineering Education – Student learning in science and engineering education, knowledge and curriculum, graduate destinations, higher education studies

Honorary Associate Professor Brett Cohen Environmental Engineering

Honorary Professor Indresan Govender Centre for Minerals Research – Particle Technology

Honorary Research Associate Dr Melinda Griffiths

Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research – Process improvements and economics of large-scale production of spirulina and other micro-algae

Honorary Professor Graham Hutchings Catalysis Institute

Honorary Research Associate Dr Madelyn Johnstone-Robertson

Bioprocess Engineering

Honorary Professor Michael Nicol Hydrometallurgy

Honorary Professor Hans Niemantsverdriet Catalysis Institute

Honorary Research Associate Dr Melissa Petersen

Catalysis Institute – Molecular Modelling

Honorary Professor Jim Petrie Environmental and Process Systems Engineering – Decision support systems, sustainable energy systems, industrial ecology

Honorary Research Associate Dr Rob van Hille

Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research – Mineral biotechnology, algal biotechnology, microbial ecology, carbon cycling, sulphide chemistry and bioremediation, acid mine drainage retention treatment, anaerobic digestion and bioenergy

2 7

ADJUNCT STAFF

Adjunct Professor Brian Joseph Chicksen Minerals to Metals

Adjunct Professor Paul Dempsy

Adjunct Professor Caroline Digby Minerals to Metals

Adjunct Professor Wynand van Dyk Risk management, process optimisation and project management

Adjunct Professor Sandy Lambert Centre for Minerals Research

Adjunct Professor Jeremy Mann Centre for Minerals Research

Adjunct Associate Professor Philippa Notten Environmental and Process Systems Engineering – Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Adjunct Professor Michael Henry Solomon Minerals to Metals

Adjunct Professor Robert Pieter Schouwstra Minerals to Metals

Adjunct Professor David William Wright

2 8 S A F E T Y A N D R I S K M A N A G E M E N T

Research in Engineering Education

t is no surprise that a department with a deep interest in its undergraduate programme as well as a thriving research culture would have spawned

a focus on engineering-education research aimed at understanding and improving the student experience of learning.

OUR RESEARCH OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES HAS GENERATED IMPORTANT INSIGHTS INTO THE FOLLOWING KEY AREAS:• The need for a conceptual (deep) approach to learning

• The impact of an overloaded curriculum on a student’s ability to adopt an appropriate approach to learning

• The need to facilitate broader personal development among students and to build peer networks in class

• The value of simulation to build understanding of chemical engineering fundamentals

• The use of technology (including laptops in class) to support active engagement and high-quality project work

• The limited value of innovation in one course alone, and thus the need to build coherence across the curriculum to support high-quality learning.Emeritus Professor Duncan Fraser was one of the early engineering-education

IMR HILTON HEYDENRYCH

researchers at UCT and in retirement he continued to be active. His research focused on improving student learning, in particular through the application of variation theory and through the use of computer simulations. At the time of his passing, he was working towards an approach for characterising student success in the context of curriculum change in chemical engineering at UCT, a project where he was also very actively involved in developing innovative materials for project and practical work. This work continued to be a strong focus of the Department in 2016, as we rolled out the new third year curriculum in our undergraduate programme, building on the structures that Professor Fraser had been central in putting in place.

Honorary Professor Jenni Case, who joined The Department in the first academic development lecturer (ADL) post in the faculty, was also first in the faculty to obtain a PhD in engineering education. Her PhD research studied student learning in a second-year chemical engineering course, focusing on the evolution of appropriate approaches to learning for success in this course. From this point, she has continued with a sustained programme of research into student learning and her work is published across engineering education and higher-

education literature. Much of this work has been an empirical departure point in the experiences of students in the chemical engineering programme at UCT. Her recent work moves into the area of curriculum in order to better map out the structural and cultural constraints that operate to condition the space for student learning.

Professors Fraser and Case were both founding members of the Centre for Research in Engineering Education (CREE) in the mid-1990s (Professor Fraser was one of the two cofounders), and each has served an extended term as director of this centre.

A key development over this period of establishing engineering education research at UCT has been the support of key academics in EBE to obtain PhDs in engineering education. Professor Case has supervised or co-supervised nearly all of the PhDs coming through the CREE community over the last decade. Associate Professor Brandon Collier-Reed, a lecturer in mechanical engineering, was the first such student and his work comprised a study of students’ conceptions and experiences of technology. This was followed by Dr Bruce Kloot, an ADL from mechanical engineering, who produced a sociological analysis of academic

2 9

development work in engineering, tracing the evolution of foundation programmes in engineering at two key institutions. Another ADL, Dr Linda Kotta from chemical engineering, gained the next ‘in-house’ PhD, analysing student learning in the key design courses in chemical engineering. Dr Disa Mogashana, an alumnus from the Department, obtained a PhD looking at the experiences of engineering students on foundation programmes. Two recent PhDs supervised by Professor Case look at curriculum.

Dr Renee Smit, an ADL from electrical engineering, has identified the specific logics that underpin engineering science courses, as opposed to the natural science courses that students encounter at the outset of these programmes. Dr Nicky Wolmarans, ADL in civil engineering, has completed a study focusing on how the intrinsic logic of engineering design courses runs counter to the logic of engineering science, generally established earlier on in the programme. Mr Hilton Heydenrych took over the role of ADL in

the Department of Chemical Engineering in 2012 and has played a key role in building up research focuses on tracking (i) throughput in the undergraduate programme (including the impact of the departmental transition to a new curriculum); and (ii) graduate destinations through an innovative methodology involving LinkedIn records. Together with Professor Case, he has authored three journal articles to date reporting on this work.

3 0 C A T

Catalysis Institute (CAT)

CENTRE FOR CATALYSIS RESEARCH Research in the Centre for Catalysis Research covers catalyst synthesis and modification, physico-chemical characterisation, molecular modelling of catalytic reactions and testing under industrially relevant conditions. Special focus is given to catalytic processes using feedstock and materials of particular interest to South Africa. The Catalysis Institute is the leading research group in its field in South Africa and enjoys excellent relations with similar academic groups in Europe, North America and Asia as well as substantial co-operation with domestic and international industry.

