Researcher biography

Biography:

Prof Hayes is Emeritus Professor of Metallurgical Engineering within the School of Chemical Engineering. He is a senior researcher in the Pyrometallurgy Innovation Centre (PYROSEARCH). He received his PhD in Metallurgy from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1974. He has a BSc (1970) and MSc (1972) in Metallurgy from the University of Newcastle on Tyne, England.

Research:

Professor Peter Hayes' research focuses on the high temperature processing of minerals and materials, with particular application to the pyrometallurgical production and refining of metals. His interests include chemical equilibria, reaction kinetics and mechanisms.

His current research projects encompass:

  • High temperature phase equilibrium measurements and determination of liquidus isotherms in complex industrial slag systems relevant to the smelting of copper, ferro-chromium, ferro-manganese, iron, ferro-nickel, lead and zinc production and metal recycling.
  • The development of thermodynamic databases, and their use in conjunction with FactSage, to predict phase equilibria and thermodynamic properties in oxide systems.
  • Reaction kinetics and mechanisms in metal and materials processing, smelting and refining; in particular, gas/solid reactions.

Teaching and Learning:

Prof Hayes' teaching interests include pyrometallurgy, chemical thermodynamics, and physical and chemical processing of minerals.

He is author of the undergraduate textbook "Process Selection in Minerals and Materials Production" by P.C. Hayes, Hayes Publishing Co, Sherwood, Brisbane, 3rd ed. 2004, and has been activity involved in program and curriculum development in the field of metallurgical engineering over a several decades.

Projects:

  1. Reaction mechanisms and kinetics of high temperature gas/solid/liquid reaction kinetics relevant to metals production.
  2. High temperature phase equilibria studies in ironmaking systems.
  3. Fundamental experimental studies of slag/matte/metal/gas systems in support of sustainable copper smelting and converting technologies with focus on metals recycling.
  4. Fundamental studies on phase equilibria in lead smelting and refining with focus on metals recycling