The Spriggs Phase Equilibria Award shall be given to the author or authors who, in the judgment of the award committee, made the most valuable contribution to phase stability relationships in ceramic-based systems literature during the calendar year prior to the selection.
A phase equilibria article is defined as a paper, article, or report published in a technical or trade journal, or in a bulletin from a school, laboratory, technical bureau, or experimental station, or in a pamphlet or book form. It must be complete and readily available to the public.
2025 Awardee
“Analysis of slag chemistry in WEEE smelting using experimental and modelling study of the “CuO0.5”-ZnO-FeO-FeO1.5-CaO-SiO2-AlO1.5system in equilibrium with Cu metal”; Georgii Khartcyzov, Cora Kleeberg, Maksym Shevchenko, Denis Shishin, Evgueni Jak; Ceramics International; Volume 50, Issue 15, 1 August 2024, Pages 26513-26527
Contact
Erica Zimmerman
ezimmerman@ceramics.org
Award Winners
Denis Shishin
Dr. Denis Shishin is a distinguished expert in pyrometallurgy, renowned for his leadership in developing advanced thermodynamic tools for non-ferrous metal applications. He holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Chemistry from Moscow State University, and a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, where he notably collaborated with FactSage software creators, Prof. Arthur Pelton and Prof. Christopher Bale.
In 2014, Dr. Shishin joined the University of Queensland’s Pyrometallurgy Innovation Centre (PYROSEARCH), co-founded by Professors Peter Hayes and Evgeni Jak. Arriving at a challenging time for metallurgical programs in Australia, he quickly identified a critical industry need for computational tools to predict high-temperature reaction outcomes. This led to his pioneering work on UQPY, a computational tool serving as a “digital twin” for pyrometallurgical processes, enabling optimization and minimizing costly pilot testing. The current scope of the program includes:
Cu-Fe-O-S-Si (2014) + Ca-Al-Mg (2015) + Pb-Zn-As-Sb-Bi-Sn-Ag-Au (2017) + Cr (2019) + Ni-Co (2020)+ Na (2023).
As a Theme Leader in Thermodynamic Modelling and Education since 2022, Dr. Shishin coordinates the development of a semi-automated, distributed system to continuously improve thermodynamic database. His expertise has been crucial numerous confidential industry projects, providing chemical modelling insights. He Lectures “Chemical Thermodynamics” and “Pyrometallurgy” courses for undergraduate students. He also developed online training course in high temperature thermochemistry, which has seen 193 industry engineers from 15 countries graduate by 2025.
Georgii Khartcyzov
Georgii Khartcyzov is a metallurgical engineer and researcher based in Brisbane, Australia, with a deep specialization in phase equilibria, chemical thermodynamics, and pyrometallurgical process modelling. He earned his PhD from The University of Queensland in 2024, where his research focused on developing thermodynamic databases to optimize the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Prior to this, he completed a Master of Philosophy and a Bachelor of Engineering in Metallurgical Engineering, with a strong emphasis on experimental phase equilibria.
His research integrates high-temperature experimentation with advanced thermodynamic modelling, supporting innovations in sustainable metallurgy and resource recovery. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the 2023 Bill Whiten Memorial Prize by the Sustainable Minerals Institute at The University of Queensland.
Dr. Khartcyzov has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and presented at leading international conferences. His work bridges academic research and industrial application, contributing to the development of cleaner, more efficient metallurgical processes.