DST-NRF CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN CATALYSIS (C*CHANGE)The focus of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis (c*change) established in 2004, is the field of catalysis and catalytic processing, which

may be regarded as a large yet focused virtual research programme of national scope and significance. It encompasses multidisciplinary participants from 11 higher education institutions, comprising some 16 research groupings from fields in heterogeneous, homogeneous and bio-catalysis, and disciplines ranging from chemistry and engineering to microbiology.

The objectives of the Centres of Excellence Programme are, among others, to promote knowledge and human capital development in areas of strategic importance to South Africa; promote collaborative and interdisciplinary research; integrate smaller and related research areas into one programme; and strive for the highest standards of quality and international competitiveness by exploiting the competitive advantage vested in outstanding researchers with planned, strategic, long-term research.

The c*change scientific programme is made up of three distinct research programmes:• Paraffin Activation (PAR) Programme (UCT, US, UKZN, UFS)• RSA Olefins (OLE) Programme (UCT, US, UFS, NWU, UJ)• Synthesis Gas (SYN) Programme (UCT, WITS, UWC, UJ, UL, UNISA)

HYSA CATALYSISHySA Catalysis is one of the three centres of competence that form part of the South African Department of Science and Technology’s National Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technologies Flagship project branded as Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) and is co-hosted by the Catalysis Institute at the University of Cape Town and Mintek. HySA Catalysis focuses on the development of fuel cell technology to establish South Africa as a major global exporter of catalysts and fuel cell components.

THE CATALYSIS INSTITUTE COMPRISES THREE CENTRES, NAMELY THE CENTRE FOR CATALYSIS RESEARCH, THE DSTNRF CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN CATALYSIS C*CHANGE AND HYSA CATALYSIS.

PROFESSOR JACK FLETCHER

C A T 3 1

3 2 C M R

PROFESSOR DAVID DEGLON

Centre for Minerals Research (CMR)

OVERVIEW/VISIONThe Centre for Minerals Research is a multi-disciplinary, inter-departmental research centre based in the Department of Chemical Engineering. The Centre conducts research with the overall purpose of developing models, methodologies and heuristics for the design, simulation and optimisation of mineral processing concentrators. In addition, the Centre places a priority on the provision of high-level human resources to the South African mining and minerals-processing industry through rigorous postgraduate research training.

The Centre originated as a research group in 1980, became formally recognised as a Research Unit in the 1990s and was accredited by the university as a Research

Centre in 2006. The main focus of research is on the processes of comminution, classification and froth flotation, arguably the most important unit operations in mineral beneficiation.

In excess of 2 000 million tons of more than 100 different mineral species are recovered annually through the process of flotation, in most cases preceded by comminution and classification. Inefficiencies in these processes translate into both an enormous loss of revenue and an unnecessary waste of the world’s valuable and steadily declining mineral reserves. Research is conducted using industrial, laboratory and computational methods, to develop robust models and heuristics for describing the performance of mineral processing concentrators.

The Centre for Mineral research enjoys extensive support from statutory funding agencies as well as a wide spectrum of leading mining and mineral-processing companies, both locally and globally. TThere is also close collaboration with other research groups at universities and research organisations nationally and internationally.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIESResearch in the Centre is broadly themed into comminution and classification, flotation, process mineralogy and technology transfer. Process mineralogy is an interdisciplinary research area that plays an important role in the integration between comminution, classification and flotation. A technology transfer group, MPTech, plays a central role in ensuring that research outcomes are implemented

COMMINUTION AND CLASSIFICATION RESEARCH• Comminution Circuit Modelling (Group Leader: Aubrey Mainza)• Computational Modelling (Group Leaders: Aubrey Mainza and Indresan Govender)• Positron Emission Particle Tracking (Group Leaders: Aubrey Mainza and Indresan Govender)

FLOTATION RESEARCH• Flotation Chemistry (Group Leader: Cyril O’Connor)

– Reagent Research Group – Flotation Chemistry Group• Flotation Cells (Group Leader: Dave Deglon) – Flotation Cell Modelling– Computational Fluid Dynamics• Flotation Circuit Modelling (Group Leader: Martin Harris)• AMIRA P9 Project (Group Leader: Martin Harris)

PROCESS MINERALOGY RESEARCH• Process Mineralogy

(Group Leader: Megan Becker) – Process Mineralogy Research

– QEMSCAN

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER • MPTech (Group Leader: André van der Westhuizen) – Technology Transfer, Training,

Design Reviews, Circuit Optimisation– Anglo Platinum Graduate Development Programme– Advanced Concentrator

Technology Programme (ACT)

C M R 3 3

3 4 C E B E R

Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER)

CT’s Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER) provides an environment in which to advance knowledge of bioprocess engineering that is relevant and excellent, and will fuel South Africa’s developing

bioeconomy through both fundamental and applied research built on an interdisciplinary approach. The Centre equips scientists and engineers at postgraduate level with expertise to excel in every sector of the bioprocess arena, from research and industry to environmental services and solutions. CeBER is home to seven academic staff members, four to eight postdoctoral fellows at any given time and some 45 postgraduate students. It maintains a diversity of disciplines across its teams of researchers and collaborators to nurture an interdisciplinary and enriched approach to research. CeBER builds on a foundation of bioprocess engineering research activity at the university started in the late 1960s, and has been a UCT-accredited research grouping since 2001. CeBER’s vision is to be an interdisciplinary research enterprise developing the nation’s bioprocess engineers, providing innovation and new insights into bioprocesses and bioproducts and becoming a global leader in selected research niches. The mandate is to educate students in bioprocess engineering and biotechnology principles and practice, and to engage in inter- and transdisciplinary research programmes, which provide fundamental knowledge and develop technologies to create social and economic benefit through sustainable bioprocesses and bioproducts for the industry, the environment and society.

