Associate Professor Simon Smart

Associate Professor

School of Chemical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
s.smart@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 58591

Overview

Overview:

Simon Smart is Associate Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering at The University of Queensland. His research is centred around the sustainable production and use of energy and chemicals - including the development of enabling technologies and processes for the production of clean energy, materials and water. Simon's technical research involves:

  • the design and development of inorganic membranes and hybrid nanocomposite materials for gas and water separation;
  • the use of molten metals and molten salts as liquid catalysts in the Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation for
    • Low CO2 hydrogen production through methane pyrolysis,
    • CO2 utilisation to produce syngas through dry reforming,
    • Low CO2 iron production via molten iron salts,
    • Low CO2 cement production through co-generation of syngas;
  • optimising the energy systems and by-product recycling pathways for the Port Kembla Steel works.

Simon has been involved in the Rapid Switch initiative, in relation to pathways to decarbonisation of the global economy, since its inception at the UQ Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation, and is the UQ project leader for the Net Zero Australia project (a collaborative partnership with the University of Melbourne, Princeton & Nous). His research has addressed questions such as:

  • How fast can we decarbonise the global economy? What are the rate limiting steps that the world should be aware of moving forward? What path dependencies will lock in fossil based industry and delay GHG abatement?
  • What are the links between energy access, energy affordability and human centred outcomes? For example, is energy access a necessary or sufficient input in breaking the poverty cycle? Here, Simon has lent his technical expertise to the Energy and Poverty Research Group, a multidisciplinary team of students and researchers who are developing sustainable holstistic solutions to enhance energy access and clean cooking in India.

Simon has 126 publications including 9 book chapters and 105 international journal articles at an h-index of 35, with two Highly Cited papers in chemistry and geoscience. He was selected as one of the 2018 Class of Influential Researchers by Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. Simon was awarded a prestigious Early Career Researcher Fellowship in 2012 from the Queensland Government to investigate silica based membranes for desalination applications in the coal seam gas industry, and a prestigious UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award for work on 'Low CO2 Iron and Petrochemicals Production' in 2016. Simon was the Secretary for the Membrane Society of Australasia from 2011 - 2013, where he served on the board of directors from 2010 - 2014.

Teaching and Learning:

Simon is currently the course coordinator for:

Energy Systems,

Engineering Leadership and Innovation, and

Energy Principles and Renewable Energy.

He also developed the ENGY0x version (open online course) of Energy Principles and Renewable Energy for the UQx platform.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor of Engineering, The University of Queensland

Publications

View all Publications

Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • (2024) Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • This is an experimental project which focuses on the reduction of iron from molten salts using hydrogen or natural gas. This project would be ideal for a chemical engineer or chemist with a metallurgy background. Experience with process flowsheeting and design would be seen favourably but are not essential. Experience with analysis of gas mixtures, characterisation of inorganic solids and electrochemistry are highly desirable.

  • This project is focussed on the conversion of iron ore to a variety of anhydrous molten salts using inorganic acids at moderate to high temperatures. This project would be ideal for a chemical engineer or chemist with a metallurgy background. Experience with process flowsheeting and design would be seen favourably but are not essential. Experience with analysis of gas mixtures, characterisation of inorganic solids and electrochemistry are highly desirable.

View all Available Projects

Publications

Featured Publications

Book Chapter

  • Wang, David K., Chen, Rongzhi, Motuzas, Julius, Smart, Simon and da Costa, Joao C. Diniz (2017). Rapid thermal processing of microporous silica membranes. Current trends and future developments on (bio-) membranes: Silica membranes: Preparation, modelling, application, and commercialization . (pp. 317-348) edited by Angelo Basile and Kamran Ghasemzadeh . Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier . doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63866-3.00013-3

  • Dumee, L. F., Smart, S., Duke, M. C. and Gray, S. R. (2015). Next generation membranes for membrane distillation and future prospects. Pervaporation, vapour permeation and membrane distillation: principles and applications. (pp. 415-447) Cambridge, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-1-78242-246-4.00014-3

  • Smart, S., Liu, S., Serra, J. M., Basile, A. and Diniz da Costa, J. C. (2014). Perovskite membrane reactors: fundamentals and applications for oxygen production, syngas production and hydrogen processing. Membranes for Clean and Renewable Power Applications. (pp. 182-234) edited by Annarosa Gugliuzza and Angelo Basile. Sawston, Cambridge, United Kingdom: Woodhead Publishing. doi: 10.1533/9780857098658.3.182

  • Smart, S., Beltramini, J., Diniz da Costa, J. C., Harale, A., Katikaneni, S. P. and Pham, T. (2013). Microporous silica membranes: fundamentals and applications in membrane reactors for hydrogen separation. Handbook of membrane reactors: fundamental materials science, design and optimisation. (pp. 337-369) edited by Angelo Basile. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Woodhead Publishing. doi: 10.1533/9780857097330.2.337

  • Smart, S., Liu, S., Serra, J. M., Diniz da Costa, J. C., Iulianelli, A. and Basile, A. (2013). Porous ceramic membranes for membrane reactors. Handbook of membrane reactors: fundamental materials science, design and optimisation. (pp. 298-336) edited by Angelo Basile. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Woodhead Publishing. doi: 10.1533/9780857097330.2.298

