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
2012
Conference Publication
Resin-in-pulp for metalliferous mine drainage remediation
Littlejohn, P. and Vaughan, J. (2012). Resin-in-pulp for metalliferous mine drainage remediation. 51st Annual Conference of Metallurgists (COM 2012), Niagra, ON, Canada, 30 September - 3 October 2012.
2011
Other Outputs
Method of recovering a metal
Vaughan, James (2011). Method of recovering a metal. WO/2011/156861.
2011
Journal Article
Selective precipitation of mixed nickel–cobalt hydroxide
Harvey, Robin, Hannah, Robert and Vaughan, James (2011). Selective precipitation of mixed nickel–cobalt hydroxide. Hydrometallurgy, 105 (3-4), 222-228. doi: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2010.10.003
2011
Conference Publication
Chemical aspects of mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide precipitation and refining
Vaughan, J., Hawker, W. and White, D. (2011). Chemical aspects of mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide precipitation and refining. ALTA 2011 Nickel-Cobalt-Copper Conference, Perth, Australia, 23-28 May 2011. Alan Taylor, ALTA Metallurgical Services.
2010
Journal Article
Corrosion of Ti-2 and Ti-7 relevant to nickel acid leach chemistry
Vaughan, J, Reid, P and Alfantazi, A (2010). Corrosion of Ti-2 and Ti-7 relevant to nickel acid leach chemistry. Hydrometallurgy, 101 (3-4), 156-165. doi: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2009.12.011
2010
Conference Publication
Selective ammoniacal elution of nickel and cobalt from iminodiacetate cation exchange resin
Littlejohn, P. and Vaughan, J. (2010). Selective ammoniacal elution of nickel and cobalt from iminodiacetate cation exchange resin. ALTA 2010 Nickel-Cobalt-Copper, Uranium and Gold Conference, Perth, W.A., Australia, 24-29 May 2010. Melbourne, Australia: ALTA Metallurgical Services.
2008
Journal Article
Ionic liquid electrodeposition of reactive metals
Vaughan, J., Tu, J. and Dreisinger, D. (2008). Ionic liquid electrodeposition of reactive metals. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, 17 (2), 113-117. doi: 10.1179/174328508X290902
2008
Conference Publication
The Treatment of the Carmack’s Copper-Gold Ore by Acid Leaching and Cyanide Leaching with SART Recovery of Copper and Cyanide from Barren Cyanide Solution
Wassink, Berend, Lu, J., Vaughan, James, Dreisinger, David and West-Sells, Paul (2008). The Treatment of the Carmack’s Copper-Gold Ore by Acid Leaching and Cyanide Leaching with SART Recovery of Copper and Cyanide from Barren Cyanide Solution. Hydrometallurgy 2008 - 6th International Symposium - Honoring Robert Shoemaker, Phoenix, Arizona, 17-20 August 2008. SME (Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration).
2008
Conference Publication
Potentiodynamic Polarization of Platinum and Aluminum in AlCl3-[P14,6,6,6]Cl Melts
Vaughan, James and Dreisinger, David (2008). Potentiodynamic Polarization of Platinum and Aluminum in AlCl3-[P14,6,6,6]Cl Melts. 214th ECS Meeting, Honolulu, HI, USA, 12 - 17 October, 2008. United States: Electrochemical Society, Inc.. doi: 10.1149/1.3159344
2008
Journal Article
Electrodeposition of aluminum from aluminum chloride–trihexyl(tetradecyl) phosphonium chloride
Vaughan, James and Dreisinger, David (2008). Electrodeposition of aluminum from aluminum chloride–trihexyl(tetradecyl) phosphonium chloride. Journal of the Elecrochemical Society, 155 (1), D68-D72. doi: 10.1149/1.2804422
2006
Conference Publication
Ionic liquid electro-deposition of reactive metals
Vaughan, James, Tu, Jack and Dreisinger, David (2006). Ionic liquid electro-deposition of reactive metals. Sohn International Symposium on Advanced Processing of Metals and Materials, San Diego, CA United States, 27-31 August 2006. Warrendale, PA United States: TMS.
2006
Journal Article
Corrosion of Titanium and Its Alloys in Sulfuric Acid in the Presence of Chlorides
Vaughan, J. and Alfantazi, A. (2006). Corrosion of Titanium and Its Alloys in Sulfuric Acid in the Presence of Chlorides. Journal of the Elecrochemical Society, 153 (1), B6-B12. doi: 10.1149/1.2126580
2006
Conference Publication
Density, viscosity and conductivity of tetraalkyl phosphonium ionic liquids
Vaughan, James W., Dreisinger, David and Haggins, Jana (2006). Density, viscosity and conductivity of tetraalkyl phosphonium ionic liquids. International Symposium on Electrochemistry in Mineral and Metal Processing, Denver, Colorado, U.S.A., 7-12 May 2006. Pennington, NJ, U.S.A.: Electrochemical Society. doi: 10.1149/1.2196027
2006
Conference Publication
Ionic liquid electro-deposition of reactive metals
Vaughan, James, Tu, Jack and Dreisinger, David (2006). Ionic liquid electro-deposition of reactive metals. Sohn International Symposium on Advanced Processing of Metals and Materials, San Diego Ca, Aug 27-31, 2006. WARRENDALE: MINERALS, METALS & MATERIALS SOC.
2004
Conference Publication
The thermodynamics of titanium corrosion in acidic systems
Vaughan, J. and Alfantazi, A. (2004). The thermodynamics of titanium corrosion in acidic systems. Pressure Hydrometallurgy 2004: 34th Annual Hydrometallurgy Meeting, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 23-27 October 2004. Metallurgical Society (MetSoc) of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).
2003
Conference Publication
Corrosion of titanium and Ti-alloys at high temperatures and pressures
Vaughan, J., Reid, P., Alfantazi, A., Dreisinger, D., Tromans, D. and Elboujdaini, M. (2003). Corrosion of titanium and Ti-alloys at high temperatures and pressures. International Symposium on Environmental Degradation of Materials and Corrosion Control in Metals, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 24 - 27 August 2003. Montréal, Canada: Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.
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
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
-
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
CO2 Mineralization with Metals Extraction : A Pathway to CO2 Sequestration Commercialization
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Damien Batstone, Associate Professor Karen Steel
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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