CeBER is recognised for its strong interdisciplinary focus, integrating biological understanding and process-engineering systems. It’s particular strengths are in bioreactor design; integrated and sustainable bioprocesses; microbial ecology and associated dynamics; solid-liquid-gas contacting; mass transfer and fluid flow. Areas of application include mineral bioleaching; value from waste, considering solid waste, wastewater and mine water; algal biotechnology; alkane biotechnology; commodity products and fine chemical and health products. CeBER’s research contributes to the circular economy and resource efficiency while driving environmentally sustainable processes and socially responsive solutions in its transfer and application. We work together with the Minerals to Metals and Future Water transdisciplinary research groupings.

UPROFESSOR

SUE HARRISON

C E B E R 3 5

Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER) ALGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY

Microalgae have great potential for biomass and bioproduct production, owing to their broad product spectrum, photosynthetic metabolism and ability to use CO₂ as their carbon feedstock. CeBER focuses on integrated algal processes for the production of pigments, nutraceuticals, lipids, commodity and energy products in both ponds and closed photo bioreactors. The potential role of algae in CO₂ uptake and the potential of algae to bio-concentrate metals from wastewater is explored. We host a large algal culture collection, which is undergoing extended characterisation, and have developed approaches for its genetic improvement. Through the biorefinery concept, inventory analysis, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), we identify key contributions required for feasible algal processes, one of which is the design of low-energy reactor systems.

BIOTECHNOLOGY TOWARDS CHEMICALS, FOOD AND HEALTH PRODUCTSSouth Africa has been an early adopter of a national bioeconomy strategy to integrate bio-conversion and bio-based products into our economy, diversifying it from the fossil-based resources richly supplied in South Africa towards an enhanced focus on sustainable and low-carbon processes. Research in fine chemicals and commodity bioproducts in CeBER focuses on combining process kinetics, metabolic modelling, product optimisation, induction and process sustainability. Commodity bioproducts, such as biofuels and polymers, are produced from renewable resources, including platform biochemicals. Bioconversion of linear alkanes yields value-added products such as alcohols, carboxylic acids, hydroxy acids and dioic acids. Recombinant microbial systems are used to maximise productivity of affordable, modern biopharmaceuticals, antimicrobials and nutraceuticals. Plant cell culture and novel approaches for the genetic modification of plant cells and micro-algae are under development.

MINERAL AND METAL BIOPROCESSINGIn biohydrometallurgy, microbial biocatalysts ensure the provision of leach agents for solubilisation of metals from minerals, providing an alternative for the recovery of metals such as copper, zinc, nickel or gold (via bio-oxidation) from low-grade ore or niche concentrates. Research focuses on both microbial and fluid contacting sub-processes within heap bioleaching, chiefly heap hydrology, solution flow and contacting with the mineral phase, their impact on micro-scale physicochemical conditions and on development and location of microbial communities, microbial ecology, structure-function relationships within consortia, whole-ore growth studies, leaching reactions and impact of gangue materials. The same understanding is used to minimise or prevent acid rock drainage (ARD). The intensification of tank bioleaching and microbial ecology in these systems are studied. Valorisation of secondary resources, including mine waste and urban waste, forms a key component of our circular economy approach. This includes repurposing mine waste into fabricated soils.

WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENTOur research focuses on water treatment for the delivery of compliant, fit for purpose and, where required, potable water from domestic and industrial wastewater streams with embedded recovery of values using a circular economy approach. We seek to address water scarcity, a key driver in South Africa, in collaboration with the interdisciplinary research institute, Future Water. CeBER hosts complementary research projects treating process and domestic wastewater rich in organics, nitrogen and phosphate compounds, typical of the wastewater arena, with associated value recovery. Integrated systems, microbial ecology and the potential for value recovery are explored through the concept of a waste (water) biorefinery, using an industrial ecology approach, sustainability and life cycle analyses, and integrating emerging technologies for renewable energy. ARD and neutral mine-drainage prevention are addressed through the enhanced management of waste materials (see Mineral Bioprocessing) in collaboration with the Minerals to Metals signature theme. A key component is the development and refinement of the tools used for characterisation and prediction of ARD generation. ARD remediation using integrated biological technologies places particular emphasis on biological sulphate reduction, and partial sulphide oxidation to recover elemental sulphur.

RESEARCH FOCAL AREAS AND PROJECTS

3 6 C P U

Crystallisation and Precipitation Research Unit (CPU)

WHO ARE WE? We are a group of curious and dynamic ‘pattern sniffers’. We are passionate about the planet, sincere about sustainability and committed to research into crystallisation and precipitation.

RESEARCH FOCUSOur focus is on precipitation and crystallisation research, mainly connected to the mineral-processing industry and water treatment. Specific projects involve treatment of desalination brines and precious-metal precipitation.

One of our flagship projects is the exciting and novel Eutectic Freeze Crystallisation Project.

SOME CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS • Crystal engineering in eutectic freeze

crystallisation• Brine systems and treatment processes• Yield and purity of salts from a multi-component eutectic freeze crystallisation system • Kinetics of lime dissolution in acid mine drainage neutralisation• Systematic comparison of the effectiveness of water-treatment processes• Crystal growth and nucleation kinetics of diethylenetriammonium hexachlororhodate (III) salt

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION • Tianjin University, China • Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Switzerland• Technical University of Delft, Netherlands• Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway• Aalto University, Finland• Istanbul Technical University, Turkey• Chemical Engineering Department, University of Mauritius, Mauritius• University of Toronto, Canada• IPT (Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas), Brazil

PROFESSOR ALISON LEWIS

E & P S E 3 7

Environmental and Process Systems Engineering (E&PSE)

ACTIVITIESThis multifaceted research group has a

20-plus-year history of employing process-

and systems-engineering skills to develop

knowledge and methods in response

to pollution-prevention challenges and

sustainable development issues. We have

worked in clean technology and cleaner

production, waste management (municipal

and industrial), industrial ecology, process

design and integration, and process safety.

