Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Dr Saman is currently a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Monash University Malaysia campus and have been teaching both fluid mechanics and separation processes. He was also a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London. His research was on hydrodynamics and mass transfer within heap leaching systems, which are hydrometallurgical processes to extract precious and base metals from its low grade ores. Dr Saman was awarded his PhD in Minerals Processing by the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London in December 2012. His thesis was entitled “Hydrodynamics of unsaturated particle beds pertaining to heap leaching”. In it, he has explored the fluid flow behaviour in heap leaching systems experimentally by measuring liquid holdup and tracer transport.
Dr Saman has extensive mining, minerals processing, chemical process engineering, and industrial rock blasting teaching and research experiences at Imperial College London, Monash University Malaysia campus (Department of Chemical Engineering) and University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka (Department of Earth Resources Engineering). Most of it focused on processing of low grade ores, improving the efficiency of metal extraction systems, porous media flow studies, waste management (electronic waste or e-waste) and sustainability aspects of minerals processing. His work provided a useful link between minerals engineering, waste management and unsaturated fluid flow in mineral extraction systems encouraging research collaborations.
Research interests
The behaviour of unsaturated gravity driven flow of liquid through packed beds of particles is important to a number of different processes ranging from trickle bed reactors (TBRs) in chemical engineering to heap leaching in minerals processing as it is the major driver in the mass transport of reagents to the particle surface as well as for the transport of the dissolved species out of the system. This flow is complex as it is unsaturated and occurs through a network of channels between particles typically in the range of millimetres to a few centimetres in size. These flows exhibit channelling/preferential flow brought about by a combination of inhomogeneity in the particle beds and gravity fingering, which reduce recovery efficiencies. My research is currently focusing on understanding of channelling flow features in particle bed systems and novel methods will also be employed to minimise these adverse flow features. In addition, the particles themselves are porous and hold liquid within channels and fractures with dimensions much smaller than those of the liquid within the inter-particle spaces. Inter-particle flow features thus need to be separated from intra-particle flow and it will be addressed by performing experimental and simulation studies.
Monash teaching commitment
- CHE2161 - Mechanics of Fluids
- CHE3165 - Separation Processes
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Network
Projects
- 2 Finished
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Understanding Flow Mechanisms of Metal Leaching from Coarse Electronic Waste and Developing Economic Flow-sheets for Electronic Waste Based Metal Extraction
Ilankoon, S., Balan, P., Binti Abd Manaf, L., Meng Nan, C. & Ta Yeong, W.
1/01/19 → 30/09/22
Project: Research
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Investigation of Stimuli Induced Corrosion Inhibition and Osseointegration of Bioactive Glass Coatings for Orthopedic Implants
Balan, P., Kadirvelu, A., Ilankoon, S., Birbilis, N. & Manivasagam, G.
1/01/19 → 30/09/22
Project: Research
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Exfoliation of coarse printed circuit boards using dimethylacetamide: production of copper concentrates
Kang, K. D., Ilankoon, I. M. S. K., Chong, M. N. & Wu, T. Y., Jan 2023, In: Minerals Engineering. 191, 10 p., 107963.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
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Geochemical exploration for prospecting new rare earth elements (REEs) sources: REE potential in lake sediments around Eppawala Phosphate Deposit, Sri Lanka
Dushyantha, N., Ratnayake, N., Premasiri, R., Batapola, N., Panagoda, H., Jayawardena, C., Chandrajith, R., Ilankoon, I. M. S. K., Rohitha, S., Ratnayake, A. S., Abeysinghe, B., Dissanayake, K. & Dilshara, P., Mar 2023, In: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. 243, 12 p., 105515.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
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Improving microalgae growth and carbon capture through micro-size bubbles generation in flat-panel photobioreactors: Impacts of different gas sparger designs on mixing performance
Lim, Y. A., Ilankoon, I. M. S. K., Chong, M. N. & Foo, S. C., Jan 2023, In: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 171, 13 p., 113001.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus) -
Assessment of significant geotechnical parameters for lunar regolith excavations
Jayathilake, B. A. C. S., Ilankoon, I. M. S. K. & Dushyantha, M. N. P., Jul 2022, In: Acta Astronautica. 196, p. 107-122 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
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Catalysing electrowinning of copper from E-waste: A critical review
Fathima, A., Tang, J. Y. B., Giannis, A., Ilankoon, I. M. S. K. & Chong, M. N., Jul 2022, In: Chemosphere. 298, 14 p., 134340.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus)
Prizes
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Andrew Carnegie Research Fund – 2016 from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (London)
Ilankoon, Saman (Recipient), 2016
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Monash-Sunway Decarbonization initiative: Microalgae farming and Native Tree Planting
Foo, Su Chern (Recipient), Barclay, H. (Recipient), Meng Nan, Chong (Recipient), Chien Wei (Edward), Ooi (Recipient), Ilankoon, Saman (Recipient), Watabe, M. (Recipient), Lian, Tam Cai (Recipient) & Rahman, Sadequr (Recipient), 23 Aug 2018
Prize: Other distinction
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Pro-Vice Chancellor Award for Research – 2019, Monash University Malaysia
Ilankoon, Saman (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Pro-Vice Chancellor Award for Teaching – 2017, Monash University Malaysia
Ilankoon, Saman (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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School of Engineering Teaching Award – 2017
Ilankoon, Saman (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Minerals (Journal)
Saman Ilankoon (Guest editor)
1 Jan 2021 → 31 Dec 2021Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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Transport in Porous Media (Journal)
Saman Ilankoon (Peer reviewer)
2020 → 2021Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Peer review responsibility
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University of Science and Technology Beijing
Saman Ilankoon (Visiting researcher)
1 Jul 2019 → 15 Jul 2019Activity: Visiting an external institution types › Visiting an external academic institution
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National University of Laos
Saman Ilankoon (Visiting researcher)
1 Nov 2019 → 8 Nov 2019Activity: Visiting an external institution types › Visiting an external academic institution
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Environmental Science and Pollution Research (Journal)
Saman Ilankoon (Peer reviewer)
2019 → 2021Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Peer review responsibility
Press/Media
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Unwaste Project - United Nations Office on Drug and Crime
31/10/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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No time to waste: Dispose of your devices properly
16/11/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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IOT based electronic waste collection and management
7/02/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research