Researcher

Mr Vitalii Ponomar

Fields of Research (FoR)

Mineral processing/beneficiation, Mineralogy and crystallography, Chemical engineering, Construction materials, Civil engineering, Nanomaterials

Biography

My research is dedicated to advancing chemical technologies for sustainable industry and society, focusing on recycling inorganic side-streams, the chemistry and magnetism of iron compounds, and developing CO2-activated cementitious materials. I began my academic journey with an MSc in geochemistry, studying the reduction of iron oxides. During my PhD, I extended this research to practical applications in iron ore processing and beneficiation,...view more

My research is dedicated to advancing chemical technologies for sustainable industry and society, focusing on recycling inorganic side-streams, the chemistry and magnetism of iron compounds, and developing CO2-activated cementitious materials. I began my academic journey with an MSc in geochemistry, studying the reduction of iron oxides. During my PhD, I extended this research to practical applications in iron ore processing and beneficiation, employing advanced techniques like magnetometry and Mössbauer spectroscopy. My work resulted in multiple publications and patents, reflecting my leadership in the field. As a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oulu, I investigated Fe chemistry in cementitious reactions, utilizing metallurgical slags to develop low-CO2 alkali-activated and carbonated cements.


My Grants

  • 2023 – 2026: Academy of Finland, 312 k€ (co-author; PI: Katja Ohenoja) / Finland

Towards sustainable and carbon-free concrete construction


  • 2023 – 2026: Business of Finland, 300 k€ (co-author; PI: Katja Ohenoja) / Finland

Fossil free steel


  • 2022: Additional project funding for a master thesis, 6 k€ (PI)/Boliden, Finland

The effect of admixtures on the mechanical properties and durability of Fe-rich alkali-activated materials


  • 2020: Individual Scholarship of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine for young scientists, ~3 k€

  • 2017 – 2020: Individual Scholarship of the President of Ukraine for young scientists, ~5 k€

  • 2017 – 2018: Grant for Early Career Researchers, ~7 k€ (PI)/National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

Transformation of the crystal structure and magnetic characteristics of iron oxides and hydroxides under the influence of external factors


  • 2015 – 2016: Grant for Early Career Researchers, ~7 k€ (co-author)/National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

Synthesis of magnetite from hematite or goethite, localized in iron ores, under the influence of various reducing agents


My Awards

  • 2020: Award of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for young scientists

    2021, 2023: Seal of Excellence under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions call HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01-01


    2023: Certificate of Appreciation for the best poster presentation at the 6th Annual International Conference on Eco-Sustainable Construction Materials


My Research Activities

My research interests are mainly focused on the development of sustainable technologies for low carbon cement production, metal extraction, and material manufacturing.


Research supervision and leadership experience:

  • Joint supervisor of 2 Master students from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (the topics related to biomineralogy and iron oxide nanoparticles)
  • Joint supervisor of a Master student and Principal Supervisor of a Master students from the University of Oulu (the topics related to alkali-activated non-ferrous metallurgical slags).
  • Principal Investigator of the project for young scientists of NAS of Ukraine
  • Science Leadership” Class of ’23” - program for advanced level postdocs (10 ECTS)
  • Joint supervision of a PhD student at the University of Oulu with the topic related to “Hydration and carbonation reactivity of electric arc furnace slags
  • Joint supervision of a PhD student at the UNSW with the topic related to “Using treated and untreated waste soils as supplementary cementitious materials

    Other key academic merits:

  • Acting as an expert evaluator for two Ph.D. thesis (University of Oulu)
  • Organization of international conferences: "Geochronology and ore genesis of the Precambrian and Phanerozoic", NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
  • Referee for scientific publications in several international journals, including Minerals, Powder Technology, Resources, Conservation & Recycling, etc.
  • Promoting open science via collaboration with Comenius University according to the grant No 3007/01/01 as part of the project funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme

 

 


My Research Supervision


Supervision keywords


Areas of supervision

As a researcher with extensive experience in chemical technologies for sustainable industry, I am well-positioned to supervise Higher Degree Research (HDR) candidates, including those pursuing Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Masters by Research, and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degrees. I offer supervision in the following areas:

  1. Recycling Inorganic Side-Streams for Metal Extraction and Construction Applications

  2. Chemistry, Magnetism, and Local Fe Structure of Iron Compounds

  3. CO2-Activated Cementitious Materials

  4. Advanced Characterization Techniques for Material Analysis

  5. Sustainable Industrial Processes and Green Technologies

Candidates under my supervision will benefit from my expertise in experimental design, advanced analytical techniques, and theoretical modeling. My experience in securing research funding and publishing in high-impact journals will provide valuable guidance for HDR candidates aiming to contribute significantly to the fields of sustainable industry and environmental chemistry.


Currently supervising

  • Joint supervision of a PhD student at the University of Oulu, Finland with the topic related to “Hydration and carbonation reactivity of electric arc furnace slags
  • Joint supervision of a PhD student at the UNSW with the topic related to “Using treated and untreated waste soils as supplementary cementitious materials

My Teaching

  • Graduate research assistantship at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (2013–2015)

    Introduction to University Pedagogy at the University of Oulu (2022)


    Guest lecture on “Recycling of metallurgical slags in alkali-activated binders for construction sector” at the University of Oulu course Recycling and Treatment of Process Rejects (2022-2023)


    Teaching demonstration on the topic “Circular economy challenges in pyrometallurgical processes” at the Aalto University, Finland (2024)

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Location

Office 705 (Civil Engineering Building (H20), Oval Ln, UNSW)

Contact

+61492486774