We are strongly linked to a range of other

disciplines on campus, both through

interdisciplinary postgraduate programmes

and research relationships.

We believe that our country and our

continent need development, but we also

acknowledge that the model of the 20th-

century industrial economy is insufficient

to meet this goal. What is needed

is radical innovation and substantial

improvements in efficiency. To this end, we

engage with many participants, including

process-design teams, environmental

consultancies, corporate sustainability

departments, municipal engineers and

regulators and programme directors in

government. The challenges are to spot

opportunities for change, back them

with efficient technology and steer their

organisations towards making tangible

contributions to sustainable development.

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHThe education of master’s and PhD

students is a key component of E&PSE’s

research. Since sustainable development

increasingly requires graduates to have the

ability to work across various disciplinary

fields, Professor Von Blottnitz regularly also

supervises postgraduates from outside the

Chemical Engineering Department.

3 8 F U T U R E W A T E R

Future Water: UCT’s Interdisciplinary Water-research Institute

uture Water, UCT’s interdisciplinary water research institute, is hosted by the Faculty of Engineering and the

Built Environment, and was founded in 2016 in response to UCT’s call for the development of critical inter- and transdisciplinary research initiatives.

The institute is led by Professor Sue Harrison (Chemical Engineering, director) and Professor Neil Armitage (Civil Engineering, deputy director) and brings together researchers from all six of UCT’s faculties, and 10 Departments, including Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Economics and Management, Architecture Planning and Geomatics, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Geology, Biological Sciences, Economics, Law, Social Anthropology, Political Science and Public Health.

F

FUTURE WATER RESEARCH THEMES

FUTURE WATER RESEARCHERS IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

New taps

Ensuring water security through the use of diverse and appropriate water resources

Blue-green infrastructure

Integrating water into urban design to bring about fundamental change to South African communities

Adapting to change

Understanding what drives behaviour in order to be resilient in a changing world

Maximising value

Contributing to the circular economy through better resource use and process design

CeBER

Juarez Amaral-Filho, Sue Harrison, Rob Huddy, Madelyn Johnstone-Robertson, Bernelle Verster

CMR Kirsten Corin

CPU Alison Lewis

EPSENiyi Isafiade, Harro von Blottnitz

MtMDee Bradshaw, Jenny Broadhurst, Michael Solomon

PROFESSOR SUE HARRISON

PROFESSOR NEIL ARMITAGE

We focus on addressing water scarcity and developing water-sensitive design approaches. Our work is founded on the urgent need to provide capacity for the management of water infrastructure and scarcity, the need to build resilience through effective governance, the need for innovation in water management to address the growing demand and to ensure that water is managed in a technically sound, socially acceptable and environmentally responsible, sustainable manner.

To achieve this, we seek to integrate technical and socio-economic aspects of water through inter- and transdisciplinary scholarship as well as multi-stakeholder and user perspectives. Using this approach, we plan to consolidate existing research strengths and resources as a platform from which to launch new directions in water research towards a resilient future.

M T M 3 9

Minerals to Metals (MtM)

he Minerals to Metals (MtM) initiative grew out of one of UCT’s Signature Themes. It started in 2007 and was paired with the SARChI Chair

in Minerals Beneficiation in 2008 to drive systemic and fundamental research of the mineral beneficiation value chain through collaboration of various research groupings within the Department and broader within UCT. Professor Dee Bradshaw took over the helm of MtM in 2016 and developed activities under Minerals to Metals in a large number of new directions with numerous new partners from UCT, industry and internationally, which continued to flourish in 2017. Core collaborators within MtM in the Department are Professor Sue Harrison, Dr Jenni Broadhurst, Dr Megan Becker, Professor Harro von Blottnitz, Professor Jochen Petersen, Professor David Deglon and Professor

T Aubrey Mainza. Other UCT collaborators are the Graduate School of Business (GSB) and the SARChI Chair of Minerals Law in Africa, Professor Hanri Mostert. Industrial partners include AngloGold Ashanti and Kropz, that operate the Elandsfontein Phosphate Mine. International partners include the Helmholtz Institute in Germany, Murdoch University in Australia and the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment in the USA. MtM also hosts the MPhil programme specialising in Sustainable Mineral Resource Development under the convenorship of Professor Harro von Blottnitz in partnership with the GSB, Stellenbosch University and the University of Zambia, which enrolled its fourth cohort in 2017. Research remains focused on the themes of urban mining – the recovery of metal values from consumer waste and the associated complexity of an informal process industry – AMD characterisation, treatment and

value recovery; strategic metals, especially rare earths; and mine dust. All research foci are strongly underpinned by principles of process mineralogy and geometallurgy, but at the same time intersect with broader themes, such as socio-economic and environmental impact. MtM envisages to develop what has been termed ‘T-shaped’ professionals – graduates who have depth (the vertical dimension, from the analytical expertise developed through postgraduate research) as well as breadth (the horizontal dimension achieved through working alongside and interacting with people from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds).

The latter is achieved especially through the MtM Forum, a weekly lunch-hour gathering of students and academics at UCT to explore and debate often controversial topics around mining and society in transition.

4 0 H Y D R O M E T

he Hydrometallurgy (Hydromet) Research Group formed in 2016 under Professor Jochen Petersen’s leadership.

It grew out of the bio-hydrometallurgy theme in the Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER), with which it continues to collaborate.

Hydrometallurgy is at the core of many extractive metallurgical processes, material synthesis as well as electrochemical processes and energy storage. It is fi nding renewed interest because of its perceived ‘greener’ processing of minerals in aqueous solution at moderate temperatures with manageable emissions. In particular, heap leaching is a technology in which coarsely crushed ores are treated directly by aqueous solutions in large stockpiles at mining site, obviating the need for energy-intensive fi ne-grinding of ore and serious water losses through the storage of tailings material. In situ leaching takes this a step further in that the ore does not even need

T

Hydrometallurgy(Hydromet)

PROFESSOR JOCHEN PETERSEN

to be mined. Extractive hydrometallurgy further enables the simultaneous recovery of minor elements (those of value and those considered toxic), which is of particular interest in the mining of polymetallic mineral ores and waste materials in the context of sustainability.

