Adding value to the sulfur supply chain: night vision, gold mining, and recyclable plastics

Title: Adding value to the sulfur supply chain:  night vision, gold mining, and recyclable plastics

Speaker: Professor Justin Chalker from the College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University

Abstract: Approximately 80 million tonnes of sulfur are produced each year in petroleum refining. While some of this sulfur is used to make sulfuric acid, fertilisers and vulcanised rubber, there are still many millions of tonnes of excess sulfur stockpiled each year. Our lab is exploring new chemistry to convert this underused feedstock into value-added materials. Furthermore, we are interested in applying these materials to challenges in sustainability. In this presentation, I will share some recent discoveries in novel trisulfide chemistry and how our team has used this understanding to make poly(trisulfide) polymers that are generally recyclable. I will discuss three separate applications of these polymers: 1) Sustainable alternatives to the critical element germanium in optics for infrared thermal imaging; 2) Recyclable gold sorbents for safer gold mining and e-waste recycling; and 3) poly(trisulfide) analogues of plastics such as polyethylene that can be made, used, and “un-made” (depolymerised) when recycling is required.

Bio: Justin M. Chalker is currently an ARC Future Fellow and Matthew Flinders Professor of Chemistry at Flinders University. Supported by a Rhodes Scholarship and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Justin completed his D.Phil. at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Benjamin Davis where he developed several tools for the site-selective modification of proteins. In 2012, Justin started his independent career as an assistant professor at The University of Tulsa and in 2015, he moved to Flinders University as a Lecturer in Synthetic Chemistry and recipient of an ARC DECRA, rising to rank of Professor in 2021. Justin has earned >$12M AUD in competitive funding for his scholarly activities and he has been recognised with several awards for his efforts in teaching and research. These include the SA Science Excellence Awards STEM Educator of the Year (2018) and the Prime Minister’s Prize for New Innovators (2020). Justin’s current research interests focus on fundamental sulfur chemistry and applied polymer technologies to address grand challenges in sustainability.