Staff Profile
Career Summary
Biography
Prior to joining the University of Newcastle in 2010, I spent over 30 years in industrial research. My employment at BHP Research, Shortland - now Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) – spanned over 28 years. During this time our team provided technical support to the marketing of BHP Billiton iron ores and coals worldwide. The aims of our research activities included: defining the link between fundamental iron ore and metallurgical coal properties and their performance in the ironmaking process, the formulation of ore and coal blends for effective sintering and coking, and the evaluation of new deposits. My current research activities continue to focus on these areas, and they include work funded directly by BHP Billiton and an ARC Linkage grant with BHP Billiton and BlueScope Steel as partner organisations.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford - UK, 14/03/1980
- Bachelor of Technology, University of Bradford, UK, 06/12/1975
Research
Research keywords
- Blast Furnace Ironmaking
- Cokemaking
- Iron Ore Properties
- Iron Ore Sintering
Research expertise
• Characterisation of ironmaking raw materials relevant to their end-use (e.g., iron ore for sintering, iron ore sinter and coke for blast furnace ironmaking, and coal for cokemaking)
• Applied research with focus on understanding process fundamentals (e.g., the iron ore sintering and cokemaking processes)
• Formulation of research programs to achieve desired, tangible outcomes (e.g., results that can be used in technical marketing and/or solve commercial-scale problems)
• Effective dissemination and presentation of research results in publications and forums to maximize benefits to the funding organizations (e.g., brochure, journal/conference paper or customer presentation on how to sinter YANDI ore effectively for BHP Billiton Marketing)
Languages
- English
- Malay
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 091499 | Resources Engineering And Extractive Metallurgy Not Elsewhere Classified | 50 |
| 091299 | Materials Engineering Not Elsewhere Classified | 35 |
| 020499 | Condensed Matter Physics Not Elsewhere Classified | 15 |
Memberships
Editorial Board.
- Member - Advisory Board of the journal ISIJ International
Awards
Research and Technology Award
| 1998 | BHP Innovation Prize - Major Innovation Category BHP (Australia) For work carried out on on a new BHP iron ore. Award was for 'YANDI project - Accelerating sales through the use of science'. |
|---|
Invitations
| Sixth International Symposium on Agglomeration The Society of Powder Technology, The Iron and Steel Institute, The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan (Keynote Address) | 1993 |
| Annual Meeting China Society of Metals, China (Invited Presenter) | 1997 |
| 150th ISIJ Meeting (International Organised Session) Iron and Steel Institute of Japan, Japan (Invited Presenter) | 2005 |
| Third China International Coking Technology and Coke Market Congress China Iron and Steel Assoc & China Coking Industry Assoc., China (Invited Presenter) | 2005 |
| Fourth International Congress on the Science and Technology of Ironmaking The Iron and Steel Institute of Japan, China (Keynote Address) | 2006 |
Administrative
Administrative expertise
• Group Leader of Carbon Steel Materials at BHP Research with total budgets of over AUS $5 million per annum from 2002 to 2005
• Fundamentals Research Leader of Carbon Steel Materials at BHP Research from 2006 to 2009
Teaching
Teaching keywords
- Blast Furnace Ironmaking
- Preparation of Ironmaking feed materials
Teaching expertise
• Ran or was involved in over 60 two-day courses on ironmaking for BHP officers - from iron ore operations and marketing - over a period of 25 years
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 5 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $777,715 |
For project grants received where the lead institution is other than the University of Newcastle, details are shown in italics.
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
2012 (2 grants)
Sinter Modelling$96,000
Funding Body: BHP Billiton Limited
| Project Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Professor Bob Loo | ||
| Scheme | Role | |
| Research Project | Chief Investigator | |
| Total Amount | Funding Start | Funding Finish |
| $96,000 | 2012 | 2013 |
| GNo:G1200737 | ||
Softening-Melting Project$50,000
Funding Body: BlueScope Steel
| Project Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Professor Bob Loo | ||
| Scheme | Role | |
| Research Collaboration Agreement | Chief Investigator | |
| Total Amount | Funding Start | Funding Finish |
| $50,000 | 2012 | 2012 |
| GNo:G1101185 | ||
2011 (3 grants)
Enhancing the position of Australian iron ores through understanding and altering the coalescence phenomenon during sintering$300,000
Funding Body: ARC (Australian Research Council)
| Project Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Professor Bob Loo, Associate Professor John Lucas, Professor Geoffrey Evans, Mr Juha Heikkinen, Dr Daniel Maldonado | ||
| Scheme | Role | |
| Linkage Projects | Chief Investigator | |
| Total Amount | Funding Start | Funding Finish |
| $300,000 | 2011 | 2013 |
| GNo:G1000571 | ||
Enhancing the position of Australian iron ores through understanding and altering the coalescence phenomenon during sintering$181,715
Funding Body: BHP Billiton Innovation Pty Ltd
| Project Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Professor Bob Loo, Associate Professor John Lucas, Professor Geoffrey Evans, Mr Juha Heikkinen, Dr Daniel Maldonado | ||
| Scheme | Role | |
| Research Grant | Chief Investigator | |
| Total Amount | Funding Start | Funding Finish |
| $181,715 | 2011 | 2013 |
| GNo:GS100009 | ||
Enhancing the position of Australian iron ores through understanding and altering the coalescence phenomenon during sintering$150,000
Funding Body: BlueScope Steel
| Project Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Professor Bob Loo, Associate Professor John Lucas, Professor Geoffrey Evans, Mr Juha Heikkinen, Dr Daniel Maldonado | ||
| Scheme | Role | |
| Linkage Projects Partner funding | Chief Investigator | |
| Total Amount | Funding Start | Funding Finish |
| $150,000 | 2011 | 2013 |
| GNo:G1000709 | ||
Research Supervision
| Number of current supervisions | 3 |
|---|---|
| Total current UoN PhD EFTSL | 0.25 |
For supervisions undertaken at an institution other that the University of Newcastle, details are shown in italics, and the institution name is listed below the program name.
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Proposed Completion | Program | Supervisor Type | Research Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2019 | PhD (Chemical Engineering) | Principal Supervisor | Iron Ore Sintering Coalescence Mechanism |
| 2010 | 2015 | PHD Engineering & Related Technolo Zhejiang University, PRC | Co-Supervisor | Fundamental factors controlling iron ore sinter quality |
| 2007 | 2012 | PHD Engineering & Related Technolo Zhejiang University, PRC | Co-Supervisor | Numerical modelling of the iron ore sintering process |
Past Supervision
| Year | Program | Supervisor Type | Research Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | PhD (Chemical Engineering) | Co-Supervisor | Fundamental Factors Influencing Coke Strength |
| 1997 | PHD Mechanical Engineering University of Sydney | Co-Supervisor | Application of fracture mechanics to ironmaking materials |
Professor (Bob) Loo
| Work Phone | (02) 40339142 |
|---|---|
| Cell / Mobile Phone | 0400130559 |
| Bob.Loo@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Position | Professor Centre for Ironmaking Materials Research School of Engineering Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment |
| Office | NIER, Callaghan University Drive Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia |
| URL: | www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/bob-loo |