Research under Hydromet focuses on a number of topics, both fundamental and applied – the investigation of alternative chemistries for the recovery of PGM and gold (thiocyanate, ferricyanide, iodine) and for leaching the refractory copper mineral chalcopyrite (ammonia and chloride systems). Studies using electrochemical methods have gained particular traction, and the group has built up some expertise in this regard through the support of Emeritus Professor Mike Nicol, who spends two to three months at UCT every year. Research in the area of heap leaching, where Professor Jochen Petersen enjoys considerable international recognition, focuses on gas and solution fl ow through heap beds as well as the study of solute

migration through the cracks and pores of large particles. Other research topics include ion exchange, extraction of rare earth metals and iron precipitation during lime treatment of AMD solutions.

Hydromet collaborates widely within the Department and internationally. A key collaboration is with the SARChI Chair for Mineral Benefi ciation under Professor Dee Bradshaw on Urban Mining, which focuses on the recovery of value metals from recycled electronic circuit boards. Other collaborations include As bioleaching from mine tailings (with CeBER and the Korean Mine Reclamation Corporation), Fe-OOH precipitation fundamentals (with CPU), REE leaching of ion-adsorption clays (Leeds University, UK; Helmholtz Institute, Germany; Monash University, Australia), characterisation of crack and pore networks in large ore particles (RMIT University and CSIRO, Australia). Many other international connections arise through Professor Petersen’s role as editor-in-chief of the Elsevier journal Hydrometallurgy.

S A F E T Y A N D R I S K M A N A G E M E N T 4 1

4 2 P U B L I C A T I O N S4 2 P U B L I C A T I O N S

Publications

ARTICLES

AAdetunji O and Rawatlal R. (2017). Estimation of Bubble Column Hydrodynamics: Image-based Measurement Method. Flow Measurement and Instrumentation, vol. 53, ISSN: 0955-5986.

BBarati-Harooni A, Nasery S, Tatar A, et al. (2017). Prediction of H₂S Solubility in Liquid Electrolytes by Multilayer Perceptron and Radial Basis Function Neural Networks. Chemical Engineering & Technology, vol. 40(2), ISSN: 0930-7516.

Becheleni EMA, Rodriguez-Pascual M, Lewis AE, et al. (2017). Influence of Phenol on the Crystallization Kinetics and Quality of Ice and Sodium Sulfate Decahydrate During Eutectic Freeze Crystallization. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, vol. 56(41), ISSN: 0888-5885.

Binninger T, Mohamed R, Patru A, et al. (2017). Stabilisation of Pt Nanoparticles Due to Electrochemical Transistor Switching of Oxide Support Conductivity. Chemistry of Materials, vol. 29(7), ISSN: 0897-4756.

Bonsu J, Van Dyk W, Franzidis J-P, et al. (2017). A Systemic Study of Mining Accident Causality: An Analysis of 91 Mining Accidents from a Platinum Mine in South Africa. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 117(1), ISSN: 2411-9717.

Bremmer GM, Zacharaki E, Sjåstad AO, et al. (2017). In Situ TEM Observation of the Boudouard Reaction: Multi-layered Graphene Formation from CO on Cobalt Nanoparticles at Atmospheric Pressure. Faraday Discussions, vol. 197, ISSN: 1359-6640.

CCase JM. (2017). The Historical Evolution of Engineering Degrees: Competing Stakeholders, Contestation over Ideas, and Coherence Across National Borders. European Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 42(6), ISSN: 0304-3797.

Case JM, Heydenrych H, Kotta L, et al. (2017). From Contradictions to Complementarities: A Social Realist Analysis of the Evolution of

Academic Development within a Department. Studies in Higher Education, vol. 42(2), ISSN: 0307-5079.

Charikinya E, Robertson J, Platts A, et al. (2017). Integration of Mineralogical Attributes in Evaluating Sustainability Indicators of a Magnetic Separator. Minerals Engineering, vol. 107, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Chimonyo W, Corin K, Wiese J, et al. (2017). Redox Potential Control During Flotation of a Sulphide Mineral Ore. Minerals Engineering, vol. 110, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Chimonyo W, Wiese J, Corin K, et al. (2017). The Use of Oxidising Agents for Control of Electrochemical Potential in Flotation. Minerals Engineering, vol. 109, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Chowdhury M, Ossinga C, Cummings F, et al. (2017). Novel Sn Doped Co₃O₄ Thin Film for Non-enzymatic Glucose Bio-Sensor and Fuel Cell. Electroanalysis, vol. 29(8), ISSN: 1040-0397.

Cohen B, Tyler E and Torres Gunfaus M. (2017). Lessons from co-impacts assessment under the Mitigation Action Plans and Scenarios (MAPS) Programme. Climate Policy, vol. 17(8), ISSN: 1469-3062.

Corin KC, Kalichini M, O‘Connor C, et al. (2017). The Recovery of Oxide Copper Minerals from a Complex Copper Ore by Sulphidisation. Minerals Engineering, vol. 102, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Crimes J, Isafiade A, Fraser D, et al. (2017). Assessment of Pre-treatment Technologies for Bioethanol Production from Sugarcane Bagasse Considering Economics and Environmental Impact. Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, vol. 12(2), ISSN: 1932-2135.

DDarabi H, Koleini SMJ, Deglon D, et al. (2017). Particle Image Velocimetry Study of the Turbulence Characteristics in an Aerated Flotation Cell. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, vol. 56(46), ISSN: 0888-5885.

Dixon R and Schouwstra R. (2017). The Role of Forensic Geology in the Illicit Precious Metals Trade. Episodes, vol. 40(2), ISSN: 0705-3797.

