Overview
Background
Biography:
Associate Professor James Vaughan is the Chemical Engineering Metallurgy Major Lead and Leader of the Hydrometallurgy Research Group. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering at McGill University followed by Master of Applied Science and PhD degrees in Materials Engineering at The University of British Columbia in Canada. Before joining UQ, James gained industrial metallurgical process research and development experience with Glencore, Barrick and BHP. While at UQ, James served as Director of the University of Queensland Rio Tinto Bauxite & Alumina Technology Centre and has been Lead Chief Investigator of Australian Research Council Linkage and Discovery Projects. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and the Advanced Materials and Batteries Council (AMBC).
Research:
James' research focuses on the fundamental aspects of leaching, ion exchange and precipitation reactions as well as membrane separations. These projects are of interest to the base metals, precious metals and alumina refining industries as well as in the fabrication of value added materials such as lithium ion battery cathode precursors and zeolites.
Current Projects:
- Extracting Queensland's rare earth elements sustainably (Queensland Department of Resources)
- Copper process innovations (UniQuest)
- New approach for producing zeolites from clay or mine tailings (Zeotech)
- Inorganic membrane percrystallisation in hydrometallurgy (ARC Discovery)
- Improving pressure oxidation for refractory gold (Newmont)
- Effects of solution impurities on gold leaching (Newmont and BHP ARC Linkage)
- Recycling vanadium catalyst (QEM Critical Minerals Trailblazer)
- Purification of battery metal solution (Lanxess Critical Minerals Trailblazer)
- Recycling batteries (V Resource)
Teaching and Learning:
- Hydrometallurgy and Electrometallurgy (METL6204)
- Metal Production and Recycling (METL2201)
Availability
- Associate Professor James Vaughan is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of British Columbia
Research interests
-
Hydrometallurgy
leaching, precipitation, crystallisation, ion exchange, membranes, electrowinning
Research impacts
My research in hydrometallurgy is used for process development and improvements. Examples of contributions are as follows:
- Selective acid leach process for refining mixed Ni-Co hydroxide precipitate licensed to Pure Battery Technologies
- Low cost zeolite production technology licensed to Zeotech
- New approaches for bauxite impurity management in the production of alumina
- A hydrometallurgical route for recovering Ni and K from agromined bio-ore
- The synergistic copper process
Works
Search Professor James Vaughan’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Manufacturing reactive magnesia from nickel laterite waste solution via nesquehonite precipitation
Souza, Cássia Ribeiro, Vaughan, James, Rocha, Sônia Denise Ferreira and Birchal, Viviane Santos (2021). Manufacturing reactive magnesia from nickel laterite waste solution via nesquehonite precipitation. Hydrometallurgy, 204 105725, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2021.105725
2021
Journal Article
Drowning prevention: turning the tide on a leading killer
Meddings, David R., Scarr, Justin-Paul, Larson, Kelly, Vaughan, James and Krug, Etienne G. (2021). Drowning prevention: turning the tide on a leading killer. Lancet Public Health, 6 (9), E692-E695. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00165-1
2021
Journal Article
The effect of leaching temperature on kaolinite and meta-kaolin dissolution and zeolite re-precipitation
Peng, Hong, Qi, Tiangui, Vogrin, John, Huang, Qianmei, Wu, Weixi and Vaughan, James (2021). The effect of leaching temperature on kaolinite and meta-kaolin dissolution and zeolite re-precipitation. Minerals Engineering, 170 107071, 107071. doi: 10.1016/j.mineng.2021.107071
2021
Journal Article
Effect of alkalinity on zeolite LTN formation under Bayer process pre-desilication conditions
Peng, Hong, Vaughan, James and Vogrin, John (2021). Effect of alkalinity on zeolite LTN formation under Bayer process pre-desilication conditions. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 60 (28) acs.iecr.1c02134, 10119-10128. doi: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c02134
2021
Journal Article
The role of tungsten-related elements for improving the electrochemical performances of cathode materials in lithium ion batteries
Sun, Yong-Qi, Fu, Weng, Hu, Yu-Xiang, Vaughan, James and Wang, Lian-Zhou (2021). The role of tungsten-related elements for improving the electrochemical performances of cathode materials in lithium ion batteries. Tungsten, 3 (3), 245-259. doi: 10.1007/s42864-021-00083-9
2021
Journal Article
Lead (Pb) sorption and co-precipitation on natural sulfide, sulfate and oxide minerals under environmental conditions
Ram, Rahul, Morrisroe, Liam, Etschmann, Barbara, Vaughan, James and Brugger, Joël (2021). Lead (Pb) sorption and co-precipitation on natural sulfide, sulfate and oxide minerals under environmental conditions. Minerals Engineering, 163 106801, 106801. doi: 10.1016/j.mineng.2021.106801
2021
Other Outputs
Dissolution of Metals
Vaughan, James and Hawker, William (2021). Dissolution of Metals. 2021900570.
