Industrial Thermochemical Conversion Group

Dr. Leili Tafaghodi

Ph.D

With the support of some industry partners, Leili Tafaghodi has joined Materials Engineering Department in 2016 as an assistant professor and the extractive metallurgy industry chair at UBC. She received her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto. Prior to UBC, Leili taught Mineral Processing and introduction to the Resource Industries at the University of Toronto. During her graduate studies, she developed strong international collaboration with the University of Tokyo.

Leili has been working on sustainable high temperature processing of materials. She specializes in synthesis and refining of high quality metals and alloys with a focus on alternative approaches for purification of silicon for solar applications. This research has been undertaken with the long term objective of replacing the current energy intensive, complex purification process by a simpler and less expensive method. Her areas of expertise also include roasting of refractory gold ores, pyrometallurgical processing of nickel laterites, liquid mixing in metallurgical baths, and non intrusive monitoring of metallurgical operations.

Leili’s work has been published in various peer-reviewed journals including Metallurgical and Materials Transaction B, the Journal of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, the Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan, and recently in Alloys and Compounds. She received the best paper award from TMS Light Metal Division.