  • Yacou, C., Wang, D., Motuzas, J., Zhang, X., Smart, S. and Diniz da Costa, J. C. (2013). Thin-film ceramic membranes. Encyclopaedia of Membrane Science and Technology. (pp. 676-710) Hoboken, NJ, USA: Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781118522318

  • Smart, S., Ding, L. P. and Diniz da Costa, J. C. (2011). Inorganic membranes for synthesis gas processing. Advanced membrane science and technology for sustainable energy and environmental applications. (pp. 214-254) edited by Angelo Basile and Suzana Pereira Nunes. Cambridge , United Kingdom: Woodhead Publishing. doi: 10.1533/9780857093790.2.214

  • Smart, S., Diniz da Costa, J. C., Baumann, S. and Meulenberg, W. A. (2011). Oxygen transport membranes: dense ceramic membranes for power plant applications. Advance membrane science and technology for sustainable energy and environmental applications. (pp. 255-294) edited by Angelo Basile and Suzana Pereira Nunes. Cambridge , United Kingdom: Woodhead Publishing. doi: 10.1533/9780857093790.2.255

  • Smart, S. K., Edwards, G. A. and Martin, D. J. (2010). Thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites. Rubber nanocomposites: Preparation, properties and applications. (pp. 239-254) edited by Sabu Thomas and Ranimol Stephen. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9780470823477.ch10

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

  • Davis, D, Pascale, Andrew, Vecchi, Andrea, Bharadwaj, Bishal, Ryan A. Jones, Strawhorn, Tom, Tabatabaei, M, Lopez Peralta, Maria, Zhang, Yimin, Beiraghi, Jordan, Kiri, U, Vosshage, Finch, B, Batterham, R, Richard Bolt, Brear, Michael, Cullen, B, Domansky, K, Eckard, R, Greig, C, Keenan, R and Smart, Simon (2023). Net Zero Australia - GIS and Map Data. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/5615114

  • Davis, Dominic, Pascale, Andrew, Vecchi, Andrea, Bharadwaj, Bishal, Ryan A. Jones, Strawhorn, Tom, Tabatabaei, M, Lopez Peralta, Maria, Zhang, Yimin, Beiraghi, Jordan, Kiri, U, Vosshage, Finch, B, Batterham, R, Bolt, R, Brear, Michael, Cullen, B, Domansky, K, Eckard, R, Greig, C, Keenan, R and Smart, Simon (2023). Net Zero Australia - Slide Pack Data (old version). The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/6850369

  • Batterham, Robin, Beiraghi, Jordan, Bharadwaj, Bishal, Bolt, Richard, Brear, Michael, Cullen, Brendan, Davis, Dominic, Domansky, Katherin, Eckard, Richard, Greig, Chris, Jones, Ryan, Keenan, Rodney, Kiri, Utkarsh, Lopez Peralta, Maria, Pascale, Andrew, Smart, Simon, Strawhorn, Tom, Tabatabaei, Mojgan, Vosshage, Oscar, Vecchi, Andrea and Zhang, Yimin (2022). Methods, assumptions, scenarios and sensitivities. Net Zero Australia Australia: Net Zero Australia.

  • Batterham, Robin, Beiraghi, Jordan, Bharadwaj, Bishal, Bolt, Richard, Brear, Michael, Cullen, Brendan, Davis, Dominic, Domansky, Katherin, Eckard, Richard, Greig, Chris, Jones, Ryan, Keenan, Rodney, Kiri, Utkarsh, Lopez Peralta, Maria, Pascale, Andrew, Smart, Simon, Strawhorn, Tom, Tabatabaei, Mojgan, Vosshage, Oscar, Vecchi, Andrea and Zhang, Yimin (2022). Net Zero Australia - Interim results. Net Zero Australia Australia: Net Zero Australia.

  • Kefford, Benjamin, Schmeda-Lopez, Diego, Stringer, Martin, Greig, Chris, Smart, Simon, Small, Mitchell and Wong-Parodi, Gabrielle (2018). Identifying regionally dependent barriers in the Carbon Capture and Storage industry. School of Chemical Engineering, Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation.

  • Pascale, Andrew, Chakravarty, Shoibal, Lant, Paul, Smart, Simon and Greig, Chris (2017). Surprises up the energy ladder. Energy and Poverty Research Group Working Paper Series. 1. UQ Energy Initiative, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2017.373

  • Smart, Simon Kane (2008). Carbon nanotube / thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites. PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/155724

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • This is an experimental project which focuses on the reduction of iron from molten salts using hydrogen or natural gas. This project would be ideal for a chemical engineer or chemist with a metallurgy background. Experience with process flowsheeting and design would be seen favourably but are not essential. Experience with analysis of gas mixtures, characterisation of inorganic solids and electrochemistry are highly desirable.

  • This project is focussed on the conversion of iron ore to a variety of anhydrous molten salts using inorganic acids at moderate to high temperatures. This project would be ideal for a chemical engineer or chemist with a metallurgy background. Experience with process flowsheeting and design would be seen favourably but are not essential. Experience with analysis of gas mixtures, characterisation of inorganic solids and electrochemistry are highly desirable.