2021
Other Outputs
Precipitation of Metals
Vaughan, James and Hawker, William (2021). Precipitation of Metals. 2021900571.
2020
Book Chapter
Processing of hyperaccumulator plants to nickel products
Laubie, Baptiste, Vaughan, James and Simonnot, Marie-Odile (2020). Processing of hyperaccumulator plants to nickel products. Agromining: farming for metals: extracting unconventional resources from plants. (pp. 47-61) edited by Antony van der Ent, Alan J. M. Baker, Guillaume Echevarria, Marie-Odile Simonnot and Jean Louis Morel. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-58904-2_3
2020
Journal Article
Toward Closing a Loophole: Recovering Rare Earth Elements from Uranium Metallurgical Process Tailings
Vaughan, James , Tungpalan, Kate , Parbhakar-Fox, Anita , Fu, Weng, Gagen, Emma , Nti Nkrumah, Philip , Southam, Gordon, van der Ent, Antony, Erskine, Peter, Gow, Paul and Valenta, Rick (2020). Toward Closing a Loophole: Recovering Rare Earth Elements from Uranium Metallurgical Process Tailings. JOM, 73 (1), 39-53. doi: 10.1007/s11837-020-04451-7
2020
Journal Article
Understanding the mobility and retention of uranium and its daughter products
Ram, Rahul, Owen, Nicholas D., Kalnins, Chris, Cook, Nigel J., Ehrig, Kathy, Etschmann, Barbara, Rollog, Mark, Fu, Weng, Vaughan, James, Pring, Allan, Pownceby, Mark I., Spooner, Nigel, Shaw, Ruth, Howard, Daryl, Hooker, Anthony M., Ottaway, David, Questiaux, Danielle and Brugger, Joël (2020). Understanding the mobility and retention of uranium and its daughter products. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 410 124553, 124553. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124553
2020
Journal Article
Enhanced metal recovery by efficient agglomeration of precipitates in an up-flow fixed-bed bioreactor
Liu, Yun, Vaughan, James, Southam, Gordon, Serrano, Antonio, Marcellin, Esteban, Nancucheo, Ivan and Villa-Gomez, Denys K. (2020). Enhanced metal recovery by efficient agglomeration of precipitates in an up-flow fixed-bed bioreactor. Chemical Engineering Journal, 416 127662, 127662. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.127662
2020
Journal Article
Development of a nickel extraction-mineral carbonation process: analysis of leaching mechanisms using regenerated acid
Zappala, Lauren C., Balucan, Reydick D., Vaughan, James and Steel, Karen M. (2020). Development of a nickel extraction-mineral carbonation process: analysis of leaching mechanisms using regenerated acid. Hydrometallurgy, 197 105482, 105482. doi: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2020.105482
2020
Other Outputs
Leached spodumene residue treatment
Peng, Hong and Vaughan, James (2020). Leached spodumene residue treatment. 2020903792.
