4 the state of science in south africa
C H E M I S T R Y
minerals by dissolved metal ions. More re- 600, of which 200 are scientists and 80 are
cently, research has focused on the associ- engineers, and with 200 having either Mas-
ated chemical and physical problems of ters or Doctoral degrees. Some key areas of
designing complete flotation process flow- research and development undertaken are
sheets with the flotation of the platinum as follows:
group metals ores being a particular focus,
l Coal science and conversion;
but work also embracing copper, graphite,
l Iron- and cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch
phosphate, fluorspar, andalusite and many
catalysis;
other ores of economic importance.
l Acid-base catalysis: dehydration, etherifi-
cation, esterification;
4.9 Sasol
l Refinery catalysis: hydrotreating, hydro-
cracking, hydroisomerisation, catalytic
S
asol, formed in 1950 and for some
polymerisation, platforming;
time the world’s largest producer l Operations support: catalyst optimisa-
of liquid fuel from coal, was the first tion, side reactions, contaminations,
company, in 1955, to commercialise the catalyst recovery, corrosion chemistry;
Fischer-Tropsch process for the large-scale
l Syngas conversion to chemicals;
conversion of coal to liquid fuel and chemi-
l Olefin manipulation: oligomerisation,
cals. Its plant at Secunda, Mpumalanga is
metathesis, hydroformylation;
the largest synthetic fuels facility in the
l Oxidation of paraffins and olefins;
world, and provides approximately 28% of
South Africa’s fuel needs. In the early 2000s,
l Organic chemistry focused on ligand
the plant at Sasolburg, south of Johannes-
synthesis.
burg, was converted from coal feedstock to
natural gas piped from Mozambique. This
It is apparent from this list that chemistry
involved the introduction of licensed re-
plays an important role in the research ac-
forming technology, while still making use
tivities of Sasol. At the same time, chemistry
of the proprietary low-temperature, iron-
research is not carried out in isolation, and
based Fischer-Tropsch technology. More re-
all major programmes are undertaken on
cently in 2007, Sasol has started production
an interdisciplinary or a multidisciplinary
of liquid fuels from natural gas feedstock in
basis.
Qatar, using new Fischer-Tropsch technol-
ogy based on slurry phase cobalt catalysis. A snapshot of but a few of the technologi-
cal developments by Sasol over the last 20
The company has always placed a high pre-
to 30 years is provided below:
mium on R&D, although in the early days
l With the start-up of its Oryx JV Plant,
the chemistry used was limited to catalyst
Sasol now operates three proprietary
development, with the major focus being
and distinct types of Fischer-Tropsch
on process technology. Today, Sasol’s cor-
processes:
porate R&D facility numbers approximately o Low-temperature cobalt: Oryx Gas-
128
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