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Dr. Marjorie Valix

Senior Lecturer

Department of Chemical Engineering
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006, Australia

Tel: + 61 2 9351 4995
Fax: + 61 2 9351 2854
Email:

Educational Qualifications

  • BSc (Industrial Chemistry) Honours Class 1, The University of New South Wales.
  • PhD (Chemical Engineering), The University of New South Wales.

Honours/Distinctions

  • International Patent, Valix M, "Food grade wax and process for preparing same", patent in application in name of the University of Sydney, Patent Numbers: 719777 (Australia, granted), 22832 (Cuba, granted), 10/682513 (US impending).
  • Dean’s Award for Service to the Faculty (2002).
  • Invited Presentations
    • "Use of Synchrotron in the Mineral Processing Industry", Industry briefing on synchrotron applications held by the Department of State and Regional Development, February 19 2001.
    • WMC (Western Mining Corp.) Sponsored Workshop on Application of plant ecology to the mining industry, August 10 –11 2001, Red Hill Victoria.
    • "Measurement of Total Surface Area", Particle Characterisation ’99, November 16-18 1999
    • "Reduction of Nickel Laterite Ores", Chemistry Seminars, The University of Sydney, 1999.
  • Committee Member for the IChemE, Townsville Regional Sub-Branch Participation and attendance of Technical Seminars Provided by RACI (NQ Branch), IChemE (NQ Branch) and AusIMM (NQ-Townsville Branch).
  • Editorial Member of the Journal of European Mineral Processing and Environmental Protection
  • Session Chair for the Food and Products Session, Chemeca '99, Newcastle.
  • Member of the Centre of Heavy Metals, University of Sydney.
  • Work on the use of In-situ Synchrotron XRD in Mineral Phase Analysis featured in case study in use of Synchrotron by the Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development.
  • Work on Synchrotron featured in "A study examining the implications of the Australian Synchrotron for New South Wales", a report for the NSW Government: The Australian Synchrotron - a NSW perspective (June 2005). The work highlights how synchrotron can contribute to the mining industry, and how the synchrotron can be used to research in-situ processes to be very useful.
  • Australian Mining Monthly features work on Bioleaching of Nickel Laterite Ores (April 2005).

Professional Memberships

  • Graduate member, Institution of Chemical Engineers.
  • Member, American Chemical Society
  • Member Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologist

Research Group
Minerals & Materials Processing Research Unit

Research Interests
Mineral Processing

  • Hydrometallurgical and Pyrometallurgical Processing of Low Grade Oxide Ores.
  • Biological Leaching of Low Grade Oxide Ores.
  • Application of Synchrotron Radiation in Mineral Processing.

Adsorption

  • Adsorbent Development from Agricultural and other Wastes.
  • Bio-sorbent Development.
  • Modeling of Adsorption Processes
    (Specific applications in mineral processing, food processing and environmental protection)

Process Technologies

  • Extraction and Development of Refining Technologies of Sugar Cane Waxes, Sterols and Policosanol.
  • Low Temperature Hydropyrolysis of Wastes.
  • Gasification and Combustion of Biomass.

Selected Publications

  1. Valix, M., Cheung, W.H. and McKay G., "Roles of Textural and Surface Chemical Properties of Activated Carbon in Adsorption of Acid Blue Dye", Langmuir, (February 2006, accepted).
  2. *Deepatana, A., and Valix, M., "Adsorption Mechanism of Metal-Organic Complexes onto Aminophosphonate Chelating Resins", Journal of Hazardous Materials", (January 2006, accepted).
  3. O’Connor, F., Cheung, W.H., Valix, M., Reduction roasting of limonite ores: effect of dehydroxylation, Int. J. Min. Proc. (accepted May 2004).
  4. Zhang, K., Cheung, W.H. and Valix, M. (2005), "Role of the Physical and Chemical Properties of Activated Carbon in the Adsorption of Lead Ions", Chemosphere,. Vol 60, Issue 8, 1129–1140.
  5. Valix, M., Cheung, A. W. H., McKay, G., (2004), "Preparation of Activated Carbon Using Low Temperature Carbonisation and Physical Activation of High Ash Raw Bagasse for Acid Dye Adsorption", Chemosphere, Vol. 56, 593–501.
  6. Syna, N. and Valix, M., (2003), "Modelling Of Gold (I) Cyanide Adsorption based on the Properties of Activated Bagasse", Minerals Engineering, Vol. 16, 421-427.
  7. Valix, M. and Cheung, W.H., (2002) "Study of Phase Transformation of Laterite Ores at High Temperature", Minerals Engineering, Vol. 15, No 8, pp. 607-612.
  8. Katyal, S, Thambimuthu, K and Valix, M, (2002), "Carbonisation of Bagasse in a Fixed Bed Reactor: Influence of Process Variables on Char Yield and Characterisation", Renewable Energy, 28, No 7, 713-723.
  9. Valix, M, J.Y. Tang and Cheung, W.H., (2001), "The Effects of Mineralogy on the Biological Leaching of Nickel Laterite Ore" Minerals Engineering, Vol. 14, No.12, pp. 1629 – 1635.
  10. Valix, M., Usai, F., and Malik, R. (2001), "Fungal Bio-Leaching of Low Grade Laterite Ores", Minerals Engineering, Vol.14, No 2, 197-203.
  11. Smith, I.W., Valix M.G.,Harris D.J., and Trimm D.L., (1991), " Mass Transport and Carbon Reactivity at High Temperatures", Fundamental Issues in Control of Carbon Gasification Reactivity (eds. J. Lahaye and P. Ehrburger) Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands p 49-77.
  12. Valix, M. and Trimm, D.L., (2000), "The Nature of Mass Transfer Involved in the Combustion of Fine Particle Chars". In Do, D.D. (Ed). Adsorption Science and Technology. World Scientific, Singapore, pp. 623 – 627.
  13. Valix, M. and Trimm, D.L., (2000), "The Pore Structure Development of Australian Brown and Swelling and Nonswelling Bituminous Coals and Its Effect on Reactivity under Regime I and Regime II Combustion Conditions". In Do, D.D. (Ed). Adsorption Science and Technology. World Scientific, Singapore, pp. 628 – 632.
  14. Crosdale P.J., Beamish, B., and Valix M. (1998), "Coalbed Methane Sorption Related to Coal Composition", International Journal of Coal, 35 1-4.
  15. Valix, M.G., Smith, I.W.,Harris D.J., and Trimm D.L. (1992) " The Mass Transfer effects in Coal Combustion" Chemical Engineering Science .47, 1607-1617.
  16. Stammbach, M. R., Valix, M., Trimm, D.L. and Wainwright, M.S. (1989), "Pelleted Copper Ion-Exchanged Silica Catalyst for the Hydrolysis of Acrylonitrile to Acrylamide", Applied Catalyst, 55 , 109-114.