2020
Journal Article
Literature review and thermodynamic modelling of roasting processes for lithium extraction from spodumene
Fosu, Allen Yushark, Kanari, Ndue, Vaughan, James and Chagnes, Alexandre (2020). Literature review and thermodynamic modelling of roasting processes for lithium extraction from spodumene. Metals, 10 (10) 1312, 1312-18. doi: 10.3390/met10101312
2020
Journal Article
Selective impurity removal and Cu upgrading of copper flotation concentrate by a spontaneously oxidative H2SO4 leaching process
Fu, Weng, Ram, Rahul, Etschmann, Barbara, Brugger, Joël and Vaughan, James (2020). Selective impurity removal and Cu upgrading of copper flotation concentrate by a spontaneously oxidative H2SO4 leaching process. Hydrometallurgy, 195 105411, 105411. doi: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2020.105411
2020
Journal Article
The DSP concentrate sinter-leach process for aluminium and sodium recovery 2: leaching behaviour
Hodge, Harrison, Hayes, Peter C., Hawker, William and Vaughan, James (2020). The DSP concentrate sinter-leach process for aluminium and sodium recovery 2: leaching behaviour. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, 131 (1), 1-10. doi: 10.1080/25726641.2020.1791681
2020
Journal Article
Nickel complexation as an innovative approach for nickel-cobalt selective recovery using sulfate-reducing bacteria
Liu, Yun, Serrano, Antonio, Wyman, Valentina, Marcellin, Esteban, Southam, Gordon, Vaughan, James and Villa-Gomez, Denys (2020). Nickel complexation as an innovative approach for nickel-cobalt selective recovery using sulfate-reducing bacteria. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 402 123506, 123506. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123506
2020
Journal Article
Selective Removal of radioactive 210Pb(II) and nonradioactive Pb(II) isotopes from Cu(II)-rich acidic chloride solution by a new polyamine anion exchanger
Fu, Weng, Deng, Yiquan, Ram, Rahul, Etschmann, Barbara, Owen, Nicholas D., Brugger, Joël and Vaughan, James (2020). Selective Removal of radioactive 210Pb(II) and nonradioactive Pb(II) isotopes from Cu(II)-rich acidic chloride solution by a new polyamine anion exchanger. Separation and Purification Technology, 251 117359, 117359. doi: 10.1016/j.seppur.2020.117359
2020
Journal Article
Influence of chloride on sodium aluminosilicate solubility in Bayer liquor
Vogrin, John, Santini, Talitha, Peng, Hong and Vaughan, James (2020). Influence of chloride on sodium aluminosilicate solubility in Bayer liquor. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 299 110086, 110086. doi: 10.1016/j.micromeso.2020.110086
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor James Vaughan is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Impurity control in Rare Earth Element Processing
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ummul Sultana
-
Doctor Philosophy
Interactions of inorganic components in process water with gold
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Yongjun Peng
-
Doctor Philosophy
From Nickel Tailings to Carbonates: Utilising AEM Electrolysers for Simultaneous H2SO4 Recycling and CO2 Sequestration
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Damien Batstone, Associate Professor Karen Steel
-
Doctor Philosophy
Improved Predictions of Acid and Metalliferous Drainage for Greenfield Projects Inform Better Design of Waste Rock Dumps
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Mandana Shaygan, Professor Mansour Edraki
-
Doctor Philosophy
Interactions of organic components in process water with gold
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Yongjun Peng
-
Doctor Philosophy
Fundamental research on zeolite nucleation and particle growth
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Hong Peng
Completed supervision
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Percrystallisation for Producing Cathode Active Material
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Tony Howes, Dr Julius Motuzas
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Development of Carbon-based Membranes for the Percrystallisation of Aqueous Salt Solutions
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Julius Motuzas
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Fundamentals of sodium aluminosilicate precipitation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Hong Peng
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Increasing Desilication Product Particle Size to Enable its Physical Separation from Bayer Residue
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Hong Peng
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Fundamentals of Partial Pressure Oxidation of Gold Bearing Sulphide Minerals
Principal Advisor
-
2020
Master Philosophy
The Effect of Cations on Bayer Process Desilication and the Lithium Opportunity
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Hong Peng
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Sintering Method for Recycling Sodium and Aluminium from Bayer Desilication Product: Reaction Mechanisms and Novel Process Development
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Peter Hayes
-
2017
Master Philosophy
Stabilisation of Mercury to a Non-Volatile Phase in Bayer Process Digestion
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor William Clarke
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
A novel low-energy process route for primary copper production utilising synergistic hydro- and pyro-metallurgical processes
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Peter Hayes
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Crystallisation of tricalcium aluminate for use as a Bayer liquor filter aid
Principal Advisor
-
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Mercury Deportment in the Bayer Process and Highly Alkaline Solution Electrochemistry
Principal Advisor
-
2013
Doctor Philosophy
Recovery of nickel and cobalt from laterite tailings through scavenging with ion exchange resin and selective ammoniacal elution
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Peter Hayes
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
A novel and sustainable process for the recovery of nickel from laterite ores with concomitant sequestration of carbon dioxide.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Karen Steel
-
2021
Master Philosophy
Diagnostic leaching of radionuclide containing copper concentrates
Associate Advisor
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Strategies for nickel and cobalt recovery from mine-impacted water using sulfate-reducing bacteria
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gordon Southam, Dr Denys Villa Gomez
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Using Municipal Solid Waste as a Carbon Source for Biogenic H2S production
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Ilje Pikaar, Dr Denys Villa Gomez, Professor William Clarke
-
2018
Master Philosophy
Novel Percrystallisation Process by Inorganic Carbon Membranes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Julius Motuzas
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor James Vaughan directly for media enquiries about:
- Hydrometallurgy
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