Dr Kate Pitt
Post-Doctoral Research Associate

September 2016 - Present

Contact:​
Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin St, Sheffield, S1 3JD
+44 (0)114 222 7567
​[email protected]

Biography 
I graduated from Keele University in 2002 with a PhD in Chemistry. I was based within the Crystal Science Group and the aim of my research was to establish links between the crystallographic form of inorganic materials (e.g. calcium carbonate) and their functional properties.

I joined the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield in 2001 as a postdoctoral research associate within the Particle Products Group, working for Prof. Mike Hounslow. The aim of my project was to study how the morphology and habit of crystals affect their aggregation behaviour.

In 2005, I moved away from the laboratory to work for The Open University at their headquarters in Milton Keynes. Here, I was based within the Innovation and Enterprise Team in the Research School, which deals with Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer.

In 2008, I returned to the Particle Products Group at the University of Sheffield to pursue another postdoctoral project in crystal aggregation, investigating into how solid-state properties of crystals affect their aggregation behaviour.

From 2011 to 2014, I also worked with Prof. Agba Salman’s Granulation Research Group. In addition to my research into granule nucleation in a high shear mixer, I was also a member of the Organising Committee of the 5th and 6th International Granulation Workshops.

In 2014, I joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Sheffield, working in the area of additive manufacturing. My two research projects were ‘An investigation into microstructural nucleation and growth of Al-Cu alloys using additive manufacturing’ and ‘An Investigation into the materials properties of customised wood feedstock and depositable liquid binders for additive manufacturing’.

In 2015, I returned to the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering to work with Dr Rachel Smith and Prof. Jim Litster in the Particle Technology Group.  My research interests are granulation, particle coating, crystallisation and spherical agglomeration. Spherical agglomeration has potential as a size enlargement process in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and I have been working in collaboration with the CMAC Future manufacturing Research Hub on a CORE project, titled ‘Design of tuneable, scaleable spherical agglomeration processes to generate small agglomerates.

More recently, I joined the Nextrode Research Group led by Dr Rachel Smith and Dr Denis Cumming. My research involves the application of spherical agglomeration in lithium ion battery manufacturing and aims to produce controlled agglomerate structures for improved electrode structure and performance.

Selected Publications

• O. Arjmandi-Tash, J.D. Tew, K. Pitt, R. Smith, J.D. Litster (2019). A new mathematical model for nucleation of spherical agglomerates by the immersion mechanism, Chemical Engineering Science: X 4,  100048.
• S.A.L. de Koster, K. Pitt, J.D. Litster, R.M. Smith (2019). An investigation into the granule consolidation and layering mechanism, Powder Technology, 335, 514-525.
• Yusof, N., Green, J., Pitt, K., Arjmandi-Tash, O., Campbell, A.I., Ahmedian, H., Tantawy, H., Smith, R. (2019). A novel method for the analysis of particle coating behaviour via contact spreading in a tumbling drum: Effect of coating liquid viscosity, Powder Technology. 351, 102-114.
• Pitt, K., Smith, R.M., de Koster, S.A.L., Litster, J.D., Hounslow, M.J. (2018). Kinetic of immersion nucleation driven by surface tension. Powder Technology. 335, 62-69. 
• Pitt, K., Peña, R., Tew, J.D., Pal, K., Smith, R., Nagy, Z.K., Litster, J.D. (2018). Particle design via spherical agglomeration: A critical review of controlling parameters, rate processes and modelling. Powder Technology. 326, 327-343.
• Pitt, K., Lopez, O., Lafferty, A.D., Todd, I., Mumtaz, K.  (2017). Investigation into the material properties of wooden composite structures with in-situ fibre reinforcement using additive manufacturing. Composites Science and Technology. 138, 32-39.
• Ireland, E., Pitt, K., Smith, R. (2016). A review of pulsed flow fluidisation; the effects of intermittent gas flow on fluidised gas-solid bed behaviour. Powder Technology. 292, 108-121.
• Pitt, K., Hounslow, M.J. (2015). Aggregation of growing crystals in suspension: III. Accounting for adhesion and repulsion. Chemical Engineering Science. 133, 148-156.
• Pitt, K., Hounslow, M.J. (2015). Aggregation of growing crystals in suspension: II. Poiseuille flow crystalliser. Chemical Engineering Science. 122, 384-394.
• Hounslow, M.J., Wynn, E.J.W., Kubo, M., Pitt, K. (2013). Aggregation of growing crystals in suspension: I. Mumtaz revisited. Chemical Engineering Science. 101, 731-743.
• Pitt, K., Mitchell, G.P., Ray, A., Heywood, B.R., Hounslow, M.J. (2012). Micro-mechanical model of calcium oxalate monohydrate aggregation in supersaturated solutions: Effect of crystal form and seed concentration. Journal of Crystal Growth. 361, 176-188.
• Al Nasser, W.N., Pitt, K., Hounslow, M.J., Salman, A.D. (2012). Monitoring of aggregation and scaling of calcium carbonate in the presence of ultrasound irradiation using focused beam reflectance measurement. Powder Technology. 238, 151-160.
• Austin, J.C., Pitt, K.E., Haycock, P.W., Heywood, B.R., George, S.D., Liddle, J. (2004). Broad spectrum element-specific X-ray Imaging. NDT & E International. 37, 229-236.
• Braybook, A.L., Heywood, B.R., Jackson, R.A., Pitt, K. (2002). Parallel Computational and Experimental Studies of the Morphological Modification of Calcium Carbonate, J. Cryst. Growth. 243, 336-343.
• Contos, A.K., James, J.M., Heywood, B.R., Pitt, K., Rogers, P. (2001). Morphoanalysis of Baterially Precipitated Calcium Carbonate from Weebubbie Cave, Australia. Geomicrobiology. 18(3), 331-343.
• Heywood, B.R., Pitt, K., Hill, S., Williams, S.K. (2000). Bioinspired Templates for the Controlled Nucleation and Growth of Inorganic Materials. MRS Proc. 260, 1-12.