Zhenghe Xu, PhD

Area of Study / Keywords

Nanomaterials and Nanofabrication Oil Sands and Energy Surface Science and Engineering

About

Zhenghe Xu graduated with B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Minerals Engineering in 1982 and 1985, respectively, from Central-South Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Changsha, China; and Ph.D. in Materials Engineering Science in 1990 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. 

As a professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta, Canada, Dr. Xu was Canada Research Chair in Mineral Processing (2006-2017), NSERC-Industry Research Chair in Oil Sands Engineering (2008-2017). Dr. Xu is the recipient of the “National Recruitment Program of Global Experts” at Tsinghua University of China (July 2011 – June 2017). In August 2016, he joined Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen (China) as a Chair Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering and Dean of College of Engineering. 

Dr. Xu’s main research area is interfacial sciences as applied to natural resources processing and utilization. He published 400+ peer-reviewed scientific journal papers (more than 9700 citations) and 60 technical conference proceeding papers along with three US patents, one Canadian patent, and co-authored one book and co-edited two books, with 12 book chapter contributions. Dr. Xu was named Teck professor in 2007, and elected to Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2008 and Fellow of Royal Society of Canada in 2015. He was awarded the Bantrel Award in Design and Industrial Practice of Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering in 2009, the APEGA Frank Spragins Award in 2012, The Teck Environmental Award in 2013, Syncrude Award for Excellence in Sustainable Development of CIM in 2015, and MetSoc Award for Research Excellence in 2016. He is the President of Metallurgical and Materials Society of CIM (2016-2017), Canada, and a council member of International Mineral Processing Council (2016-2020). 

Research

Dr. Xu’s main research area is interfacial sciences as applied to natural resources processing and utilization. Specifically he works on surface modification and characterization, colloids and surface forces, petroleum emulsions, mineral processing with emphasis on flotation, oil sands extraction, coal preparation, tailings management, waste water treatment and recycling of batteries and electronics, and cleaning and purification of air and flue gases.  

Keywords: interfacial science, colloids, mineral processing, oil sands, surface engineering