Do Amaral Filho JR, Weiler J, Broadhurst JL, et al. (2017). The Use of Static and Humidity Cell Tests to Assess the Effectiveness of Coal Waste Desulfurization on Acid Rock Drainage Risk. Mine Water and the Environment, vol. 36(3), ISSN: 1025-9112.

Dobson K, Harrison S, Lin Q, et al. (2017). Insights into Ferric Leaching of Low Grade Metal Sulfide-containing Ores in an Unsaturated Ore Bed Using X-Ray Computed Tomography. Minerals, vol. 7(5), ISSN: 2075-163X.

P U B L I C A T I O N S 4 3

EEdward CJ, Kotsiopoulos A, Harrison STL. (2017). Inhibition Kinetics of Iron Oxidation by Leptospirillum Ferriphilum to Residual Thiocyanate Present in Bioremediated Cyanidation Tailings Wastewater. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

FFagan-Endres M, Cilliers J, Sederman A, et al. (2017). Spatial Variations in Leaching of a Low-grade, Low-porosity Chalcopyrite Ore Identified Using X-ray μCT. Minerals Engineering, vol. 105, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Fagan-Endres MA, Harrison STL. (2017). South African Coal Tailings Bioflotation for Desulphurization Using Mycobacterium Phlei. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

G

Ghadiri M, Harrison STL and Fagan-Endres MA. (2017). Effect of X-ray µCT Scanning on the Growth and Activity of Microorganisms in a Heap Bioleaching System. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

Govender-Opitz E, Kotsiopoulos A, Bryan CG, et al. (2017). Modelling Microbial Transport in Simulated Low-grade Heap Bioleaching Systems: The Hydrodynamic Dispersion Model. Chemical Engineering Sciences, vol. 172, ISSN: 0009-2509.

Govender-Opitz E, Kotsiopoulos A, Fagan-Endres M, et al. (2017). Insight into Solute and Microbial Transport in Heap (Bio)Leaching Systems Using Residence Time Distribution. Hydrometallurgy, vol. 168, ISSN: 0304-386X.

Govender I, Richter M, Mainza A, et al. (2017). A Positron Emission Particle Tracking Investigation of the Scaling Law Governing Free Surface Flows in Tumbling Mills. AIChE Journal, vol. 63(3), ISSN: 0001-1541.

HHarding G, Courtney C and Russo V. (2017). When Geography Matters. A Location-adjusted Blue Water Footprint of Commercial Beef in South Africa. Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 151, ISSN: 0959-6526.

Harris MC and O’Connor CT. (2017). Characterization of Frothers and their Behavior Using Partial Molar Excess Gibbs Energy. International Journal of Mineral Processing, vol. 158, ISSN: 0301-7516.

Hasan M, Filimonov R, Chivavava J, et al. (2017). Ice Growth on the Cooling Surface in a Jacketed and Stirred Eutectic Freeze Crystallizer of Aqueous Na₂SO₄ Solutions. Separation and Purification Technology, vol. 175, ISSN: 1383-5866.

Hessler T, Marais T, Huddy RJ, et al. (2017). Comparative Analysis of the Sulfate-Reducing Performance and Microbial Colonisation of Three Continuous Reactor Configurations with Varying Degrees of Biomass Retention. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

Hoekman P and Von Blottnitz H. (2017). Cape Town’s Metabolism: Insights from a Material Flow Analysis. Journal of Industrial Ecology, vol. 21(5), ISSN: 1088-1980.

Hoseinian F, Irannajad M and Safari M. (2017). Effective Factors and Kinetics Study of Zinc Ion Removal from Synthetic Wastewater by Ion Flotation. Separation Science and Technology, vol. 52(5), ISSN: 0149-6395.

Huddy RJ, Kadzinga F, Rahman SF, et al. (2017). Analysis of microbial communities associated with bioremediation systems for thiocyanate-laden mine water effluents. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

Hussain N, Van Steen E, Tanaka S, et al. (2017). Metal Based Gas Diffusion Layers for Enhanced Fuel Cell Performance at High Current Densities. Journal of Power Sources, vol. 337, ISSN: 0378-7753.

IIsafiade AJ. (2017). Integration of Renewable Energy into Mass, Heat and Regeneration Network Synthesis. Chemical Engineering Transactions, vol. 61, ISSN: 1974-9791.

Isafiade AJ. (2017). Multi-period Heat Exchanger Network Design Based on Periodic Heat Storage Approach. Chemical Engineering Transactions, vol. 61, ISSN: 1974-9791.

Isafiade AJ, Short M, Bogataj M, et al. (2017). Integrating Renewables Into Multi-period Heat Exchanger Network Synthesis Considering Economics and Environmental Impact. Computers and Chemical Engineering, vol. 99, ISSN: 0098-1354.

JJackson C, Conrad O and Levecque P. (2017). Systematic Study of Pt-Ru/C Catalysts Prepared by Chemical Deposition for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. Electrocatalysis, vol. 8(3), ISSN: 1868-2529.

Jackson C, Smith GT, Inwood DW, et al. (2017). Electronic Metal-Support Interaction Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Activity and Stability of Boron Carbide Supported Platinum. Nature Communications, vol. 8, ISSN: 2041-1723.

Janse van Rensburg W, Van Helden P, Moodley DJ, et al. (2017). Role of Transient Co-Subcarbonyls in Ostwald Ripening Sintering of Cobalt Supported on γ-Alumina Surfaces. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, vol. 121, ISSN: 1932-7447.

Jones SMJ, Louw TM and Harrison STL. (2017). Energy Consumption Due to Mixing and Mass Transfer in a Wave Photobioreactor. Algal Research, vol. 24, ISSN: 2211-9264.

4 4 P U B L I C A T I O N S

KKalichini M, Corin KC, O’Connor CT, et al. (2017). The Role of Pulp Potential and the Sulphidization Technique in The Recovery of Sulphide and Oxide Copper Minerals from a Complex Ore. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 117(8), ISSN: 2225-6253.

