Prof. Georges John Kipouros

Georges John Kipouros, was educated at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, graduating first in rank with a 5-year Diploma of Engineering in Mining and Metallurgical Engineering from the Department of Chemical Engineering. He then spent 3 years of military service as an Acting Head, Bureau of Studies, Permanent Committee for Receiving Ammunition, Greek Armed Forces, Athens, Greece in the rank of a second leutenant. Georges immigrated to Toronto, Canada and subsequently graduated from the Graduate School of the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with a Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) in Metallurgy and Materials Science. He also obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in the same fields working with the late Dr. Spiro N. Flengas. The topic of his research was the electrorefing of zirconium metal from chloride and fluoride melts and the complete study of of the electrolyte systems by determining the phase diagrams, x-Ray studies, measurments of the vapour pressures and electrochemical properties of molten salts. He also studied the separation of zirconium from hafnium by a high temperature process. The highlight was the succesful electrorefing of zirconium metal in chloride-fluoride melts and the most accurate vapour pressure measurments of hexachlorocompouns of zirconiumand hafnium important for their separation.

He started his career as a Post Doctoral Institute Research Associate, (with Dr. Donald R. Sadoway), Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Massechustts Institute of Technology, Cambridge Masschusetts (1982-1985). The research work at MIT was related to the investigation of the electrodeposition of aluminum and magnesium by Raman spectroscopy at temperatures of industrial practice. Streamers and complex formations were identified. Work was conducted on the elecctrodeposition of molybdenum metal on graphite from chloride melts. The electrodepositon was successful and a thick deposits of cm size were achieved. Prior to electrolysis the melts were characterized by determining the reveland phase diagrams and detail electrodeposition mechanisms. The highlight of his research at MIT was the writing of the chapter “The chemistry and electrochemistry of magnesium production” which explained the uknown at that time process of Nork Hydro based only on theoretical calculations using existing and predicted thermodynamic data. Other subjects of research were on lithium production. It was at that time that the reputation of the Sadoway’s group attracted attention and a two-day short cource at TMS on molten salts was initiated that spanned for more than ten years.

His industry research career followed that of MIT by a position of Senior Research Scientist, Department of Physical Chemistry, General Motors Research and Development Center, Warren, Michigan, USA (1985-1989). He was recruited to lead in the use of molten salt process to produce neodymium-iron alloy which constitutes the base for the production of the neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets for the innovative switched reluctance and permanent magnet motors. He designed and conducted scale-up experiments to determine the parameters necessary for technology transfer, developed methods for regenerating and recycling the reactants and treating the by products. He tranferred successfully the process to the plant of MAGNEQUENCH SBU in Anderson, Indiana. Kipouros returned to Canada in 1989 as a tenured Associate Professor and Chair of the Metallurgical Engineering program in the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His research activities continued in the field of molten salts and slags by measuring viscocities relevant to steelmaking and extending his research interests in corrosion and powder metallurgy. He provided consulting to small and large international corporations in the fields of his research interests. He was invited (1995-1996) by the Department of Physics, General Motors Research and Development Center, Warren, Michigan to spend his first sabbatical leave of absence as a Faculty Consultant, Corporate Magnesium Center, to lead in the development of a new process to produce high purity mangesium for automobile manufacturing. This relation continued for many more years as it also involved directed efforts to tranfer the process to the industrial plant by partnership with an aluminum producer and also evaluation of alternative processes for the production of magnesium chloride.

In the academic field he became full professor and Head (1994-2000) of the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at TUNS and he was instrumental in achieving a smooth transition when TUNS amalgamated, by the government of Nova Scotia, with Dalhousie University. He was elected Vice-Chair (1997- 2000), Dalhousie University Senate, Halifax, N.S. which is the governing academic body of the university. Other academic appointments include Assistant/special Dean of Engineering with responsibilities of preparation of engineering education accreditation for the 6 associated universities and renovating/design the new campus, organize satellite campuses.

