Position Senior Lecturer Qualifications PrEng, BEng (Pret), MEng (Pret), MSaiChE Telephone +27-12-420-3641 Fax +27-12-420-5048 E-mail [email protected]

Research interests

• Gas solid fluidization
• Trickle-bed hydrodynamics

Publications

1. Schwarzer, R., Du Toit, E.L. and Nicol, W.(2009) Solid phosphoric acid catalysts: The effect of free acid composition on selectivity and activity for 1-hexene dimerisation  Applied Catalysis A: General, Volume 369, Issues 1-2, Pages 83-89
2. De Vos, W., Du Toit, E.L. and Nicol, W. (2009) Entrainment behaviour of high-density Geldart A powders with different shapes. Powder Technology, 190, 279-303
3. Schwarzer, R., Du Toit, E.L. and Nicol, W.(2008) Kinetic model for the dimerisation of 1-hexene over a solid phosphoric acid catalyst. Applied Catalysis A: General Volume 340, Issue 1  Pages 119-124
4. Van der Westhuizen, I. Du Toit, E. L. and Nicol, W. (2007) Trickle Flow Multiplicity:  The influence of the prewetting procedure on flow hysteresis. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, Volume 85 (12A), 1604-1610 Absract
5. Du Toit, E.L.Nicol, W. (2004) 'The rate inhibiting effect of water as a product on reactions catalysed by cation exchange resins: Formation of mesityl oxide from acetone as case study', Applied Catalysis A: General,Volume 227, Issues 1-2, pp 219-225 Abstract
6. Nicol, W. Du Toit, E.L. (2004) 'Acetone condensation on a cation exchange resin catalyst: The Pseudo Equilibrium effect', Chemical Engineering Science, Volume 59, Issues 22-23, pp 5545-5550 Abstract
7. Nicol, W. Du Toit, E.L. (2004) 'One-step methyl isobutyl ketone synthesis from acetone and hydrogen using Amberlyst CH28',Chemical Engineering and Processing, Volume 43, Issue 12, pp 1539-1545 Abstract  

Conference contributions

1. Schwarzer, R.B., Du Toit, E.L.  and Nicol, W. The effect of water on the reaction sequence of  1-hexene dimerisation over a solid phosphoric acid catalyst, CHISA 11, Prague Czech Republic, August 2008
2. Du Toit, E.L., Schwarzer,R.B. and Nicol,W. Esterification with cation exchange resin catalysts:  The concept of an active surface layer, CHISA 11, Prague Czech Republic, August 2008
3. De Vos, W.  Nicol, W. and Du Toit, E.L.  Entrainment behaviour of high density Geldart A powders:  Effect of particle shape.   IFSA 2008, Johannesburg, South Africa,  November 2008
4. Schwarzer, R. Du Toit, E. Nicol, W.  'Esterification of Acetic Acid with Methanol:  A Kinetci study on Amberlyst 15' 11th National meeting of SAIChE, DurbanICC, 2006
5. De Vos, W.  Nicol, W. and Du Toit, E.L.  Entrainment behaviour of high density Geldart A powders:  Effect of particle shape.   IFSA 2008, Johannesburg, South Africa,  November 2008
6. Du Toit, E. L. and Nicol, W. 'Modelling the rate inhibiting effect of water as a product on reactions catalysed by cation exchange resins', IEX 2004, Cambridge, 4-7 July 2004
7. Nicol, W and Du Toit, E.L. 'Acetone condensation on a cation exchange resin catalyst: The Pseudo Equilibrium effect', 18th International Symposium on Chemical Reaction Engineering, Chicago, 3-5 June 2004
8. Du Toit, E., Nicol, W. 'Kinetics of ion exchange catalysed reactions where water is a product: Formation of mesityl oxide from acetone as a case study', 10th National Meeting of SAIChE, Sun City, 2003
9. Loudon, D., Du Toit, E. 'Pressure drop through packed beds with a small column to particle diameter ratio: The ability of existing models to compensate for the wall-effect', 10th National Meeting of SAIChE, Sun City, 2003