Kantor R, Huddy R, Iyer R, et al. (2017). Genome-resolved Meta-Omics Ties Microbial Dynamics to Process Performance in Biotechnology for Thiocyanate Degradation. Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 6(3), ISSN: 2045-8827.

Khasu MW, Nyathi T, Morgan DJ, et al. (2017). Co₃O₄ morphology in the preferential oxidation of CO. Catalysis Science and Technology, vol. 7(20), ISSN: 2044-4753.

Kotsiopoulos A and Harrison S. (2017). Application of Fine Desulfurised Coal Tailings as Neutralising Barriers in the Prevention of Acid Rock Drainage. Hydrometallurgy, vol. 168, ISSN: 0304-386X.

LLewis AE, Zhang Y, Gao P, et al. (2017). Unveiling the Concentration-dependent Grain Growth of Perovskite Films from One- and Two-step Deposition Methods: Implications For Photovoltaic Application. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, vol. 9(30), ISSN: 1944-8244

Little L, Mainza A, Becker M, et al. (2017). Fine Grinding: How Mill Type Affects Particle Shape Characteristics and Mineral Liberation. Minerals Engineering, vol. 111, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Luchters NTJ, Fletcher JV, Roberts SJ, et al. (2017). Variability of Data in High Throughput Experimentation for Catalyst Studies in Fuel Processing. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering and Catalysis vol. 12(1), ISSN: 1978-2993.

MMakaula D, Huddy R, Fagan-Endres M, et al. (2017). Investigating the Microbial Metabolic Activity on Mineral Surfaces of Pyrite-rich Waste Rocks in an Unsaturated Heap-simulating Column System. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

Makaula D, Huddy R, Fagan-Endres M, et al. (2017). Using Isothermal Microcalorimetry to Measure the Metabolic Activity of the Mineral-associated Microbial Community in Bioleaching. Minerals Engineering, vol. 106, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Mhonde NP, Wiese JG and McFadzean B. (2017). Comparison of Collector Performance for a South African and a Brazilian Iron Ore Considering Mineralogical Characteristics. Minerals Engineering, vol. 113, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Moyo, T and Petersen J. (2017). Study of the Dissolution of Chalcopyrite in Solutions of Different Ammonium Salts. Journal of

4 4 P U B L I C A T I O N S

the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 116(6), ISSN: 2225-6253.

Munyongani V, Von Blottnitz H and Broadhurst JL. (2017). A life-cycle-based Review of Sulfur Dioxide Abatement Installations in the South African Platinum Group Metal Sector. Sustainability Science, vol. 5(12), ISSN: 1862-4065.

Murray C, Platzer W and Petersen J. (2017). Potential for Solar Thermal Energy in the Heap Bioleaching of Chalcopyrite in Chilean Copper Mining. Minerals Engineering, vol. 100, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Mwase JM, Petersen J. (2017). Characterizing the Leaching of Sperrylite (PtAs₂) in Cyanide-based Solutions. Hydrometallurgy, vol. 172, ISSN: 0304-386X.

Mwase JM, Petersen J. (2017). The Use of Heap Bioleaching as a Pre-treatment for Platinum Group Metal Leaching. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

NNgoma E, Shaik K, Borja D, et al. (2017). Investigating the Bioleaching of an Arsenic Mine Tailing Using a Mixed Mesophilic Culture. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

Nyathi TM, Fischer N, York APE, et al. (2017). Effect of Crystallite Size on the Performance and Phase Transformation of Co₃O₄/Al₂O₃ Catalysts During CO-PrOx – an In Situ Study. Faraday Discussions, vol. 197, ISSN: 1359-6640.

PPetersen J. (2017). Unravelling the Complexity of Heap Bioleaching. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

RRahman SF, Kantor RS, Huddy R, et al. (2017). Genome-resolved Metagenomics of a Bioremediation System for Degradation of Thiocyanate in Mine Water Containing Suspended Solid Tailings. Microbiology Open, vol. 6(3), ISSN: 0013-936X.

Russo V, Von Blottnitz H. (2017). Potentialities of Biogas Installation in South African Meat Value Chain for Environmental Impacts Reduction. Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 153, ISSN: 0959-6526.

P U B L I C A T I O N S 4 5

SSafari M, Harris M and Deglon D. (2017). The Effect of Energy Input on the Flotation of a Platinum Ore in a Pilot-Scale Oscillating Grid Flotation Cell. Minerals Engineering, vol. 110, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Schachtschneider K, Chamier J and Somerset V. (2017). Phytostabilization of Metals by Indigenous Riparian Vegetation.Water SA, vol. 43(2), ISSN: 1816-7950.

Senthil Kumar P, Selvakumar M, Babu SG, et al. (2017). CuO/ZnO Nanorods: An Affordable Efficient p-n Heterojunction and Morphology Dependent Photocatalytic Activity Against Organic Contaminants. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 701, ISSN: 0925-8388

Shaik K, Petersen J. (2017). An Investigation of the Leaching of Pt and Pd from Cooperite, Sperrylite and Column Bioleached Concentrates in Thiocyanate-Cyanide Systems. Hydrometallurgy, vol. 173, ISSN: 0304-386X.

Sikosana MKLN, Randall DG and Von Blottnitz H (2017). A Technological and Economic Exploration of Phosphate Recovery from Centralised Sewage Treatment in a Transitioning Economy Context. Water SA, vol. 43(2), ISSN: 1816-7950.

Smart M, Huddy RJ, Edward CJ, et al. (2017). Linking Microbial Community Dynamics in BIOX® Leaching Tanks to Process Conditions: Integrating Lab and Commercial Experience. Solid State Phenomena, vol. 262, ISSN: 1662-9779.

Smuts EM, Deglon DA and Meyer CJ (2017). A Coupled CFD-DEM Model for Simulating the Rheology of Particulate Suspensions. Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, vol. 17(5), ISSN: 1468-4349.

