Adjunct Professor
Jose Alarco

Professor Jose Alarco has been involved in R&D of battery and other nanotechnology materials for almost two decades, both within academic and commercial organizations. He has co-developed and holds numerous patents in generic processes for the manufacture of nano-scale complex, metal oxides and for applications in catalysis, batteries, electronics, etc. Much of his work has involved taking manufacturing processes from lab to pilot plant scale at tonnes per week level. After his PhD at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, he did a few years of Post-doctoral work at the University of Queensland (UQ). The projects he was involved in at UQ were part of significant industry collaborations and included designing chemical processes and translating the processes into semi-automated machines and making components for the electricity supply industry, among others. In around 2000, he left UQ to co-found Scienceworks Consultants (SWC), a small, highly capable scientific consulting company. Outcomes of SWC work have resulted in a portfolio of both process and product patents (listed below) for SWC clients. These patents have allowed SWC clients to undertake collaborative development work towards commercialisation with some of the world’s major companies and include projects such as; Degussa Germany        -  Transparent conductive oxides for the electronics industry Sud Chemie Germany -  Fischer Tropsch catalysts for methanol production BASF Germany             -  Hydro-desulphurisation catalysts for the petrochemical industry BASF Germany             -  Diesel oxidation catalyst for vehicle emissions control Engelhard Corp USA   -  Three way catalyst for control of petrol vehicle emissions Torrecid Spain               -  Mono dispersed nanoscale pigments for the glass and ceramics industry Toto Japan                     -   Cathode material for solid oxide fuel cells AGR Australia               -   Nano-scale silver for use as a biocide ALCAN Australia          -   Catalyst for treatment and optimisation of Bayer liquors BASF Germany             -    Nano-scale Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) for rechargeable lithium batteries Phostech Lithium Canada-  Nano-scale Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) for rechargeable lithium batteries Valence Technology USA-    Modified LFP at nanoscale consistent with Valence Technology patents K2 Energy USA              -   Supply of LFP Messaplex Australia     -    Microwave filters for mobile communications equipment PATENTS: 1. Improved Adhesion of Active Electrode Materials to Metal Electrode Substrates, PCT. (Inventors: Jose Antonio Alarco, John Louis Bradley, Mark Ronald Quinlan, Peter Cade Talbot; WO2012000041 A1 also published as CA2804050A1, CN103348509A, EP2589096A1, US20130130108) 2. Removing organic impurities from Bayer process liquors, USA, PCT (Inventors: Jose Antonio Alarco and Peter Cade Talbot; WO2010105305 A1 also published as CN102361820A, US20120067830). 3. Fuel additive, USA, PCT (Inventors: Jose Antonio Alarco and Peter Cade Talbot; WO2009089590 A1 also published as EP2247699A1, US20110010986). 4. Sulphur resistant emissions catalyst, USA, PCT (Inventors: Peter Cade Talbot, Jose A. Alarco and Geoffrey Alan Edwards; WO 2007115380 A1 also published as CN101443119A, CN101443119B, EP2010317A1, EP2010317A4, US8609575, US20090202408). 5. Method for making metal oxides: Australia, Canada, China, European Patent Convention, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan R.O.C., USA (Inventors: Jose A. Alarco, Geoffrey Alan Edwards and Peter Cade Talbot; WO2005070819 A1 also published as CA2553739A1, CA2553739C, EP1716076A1, EP1716076A4, US7919068, US20070031322). 6. Method for producing fine-grained particles: Australia, Canada, China, European Patent Convention, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan R.O.C., USA (Inventors: Jose A. Alarco, Geoffrey Alan Edwards and Peter Cade Talbot; US 7727909 B2 also published as CN101023025A, EP1812340A1, EP1812340A4, US20070160525, WO2006000049A1). 7. Production of metal oxide particles with nano-sized grains: USA, PCT (Inventors: Jose A. Alarco, Geoffrey Alan Edwards and Peter Cade Talbot; WO2002042201 A1 also published as CA2429412A1, CA2429412C, CN1476413A, CN1476413B, DE60138308D1, EP1355853A1, EP1355853A4, EP1355853B1, US6752979, US20050025698). 8. Process and catalysts for the methanation of oxides of carbon: PCT (Inventors: Jose Antonio Alarco, Kim Elizabeth Henville, Graeme John Millar; WO2000016901A1 also published as EP 1173277 A1).