2011-NMMU-Research-Report - Research Management - Nelson ...

NRF Research Niche Areas
The Institutional Research Development Programme (IRDP) of NRF
seeks to assist higher education institutions in the development
and enhancement of their research culture, environment, ethos
and practice to become world-class African universities in order to
deliver the skills required by the national system of innovation.
The main objectives of the IRDP are to increase the quality of PhDs
and other research outputs. Linked to this it seeks to promote staff
development, increase the number of rated researchers and facilitate
institutional partnerships.
The NMMU had to identify and focus within the context of the
IRDP its research activities into a limited number of Research Niche
Areas (RNAs) where there were existing strengths and the potential
for further development. The four RNAs eventually approved for
NMMU by external peer reviewers were all pitched at the highest
level, that of "developed RNAs".
Innovative Batch Chemical
Technology for Downstream
Chemical Products and
Processes
Team Leader: Prof Ben Zeelie
Mr Lubabalo Mafu at one of InnoVenton’s Small Production Platform rigs.
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The research focus of this five-year programme was primarily on
the development of alternative production methodologies for
downstream chemicals and chemical products through the
development of alternative technologies to traditional-batch
and semi-batch production technologies. The development and
evaluation of opportunities to grow and develop the South African
downstream chemicals manufacturing sector was a particular focus
of the programme.
Effective chemical process development is an amalgam of synthetic
methods, physiochemical properties, purification technologies,
and chemical engineering (reactor and separation technologies)
- orchestrated in a manner that will produce the desired chemical
product safely, in high-quality, reproducible, and cost efficient. This
type of integrated and applied research is not normally carried out at
universities, which made the programme rather unique in the world.
The following researchers formed part of the programme over
the five-year period: Dr Shawn Gouws (Organic Electrochemical
Synthesis); Dr Gary Dugmore (Small Production Platforms); Prof
Ben Zeelie (Batch Chemical Process Development) and Dr Nigel
Harmse (Natural and Renewal Raw Materials). The following
students graduated with Masters and Doctoral degrees from
the programme: I Asquith (Doctorate); S Buddoo (Doctorate);
GR Gordon (Doctorate); MP Thomas (Doctorate); MC Schaefer
(Doctorate); C Lombe (Masters); SE Qusheka (Masters); B Mpuhlu
(Masters); L Brooks (Masters); N Rust (Doctorate); JR Indurkar
(Doctorate); ND Satikge (Masters); PR Makgwane (Doctorate);
LR Mafu (Masters); and B Mpuhlu (Doctorate). The programme
also resulted in eight peer-reviewed publications, 14 conference
presentations and five patents.
Some highlights of the work carried out over the five-year period
include the development of a continuous process for the production
of p-menthane-3,8-diol, a valuable chemical that can be used in a
variety of applications such as insect repellents, bactericides, and
others. A small production platform was designed, constructed
and optimised in our Kilo-Lab facility. The results of this work were
then used for the specification and design of a commercial-scale
production reactor capable of producing 120 ton product per
year. A second example was the design, construction and use of
a small production platform for the synthesis of a new candidate
fuel additive from local South African raw materials. This synthesis,
which usually involves reacting highly flammable materials under
high pressure and temperature, was carried out in a continuousflow
reactor over a solid catalyst safely and approximately 100 kg
of the product was delivered for testing purposes.