Director, Minerals Engineering Centre, Dal, Halifax, N.S (2000-2013) with responsibilities included the fiscal and administrative matters of the centre and providing leadership in a wide variety of research and service activities related to resource and minerals industries. Focus was on expanding the research activities of the centre in the areas of materials, offshore drilling, environmental and power generation sectors. Dean and Professor, College of Engineering (2013-2016) University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchean with goals to diligently and strategically invigorate the college in terms of academic accreditation and expand the research into other fields including the utilisation of the national synchrotron facility. Presently Georges Kipouros is Emeritus Professor and Dean, Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Adjunct Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics, Dalhousie University, and Adjunct Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Waterloo University.

He is also Vice General Manager of R&D, the equivalent of Vice-President of Research and Development of a western industry, Zhejiang Kangpurui Auto Parts Co., Ltd., as a result of a 10-year Visa R of the Peoples Republic of China as a recognition of High Level Foreign Talents. He awaits to begin his duties when the Covit-19 allows.

In 2017 he was Project Professor, Institute of Industrial Science (IIS), University of Tokyo Other research visits include:
(1993) Visiting Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering & Institute of ChemicalEngineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes, University of Patras, Patras, Greece. Visiting Professor, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Norwegian Institute of Technology, University of Trondheim, Trondheim,Norway.
1998-2001 Faculty Consultant, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan,
2002-2003 Visiting Professor, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 1,1 Katahira, 2-Chome, Aobaku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan Despite of his academic higher administration involvement, consulting engements and resarch visits Dr. Kipouros has an uninterupted research support until 2023 from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) in Canada. This is due to the initiation of innovative research in areas that previous researchers were unsuccesful or left unexplored due to research difficulties. The most prominent areas of research were: powder metallurgy beyond the copper, stainless steel and zink; electroless plating of difficult to plate metals; electrolytic problems such as unwanted passivation (copper production) and high temperature measurements of viscosity of slags.

In the field of powder metallurgy previous researchers tried to apply the existing techmiques of high purity powders of aluminum and concluded correctly that conventional sintering pure aluminum powders cannot be achieved because of the instanteneous passivation of pure aluminum. However, the philosophy of the research group under Dr.Kipouros attempted and successfully developed sintering of aluminum containing small amounts of magnesium which breaks the passivation layer of aluminum oxide andallowedthe sintering under conventional conditions. Detail studies of other useful elements can be added providing that do not change drastically the advantage of aluminum, being light weight, and do not increase the sintering temperature requirement. The first Ph.D. student do do this, Professor Paul Bishop, was hired by GKN Sinter metals and after a successful long research career in the industry, which resulted in the production of millions aluminum parts for the automotive sector, he returned to Dalhousie University as a faculty member. Many more Ph.D. students were trained on the topic and are working an academic or industrial places.

A similar approach was followed in the powder metallurgy of magnesium metal which does not passivate and the additions to eliminate passivation products lie in the group of the rare earth elements that the powder producing manufacturers had no ways to produce the necacery starting materials. The project of the magnesium sintering was led by a Ph.D. student, Dr. Paul Burke, and many more students using filling of calcium metal to prove the correctness of the idea to sinter magneium metal. Dr. Burke continued his research at MIT and to Digital Alloys.

Three more research directions were investigated: the passivation of copper cathodes in the production of pure copper; the aqueous corrosion of cermets and the electroless coating of of difficult to plate metals. In the passivation of the copper cathodes it was discovered that the passivation was caused by the presence of nickel in the electrolyte. The research was led by a Ph.D. student Dr. George Jarjoura now a professor at Dalhousie University. Industry responded favorably to the discovery andy every copper production plant contains a nickel removal unit. The electroless plating was initiated by Dr. Nazila Dadvand presently Director, Coatings division, Texas Instruments.

Prof. Georges Kipouros, Receiving the Fray International Award from Dr. Florian Kongoli at FLOGEN SIPS 2022

Dr. Florian Kongoli congratulating Prof. Georges Kipouros on his award at FLOGEN SIPS 2022

Prof. Georges Kipouros, Delivering his acceptance speech to Dr. Florian Kongoli during the FLOGEN SIPS 2022 ceremony

FLOGEN SIPS 2022 Awards: Dr. Georges Kipouros, Professor, Dalhousie University, Canada