School of Chemical Engineering

Dr Tara Congo

Honorary Fellow
School of Chemical Engineering
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Researcher biography

2003 - 2006 Bachelor of Photonics and Nanoscience (Hons 1), Griffith University.

2008 - 2009 Graduate Certificate in Research Management, Southern Cross University.

2007 - 2014 Ph.D. Griffith University. Title: Adsorption of CO2 by coal and activated carbon: A study using in-situ small angle X-ray scattering and sorption manometry.

2018 - 2021 Research Assistant, The University of Queensland.

2021 - present Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland.

My current research examines the coal to coke transition and potential additives for a more environmentally sustainable coke product for steel-making applications. I primarily use the techniques of petrography, rheometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and small-angle X-ray scattering to study the composition, thermoplastic properties, volatile release behaviour and pore structure of the coals.

Main collaborators: Vale, Anglo American, School of Chemical Engineering (UQ).

Publications

Journal Articles (8)
Conference Papers (5)
Thesis (1)
Research Reports (2)

Journal Articles

Drobniak, Agnieszka, Mastalerz, Maria, Knauth, William, Adarkani, Omid, Dos Santos, Telma, De Faria, Valdeci, Congo, Tara, Hackley, Paul, Hatcherian, Javin, Hower, James, Petersen, Henrik, Reyes, Julito and Sanei, Hamed (2024). Atlas of Microscopic Images of Biochar: using reflected light microscopy in biochar characterization. Indiana Journal of Earth Sciences, 6. doi: 10.14434/ijes.v6i1.37623
Somasundaram, Singaram, Congo, Tara and Steel, Karen M. (2024). High temperature viscoelastic behaviour of sugarcane bagasse char and coal blends: role of oxygen and porosity of char on fluidity reduction. Fuel, 362 130672, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.fuel.2023.130672
Gao, Shuai, Congo, Tara, Jing, Zhenhua, Aziz, Shazed, Balucan, Reydick, Zhu, Zhonghua, Pell, Stephen D. and Steel, Karen M. (2023). Oxidative effects of gaseous oxygen and ozone on Australian subbituminous and bituminous coals and the implications for coal seam permeability enhancement. Gas Science and Engineering, 118 205092, 205092. doi: 10.1016/j.jgsce.2023.205092
Drobniak, Agnieszka, Mastalerz, Maria, Jelonek, Zbigniew, Jelonek, Iwona, Adsul, Tushar, Andolšek, Neža Malenšek, Ardakani, Omid Haeri, Congo, Tara, Demberelsuren, Batbold, Donohoe, Bryon S., Douds, Ashley, Flores, Deolinda, Ganzorig, Ranjin, Ghosh, Santanu, Gize, Andrew, Goncalves, Paula Alexandra, Hackley, Paul, Hatcherian, Javin, Hower, James C., Kalaitzidis, Stavros, Kędzior, Sławomir, Knowles, Wayne, Kus, Jolanta, Lis, Kacper, Lis, Grzegorz, Liu, Bei, Luo, Qingyong, Du, Meili, Mishra, Divya ... Ziemianin, Konrad (2023). Interlaboratory study: Testing reproducibility of solid biofuels component identification using reflected light microscopy. International Journal of Coal Geology, 277 104331, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.coal.2023.104331
Congo, Tara, Rodrigues, Sandra, Esterle, Joan, Steel, Karen and Maranha, Silvio (2023). Before and after: A visual glimpse into the coking behaviour of coal macerals. Fuel, 343 127979, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.fuel.2023.127979
Aziz, Hammad, Congo, Tara and Steel, Karen M. (2021). Understanding the multiple interactions of inertinite during pyrolysis/carbonisation with vitrinite: A study of two Australian coals of different rank. Fuel Processing Technology, 217 106823, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.fuproc.2021.106823
Radlinski, Andrzej P., Busbridge, Tara L., Gray, Evan MacA., Blach, Tomasz P., Cheng, Gang, Melnichenko, Yuri B., Cookson, David J., Mastaterz, Maria and Esterle, Joan (2009). Dynamic Micromapping of CO2 Sorption in Coal. Langmuir, 25 (4), 2385-2389. doi: 10.1021/la801925k
Radliński, Andrzej P., Busbridge, Tara L., Gray, Evan Mac A., Blach, Tomasz P. and Cookson, David J. (2009). Small angle X-ray scattering mapping and kinetics study of sub-critical CO2 sorption by two Australian coals. International Journal of Coal Geology, 77 (1-2), 80-89. doi: 10.1016/j.coal.2008.09.015

Conference Papers

Esterle, Joan, Rodrigues, Sandra, Congo, Tara and Golding, Suzanne (2022). Creating a Digital Petrographic Atlas of Australian Coals – maintaining the knowledge. Dorothy Hill Women in Earth and Environmental Sciences Symposium, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 7-9 November 2022.
Congo, Tara, Rodrigues, Sandra, Esterle, Joan, Somasundaram, Singaram and Steel, Karen (2022). Understanding the coal-to-coke transformation . Dorothy Hill Women in Earth and Environmental Sciences Symposium, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 7-9 November 2022.
Rodrigues, S., Congo, T., Esterle, J. and Foley, E. (2022). Petrographic evidence for hydrocarbon generation from coals in the Laura Basin, Australia. 73rd Annual Meeting of the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology, New Delhi, India, 18-25 September 2022.
Congo, Tara, Rodrigues, Sandra, Esterle, Joan and Steel, Karen (2022). The effect of thermal alteration on coking behaviour. Bowen Basin Symposium, Mackay, QLD Australia, 28-30 March 2022.
Congo, T., Rodrigues, S., Esterle, J. and Steele, K. (2021). Optical tracking of maceral response to pyrolysis and variation with degree of thermal alteration. International Committe for Coal and Organic Petrology, Prague, Czech Republic, 19-25 September 2021.

Thesis

Congo, Tara Lee (2014). Adsorption of CO2 by coal and activated carbon: a study using in-situ small-angle x-ray scattering and sorption manometry. PhD Thesis, School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University. doi: 10.25904/1912/2557

Research Reports

Steel, Karen , Congo, Tara , Somasundaram, Singaram , Esterle, Joan , Rodrigues, Sandra , Sakurovs, Richard , Blach, Tomasz , Mahoney, Merrick and Jenkins, David (2022). Influence of inertinite and volatile release characteristics on viscosity development and fusibility during coking. Australia: ACARP.
Rodrigues, Sandra, Congo, Tara and Esterle, Joan (2022). Optical microscopy investigation of coal – PUR interactions. -: