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Prof Coetzee

Emeritus Professor
Name: Paul Philip Coetzee
  Staff Members

Contact Details:

Email: ppcoetzee@uj.ac.za

About Prof Paul Philip Coetzee

Personal Details

Date of Birth: 8 February 1947
Place of Birth: Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa
Marital Status: Married, 1972; 2 children

 

Qualifications

1964

Senior Certificate
Groote Schuur High School, Cape Town
Dux Scholar Prize (1964)

1967

BSc(Chemistry III, Mathematics III, Physics II,
Applied Mathematics I, Psychology I,
Philosophy I, English I, German I)
University of Stellenbosch

1968

BSc Hons(Chemistry)
University of Stellenbosch

1970

MSc(Nuclear Chemistry)
Thesis:  “Deuteron Activation of the First Transition Series”
University of Stellenbosch. Supervisor: Dr Max Peisach

1974

PhD(Nuclear Chemistry)
Thesis:  “Some Studies on Elemental and Isotopic Analysis by Spectrometry of Coincident Nuclear Reaction Products”
University of Stellenbosch. Promotor: Dr Max Peisach, Co-promotor: Prof René Pretorius

 

Awards and Bursaries

1965

Elise Visser Award of Merit

1967-1968

ISCOR-Bursary

1969

CSIR-Bursary for the M.Sc. study

Professinal Bodies

South African Chemical Institute Member 1971 to date; member of organising committee for Southern Transvaal Section for 1983/84

Association of Official Analytical Chemists (USA); international member (1994-2000)

Employment

1970-1980

Lecturer Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Stellenbosch.

1980-1987

Senior Lecturer Analytical Chemistry, Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg.

1988-2004

Professor of Chemistry, Rand Afrikaans University.

2005 to date

Professor of Chemistry, University of Johannesburg (Former RAU).

Teaching

Chemistry I

General Chemistry, Chemistry for the Health Sciences, Chemistry for Engineering students, Chemistry for Medical students.

Chemistry II

Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry.

Chemistry III

Radiochemistry

Chemistry Honours

Analytical Chemistry (mainly instrumental methods of analysis: AAS, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, theory of atomic spectroscopy, electrochemistry, chemical speciation, chromatography)
Nuclear and Radio Chemistry, Radioanalytical chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry (chemistry of  aqueous solutions, Group Theory and spectroscopy of transition metal complexes)

MSc (Instrumental Analysis)

Specialised courses in Nuclear and Radiochemistry

Training of Postgraduate Students

Supervisor/promotor for 28 MSc and PhDcandididates

Research

Field of research

The chemistry, analytical chemistry and speciation of trace elements.

Keywords

Atomic spectroscopy, AAS, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, X-ray fluorescence, HPLC, -Spectrometry, ion selective electrodes, ion chromatography, metal recovery, ion exchange, environmental pollution, sequential extraction, physical water treatment, defluoridation, authentication of agricultural products, provenance studies.

Publications

76 research papers in international journals

Conference

53 contributions at national and Contributions international conferences

 

Research Grants and Prizes

1969-1974

Postgraduate research grant at Nuclear Institute of the Southern Universities, Faure.

1976

Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, Kern-forschungszentrum, Karlsruhe, West Germany.

1984-1985

Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, West Germany.

1987

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Grant. Research visit (Sept 1987) to Eduard-Zintl Institüt für Anorganische Chemie University of Darmstadt

1988

Atomic Energy Corporation Research Grant

1989

SASOL – Research Grant.

1989-1990

FRD-Research Grant, Visiting professor, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

1989-1990

Research Consultant at West-Paine Laboratories, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

1991

AECI-GOLD MEDAL: Awarded by the S.A. Chemical Institute for the best paper published in the S.A. Journal of Chemistry for the period 1986-1990.

1994-1996

Water Research Commission–  Research Grant.
Reduction of scaling in industrial water cooling circuits by means of magnetic and electrostatic treatment.

1995

Foundation for Research and Development – Capital grant for ICP-AES Spectrometer

1997

EPSRC Research Fellowship (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council), School of Water Sciences, University of Cranfield, UK. Alternative methods of calcium carbonate scale mitigation.

1997

De Beers Research Grant, Physical Water Treatment

1998-2000

Water Research Commission–  Research Grant
Evaluation and development of physical water treatment process for the reduction of CaCO3 scale

2001-2003

Water Research Commission–  Research Grant
Removal of fluoride from drinking water with clay-based defluoridators

1987-2004

NRF – Core Programme Research Grant.

2004-2007

NRF- Flemish Government Bilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation, Research Grant, Ghent University, Belgium. Development of specialised ICP-MS techniques

2004-2007

WINETECH Research Grant (WW08/28), Project Provenance determination of selected South African wines.

2008

MERCK Prize:  Awarded by the S.A. Chemical Institute for the best paper published in the S.A. Journal of Chemistry for the period 2002-2007

Professional Involvement

  • External examiner for dissertations from University of Cape Town, University of Pretoria, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University ( Port Elizabeth), WITS,  and North West University (Potchefstroom).
  • Referee for research proposals and peer evaluation applications for NRF grants.
  • Member of Award Committee for South African Chemical Institute (AECI Gold Medal Award for Analytical Chemistry).
  • Referee for research papers in:  Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Analytica Chimica Acta, J of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,  S. Afr. J. of Chemistry, S.A. Journal for Science, Water S.A. and others
  • Member WRC Steering Committees
  • Technical assessor for SANAS (South African National Accreditation System)

 

Administrative and Managerial Activities

 

1980-2007

Responsible person for radio active sources and radio laboratories at RAU and UJ.

1992-1994

1998-2003

Chairman Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, RAU

2005-2007

Chairman Department of Chemistry, University of Johannesburg

1990-2007

Member of various Faculty of Science committees: Dean’s Committee, Faculty Research Committee, Faculty Post-Graduate Committee, Chairman
Spectrau
Management Committee, Member of Faculty Selection Committee for the appointment of a dean, member of selection committees.