Extraordinary Professor
Short Bio
My professional career started in 1996 at Sasol, and has covered various aspects of applied and fundamental R&D, IP management, technology development, innovation management with emphasis on new chemical processes, and is supplemented by experience in strategy formulation (at Sasol Group Strategy) and business optimisation (at Sasol Group Planning and Optimisation). My present position is the Senior Manager for Digital Development at Sasol’s Secunda Operations, a mega sized petrochemical facility.
Education
• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering – Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, The Netherlands (2008)
• Taught Masters in Catalysis – University of Cape Town, South Africa (2002)
• Master of Chemical Engineering (Cum Laude) – University of Stellenbosch, South Africa (1996)
• Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Cum Laude) – University of Stellenbosch, South Africa (1993)
Honours and Awards
• M. Eng. thesis awarded medal by the South African Association for the Advancement of Science (1996)
• Academic Colours by the University of Stellenbosch in 1994
• Faculty medal (Engineering Faculty of University of Stellenbosch) for academic achievement (1993)
• SAIChE medal for best final year student in Chemical Engineering at University of Stellencbosch (1993)
• AECI prize for best first year student in Chemical Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch (1990)
• Fifth highest aggregate in final matriculation examination of the Cape Provincial Education Department of South Africa (1989)
• Silver medal in the South African National Mathematics Olympiad for high school pupils (1989)
• Finalist of the South African National Youth Science Olympiad for high school pupils (1989)
Research Interests
• Chemical reaction engineering
• Catalysis
• Application of digitalisation and data science in the chemical industry
Selected Publications
• Botes, F.G., Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis, WO2015145311, 2015.
• Botes, F.G.; Bromfield, T.C.; Gibson, P.; Espinoza, R.L. Hydrocarbon Synthesis Process using a Hydrocarbon Synthesis Catalyst and an Acidic Catalyst. WO03087266A1, 2003.
• Botes, F.G.; Bromfield, T.C. Hydrocarbon Synthesis Process using an Alkali Promoted Iron Catalyst. WO03087265A1, 2003.
• Govender, N.S., Botes, F.G., de Croon, M.H.J.M., Schouten, J.C. Mechanistic pathway for C2+ hydrocarbons over an Fe/K catalyst. J. Catal. 2014, 312, 98–107.
• Van de Loosdrecht, J., Botes, F.G., Ciobica, I.M., Ferreira, A., Gibson, P., Moodley, D.J., Saib, A.M., Visagie, J.L., Westrate, C.J., Niemantsverdriet, J.W. Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis: Catalysts and Chemistry, in: J. Reedijk and K. Poeppelmeier (Eds.), Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry II, Elsevier, 2013.
• Botes, F.G.; Van Dyk, B.; McGregor, C. The Development of a Macro Kinetic Model for a Commercial Co/Pt/Al2O3 Fischer-Tropsch Catalyst. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2009, 48, 10439–10447.
• Botes, F.G. Proposal of a New Product Characterisation Model for the Iron-Based Low-Temperature Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis. Energy & Fuels 2007, 21, 1379–1389.
• Botes, F.G.; Breman, B.B. Development and Testing of a New Macro Kinetic Expression for the Iron-Based Low-Temperature Fischer-Tropsch Reaction. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2006, 45, 7415–7426.
• Botes, F.G.; Böhringer, W. The Addition of HZSM-5 to the Fischer-Tropsch Process for Improved Gasoline Production. Appl. Catal. A. 2004, 267, 217–225.
• Botes, F.G.; Lorenzen, L.; Van Deventer, J.S.J. The Development of High Intensity Gas-Liquid Jet Reactors. Chem. Eng. Comm. 1998, 170, 217.
