Difference between revisions of "Fluoro-materials Science"

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Welcome to the Fluoro-Materials Group page.

Introduction

The Fluoro-Materials Group was established late 2007 in the Department of Chemical Engineering. The initiative was introduced by the DST through what is called the Fluorochemical Expansion Initiative.

South Africa has the second largest reserve of calcium fluoride in the world and currently has the third largest mining operations. Calcium fluoride or fluorspar is the most abundant, naturally occurring, form of fluoride. It is also the starting point for the production of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, fluorine, tetrafluoroethylene and various other industrially important fluorides.

The Fluoro-Materials Group mainly focuses on research in the following areas:

• Production and production technology of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and fluorine.
• Depolymerisation and polymerisation of polytetrafluoroethylene.
• Extraction of various metals from local ore and ore found in southern Africa.
• Production of various polymers, other than PTFE, by means of co-polymer additions to tetrafluoroethylene.

Useful Links and Downloads

• To view more information on postgraduate studies in the Department of Chemical engineering click here.
• To download a copy of the departmental guideline for technical reports click here.
• For versions of the standard declaration form regarding plagiarism click here.

Staff

Member	Title	Position	Email	Tel.	Office
Philip L. Crouse	Prof.	Chair: Fluoro-materials Science and Process Integration	philip.crouse@up.ac.za	(012) 420-2856	Eng I, R 8-7
Denise Jacobs	Miss	Administrative Assistant	denise.jacobs@up.ac.za	(012) 420-4668	Eng I, R 8-8
Paul W. Sonnendecker	Mr.	Technical Officer	paul.sonnendecker@up.ac.za	(012) 420-3161	Eng I, R 8-13
Onias Sitando	Mr.	Laboratory and Instrument Assistant	s29684995@tuks.co.za		Eng II, R 3-52

Students

Modules

The Fluoro-Materials Group facilitates one post graduate module, CFT 732 Fluoro-Materials Science, for B.Eng. (Hons) Chemical Engineering or B.Sc. (Hons) Applied Sciences. For more information on this module, please refer to the CFT 732 study guide.

Projects

Post Graduate Projects

Production of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and fluorine

Prof Philip Crouse - Project supervisor

Paul Sonnendecker - Project leader

Joubert du Plessis - Student contributor

Arno van den Berg - Student contributor

Depolymerisation of polytetrafluoroethylene

Prof Philip Crouse - Project supervisor

Gerard Puts - Project leader

Paul Sonnendecker - Technical contributor

Extraction and purification of lithium ietsie ietsie ietsie

Prof Philip Crouse - Project supervisor

Onias Sitando - Project leader

Extraction and purification of niobium ietsie ietsie ietsie

Prof Philip Crouse - Project supervisor

John Kabangu - Project leader

CSC 411 Research Projects

The Fluoro-Materials Group offers several undergraduate research topics for the CSC 411 Research Project module. These topics are usually integrated in one of the post graduate research projects or as an initial step toward a new research opportunity in the group.

2008

• Reports
  • Jakkie Myburgh - Heat Transfer Modelling and Reaction Kinetics for the Depolymerisation of PTFE
  • Mariné van der Merwe - PBMR Particle Treatment - Design of Spouted Bed using Non-Equilibrium Plasma Conditions
  • Richard Dietrich - A Kinetic Model for the Thermal Decomposition of Tetrafluoroethylene in a Monel Reactor
  • Sibusiso Khumalo - Quantification of Solid Carbon Formation during C₂F₄ Pyrolysis
  • Stacey Heüer - Investigation into the Reaction between Molten Aluminium Bifluoride and Mild Steel

• Posters
  • Jakkie Myburgh - Heat Transfer Modelling and Reaction Kinetics for the Depolymerisation of PTFE
  • Mariné van der Merwe - PBMR Particle Treatment - Design of Spouted Bed using Non-Equilibrium Plasma Conditions
  • Richard Dietrich - A Kinetic Model for the Thermal Decomposition of Tetrafluoroethylene in a Monel Reactor
  • Sibusiso Khumalo - Quantification of Solid Carbon Formation during C₂F₄ Pyrolysis
  • Stacey Heüer - Investigation into the Reaction between Molten Aluminium Bifluoride and Mild Steel

2009

• Reports
  • Calvin Lee Morrison - CSC 411 Final Report
  • Ria Muller - A Kinetic Model for the Decomposition of Tetrafluoroethylene in a Stainless Steel Reactor

2010

• Reports
  • CR Stols - Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Niobium and Tantalum with 1-Octanol and 2-Octanol
  • Joubert du Plessis - Development of a Laboratory-Scale Hydrogen Fluoride Source
  • Melanie Jansen van Rensburg - Purification of Hexafluoropropylene
  • Murendeni Matamela - Oxidation Kinetics of Titanium Metal

2011

• Reports
  • Gerard Puts - Pyrolytic Production of Tetrafluoroethylene from its Bulk Polymer
  • [ Arno van den Berg - ]
  • [ Gerard Potgieter - ]

• Posters
  • Gerard Puts - Polytetrafluoroethylene Pyrolysis at Reduces Pressure

Instruments

Spectro ARCOS ICP-OES

PerkinElmer Lambda 750s UV/Vis Spectrophotometer

PerkinElmer Spectrum 100 FTIR Spectrometer

Documents

Back to Institute of Applied Materials.