STUDENT DETAILS
Faan du Preez (GRADUATED)
Faan grew up on a farm in Roodekopjes, Brits. He matriculated from Wagpos High School in 2007. He then enrolled at the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus) where he completed his higher education. His post graduate studies focused on environmental, waste management, and process related aspects of the ferrochromium industry; with main focus on lowering specific electrical consumption of smelters, carbon footprint reduction, rehabilitation of hazardous process residues, and recovery of valuable from process residue streams, as well as hydrogen generation by the reaction of mechanochemically activated aluminum and water.
Qualifications
M.Eng Chemical Engineering (Cum Laude), North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2018
PhD Chemistry, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2017
M.Sc Chemistry (Cum Laude), North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2014
B.Sc Hons. Chemistry, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2012
B.Sc Natural Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2012
Recent Publications
Du Preez, S. P., Beukes, J. P. & van Zyl, P. G. 2015. Cr(VI) Generation During Flaring of CO-Rich Off-Gas from Closed Ferrochromium Submerged Arc Furnaces. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, 46(2), 1002-1010.
Bessarabov, D., Human, G., Kruger, A. J., Chiuta, S., Modisha, P. M., Du Preez, S. P., Oelofse, S. P., Vincent, I., van der Merwe, J., Langmi, H. W., Ren, J. & Musyoka, N. M. 2017. South African hydrogen infrastructure (HySA infrastructure) for fuel cells and energy storage: Overview of a projects portfolio. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 42(19), 13568-13588.
Du Preez, S. P., Beukes, J. P., van Dalen, W. P. J., van Zyl, P. G., Paktunc, D. & Loock-Hatting, M. M. 2017. Aqueous solubility of Cr(VI) compounds in ferrochrome bag filter dust and the implications thereof. Water SA, 43(2), 298-309.
Beukes, J.P., Du Preez, S.P., Van Zyl, P.G., Paktunc, D., Fabritius, T., Päätalo, M. & Cramer, M. 2017. Review of environmental practices for the management of Cr(VI) in the chromite mining and smelting industry – the relevance to development of the Ring of Fire. Journal of Cleaner Production, 165, 874-889.
Du Preez, S. P. & Bessarabov, D.G. 2017. Hydrogen generation of mechanochemically activated Al-Bi-In composites. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 42(26), 16589-16602.
Du Preez, S. P. & Bessarabov, D.G. 2017. Hydrogen generation by means of hydrolysis using activated Al-Bi-In-Sn composites. International Journal of Electrochemical Science, 12, 8663-8682.
Du Preez, S. P. & Bessarabov, D. G. 2018. Hydrogen generation by the hydrolysis of mechanochemically activated aluminum-tin-indium composites in pure water, International Journal for Hydrogen Energy, 43(46), 21398-21413.
Du Preez, S. P., Beukes, J. P. & van Zyl, P. G. 2018. Silicon carbide formation enhanced by in-situ formed silicon nitride – an approach to capture thermal energy of CO-rich off-gas combustion, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, 49(B), 3151-3163.
Du Preez, S. P., Beukes, J. P. & van Zyl, P. G. 2018. Recycling pre-oxidized chromite fines in the oxidative sintered pellet production process, Journal of Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 119(2), 2017-215.
Sekoai, P.T., Ouma, C.N.M., Du Preez, S. P., Modisha, P., Engelbrecht, N. & Bessarabov, D.G. 2019. Application of nanoparticles in biofuels: An overview, Fuels, 237, 380-397.
Pushkarev, A.S., Pushkareva, I.V., Ivanova, N.A., Du Preez, S.P., Bessarabov, D.G., Chumakov, R.G., Stankevich, V.G., Fateev, V.N., Evdokimov, A.A. & Grigoriev, S.A. 2019. Pt/C and Pt/SnOx/C Catalysts for Ethanol Electrooxidation: Rotating Disk Electrode Study, Catalyst, 9(3), 271.
A.S., Pushkarev, I.V., Du Preez, S.P., Ivanova, N.A., Grigoriev, S.A., Slavcheva, E.P., Bessarabov, D.G., Fateev, V.N. & Aliyev, A.S. 2019. Iridium Catalyst Supported on Conductive Titanium Oxides for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis, Chemical Problems, 1(17), 9-15.
Du Preez, S. P., Jones, D. R., Bessarabov, D. G., Falch. A., Mota das Neves Quaresma, C. & CW Dunnill. 2019. Development of a Pt/stainless steel mesh catalyst and its application in catalytic hydrogen combustion, International Journal for Hydrogen Energy, 44(49), 27094-27106.
Kozhukhova, A, E., Du Preez, S. P. & Bessarabov, D. G. 2019. Preparation of anodized aluminium oxide at high temperatures using low purity aluminium (Al6082), Surface and Coatings Technology, 378, 124970.
Du Preez, S. P. & Bessarabov, D. G. 2019. Preparation of anodized aluminium oxide at high temperatures using low purity aluminium (Al6082), International Journal for Hydrogen Energy, 44(39), 21896-21912.
Project
Supervisor
This project aims toward developing materials for catalytic hydrogen combustion applications. The use of low cost catalysts supports is evaluated to decrease the overall catalyst cost. In addition, locally produced Pt is functionalized and used as the reactive metal. The objective of this study is to develop a device using consumer produced hydrogen as a fuel source for a catalytic hydrogen combustion device for indoors domestic applications such as cooking and spatial heating. By doing so, the ambient household air-quality will improve significantly, which will likely alleviate health issues relating to poor-air quality exposure/inhalation. A secondary object is the development of a passive autocatalytic hydrogen recombiner for hydrogen safety applications – usable to mitigate risks associated with hydrogen leakages in confined/poorly ventilated spaces.