Alan Chaffee

Alan Chaffee’s career as a practising chemist has spanned three major sectors in Australia: government (CSIRO), private industry (BHP) and academia (Monash University). Movement between these sectors has afforded an applied focus and cross-disciplinary involvement to his work.

Fundamental and Applied Chemistry of Fuels Utilisation’ is the theme that ties most of his activities and research together. As a professor within the School of Chemistry, he has also held leadership roles in the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Clean Power from Lignite, the CRC for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO₂CRC) and the ARC Centre for Green Chemistry. He was awarded a BCIA Research Leadership Fellowship (2010) which enabled him to intensify his research activities for a period of 5 years. Research has focussed on fundamental and applied aspects of fossil fuel and biomass utilization – for example dewatering, wastewater remediation, liquefaction and spontaneous combustion).

In addition his research team has targeted the development of novel high value-added products from lignite (active carbon monoliths, carbon fibres, quantum dots, etc), novel materials for CO₂ capture and high activity catalysts for CO₂ conversion into fuel and chemical products. In addition to conventional scientific outputs, he holds a number of patents and, with his team, is endeavouring to commercialise some of the opportunities. As a consequence of sabbaticals and collaborations he has developed extensive international networks in Asia, North America and Europe where he is frequently invited to lecture. He is currently a Director-at-Large of the American Chemical Society’s Division of Energy & Fuels.