TTadie M, Corin K, Wiese J, et al. (2017). Electrochemical Interactions of Platinum Group Minerals with Copper Sulphate. Minerals Engineering, vol. 112, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Taguta J, O’Connor C and McFadzean B. (2017). The Effect of the Alkyl Chain Length and Ligand Type of Thiol Collectors on the Heat of Adsorption and Floatability of Sulphide Minerals. Minerals Engineering, vol. 110, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Tayebi-Khorami M, Manlapig E, Forbes E, et al. (2017). Selective Flotation of Enargite from Copper Sulphides in Tampakan Deposit. Minerals Engineering, vol. 112, ISSN: 0892-6640.

Thyse E, Akdogan G, Mainza A, et al. (2017). PGM Converter Matte Mineral Characteristics and Effects on Downstream Processing. International Journal of Mineral Processing, vol. 166, ISSN: 0301-7516.

Tranvik E, Becker M, Pålsson B, et al. (2017). Towards Cleaner Production – Using Flotation to Recover Monazite from a Heavy Mineral Sands Zircon Waste Stream. Minerals Engineering, vol. 101, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Tupper G, Govender I and Mainza A. (2017). Predicting flows from the Dynamic Ergun Equation. Minerals Engineering, vol. 103-104, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Tyler E and Cohen B. (2017). A Complexity Underpinning for Domestic Climate Mitigation Policy in South Africa. International Journal of Design and Nature and Ecodynamics, vol. 12(1), ISSN: 1755-7437

VVan Heerden T and Van Steen E. (2017). Metal-support Interaction on Cobalt Based FT Catalysts-a DFT Study of Model Inverse Catalysts. Faraday Discussions, vol. 197, ISSN: 1359-6640.

Van Staden P, Huynh T, Kiel M, et al. (2017). Comparative Assessment of Heap Leach Production Data – 2. Heap Leaching Kinetics of Kipoi HMS Floats Material, Laboratory vs. Commercial Scale. Minerals Engineering, vol. 101, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Van Staden P, Kolesnikov A and Petersen J. (2017). Comparative Assessment of Heap Leach Production Data – 1. A Procedure for Deriving the Batch Leach Curve. Minerals Engineering, vol. 101, ISSN: 0892-6875.

Van Zyl A, Harrison S and Van Hille R. (2017). Determining an Effective Operating Window for a Thiocyanate-degrading Mixed Microbial Community. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering vol. 5(1), ISSN: 2213-3437.

WWhite BE, Fenner CJ, Smit MS, et al. (2017). Effect of Cell Permeability and Dehydrogenase Expression on Octane Activation by CYP153A6-based Whole Cell Escherichia Coli Catalysts. Microbial Cell Factories, vol. 16, ISSN: 1475-2859.

Wolf M, Kotze H, Fischer N, et al. (2017). Size Dependent Stability of Cobalt Nanoparticles on Silica under High Conversion Fischer-Tropsch Environment. Faraday Discussions, vol. 197, ISSN: 1359-6640.

ZZschiedrich H, Boissiere C, Kooyman P, et al. (2017). A Pure Aqueous Route to Mesoporous Silica Thin Films via Dip-coating of Prefabricated Hybrid Micelles. Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, vol, 81, ISSN: 0928-0707.

BOOK CHAPTERS

DKooyman PJ. (2017). Development of Operando transmission Electron Microscopy; Operando Research in Heterogeneous Catalysis. Operando Research in Heterogeneous Catalysis. p111-129.

LSmart M, Huddy RJ, Cowan DA, et al. (2017). Liquid Phase Multiplex High-Throughput Screening of Metagenomic Libraries Using p-Nitrophenyl-Linked Substrates for Accessory Lignocellulosic Enzymes: Metagenomics: Methods and Protocols. Metagenomics: Methods and Protocols. p219-228.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

EEdward CJ, Smart M, Harrison STL (2017). Recycling Bioremediated Cyanidation Tailings Wastewater within the Biooxidation Circuit for Gold Recovery: Impact on Process Performance and Water Management. 13th International Mine Water Association Congress. p990-997.

Egieya J, Cucek L, Isafiade A, et al. (2017). Synthesis of Supply Networks over Multiple Time Frames. 27th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering (ESCAPE-27). p1447-1452.

GGovender S and Van Steen E (2017). A Deeper Probe at Strong Electrostatic Adsorption (SEA) to Deposit Platinum onto Co₃O₄/SiO₂. AMI Precious Metals 2017. p207-215.

HHimunchul A, Strydom S, Case JM, et al. (2017). An Exploratory Study on Science and Engineering Student Experiences at UCT. Proceedings of the 4th Biennial Conference of the South African Society for Engineering Education (SASEE 2017); 2017. p103-111.

4 6 P U B L I C A T I O N S

IIsafiade AJ. (2017). Synthesis of Flexible Multi-period Heath Exchanger Networks for a Changing Utility Cost Scenario. 2017 6th International Symposium on Advanced Control of Industrial Processes (AdCONIP 2017).

MManono MS, Matibidi K, Thubakgale CK, et al. (2017). Water Quality in PGM Ore Flotation: The Effect of Ionic Strength and pH. 13th International Mine Water Association Congress. p777-784.

Marais TS, Huddy RJ, Van Hille RP, et al. (2017). Effect of Operational Parameters on the Performance of an Integrated Semi-passive Bioprocess. 13th International Mine Water Association Congress. p262-268.

OOgunmodimu O, Govender I, Mainza A, et al. (2017). The Development of a Simplified System for Measuring the Passage of Particles on and Through Moving Screen Surfaces Using Dem. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Discrete Element Methods. p709-721.

SSchaller M, Reichelt E, Fischer N, et al. (2017). Fischer-Tropsch to higher alcohols. 2017 DGMK International Conference: Petrochemistry and Refining in a Changing Raw Materials Landscape.

P U B L I C A T I O N S 4 7