With their nominator Mr Rajen Naidoo of Pelchem (right) are UKZN researchers (from left) Dr Wayne Nelson, Dr David Lokhat, Dr Prathieka Naidoo, Dr Mathew Starzak and Professor Deresh Ramjugernath.
A UKZN team of researchers led by Professor Deresh Ramjugernath received the South African Institute of Chemical Engineers (SAIChE) Innovation Award at a ceremony in Johannesburg.
Other members of the team are academics and students of the Discipline of Chemical Engineering Dr Matthew Starzak, Dr Prathieka Naidoo, Dr David Lokhat, Dr Wayne Nelson and Mr Shalendra Subramoney.
The SAIChE Innovation Award is presented to a team of chemical engineers or to an individual chemical engineer, in recognition of outstanding and innovative contributions to the profession or industry.
The UKZN team was recognised for their research and chemical process development work undertaken in a project titled: “Innovative Process for the Production of Hexafluoropropylene Oxide (HFPO) from Hexafluoropropylene (HFP)”.
The research involves the development of a novel chemical process for the commercial manufacture of hexafluoropropylene oxide which is the major building block for fluoropolymers and fluoroelastomers which are considered super-plastics or performance-plastics. Their unique chemical and physical properties allow them to be utilised in applications that were previously beyond the scope of ordinary hydrocarbon-based plastics.
These plastics are used in a wide range of applications, including aerospace components, automotive components, architectural coatings, industrial machinery parts and a myriad of other applications.
The current commercial technology used for HFPO synthesis is one of liquid phase batch process; producing considerable amounts of toxic liquid effluent, which is costly to dispose of in an environmentally responsible manner.
The new HFPO technology developed by the research team is a gas phase process, undertaken in a continuous process. This alleviates the toxic and expensive effluent problem and allows for the recycling of unreacted reagents resulting in significantly higher net yields and therefore reduced raw material costs as well as a number of other economic benefits.
The team members are part of the South African Research Chair: Fluorine Process Engineering and Separation Technology and the Thermodynamics Research Unit which is one of the leading research groups in its field globally. The Thermodynamics Research Unit and the South African Research Chair spearhead several cutting-edge research endeavours which contribute towards chemical process development and optimisation in South Africa and internationally.
