Dr Mark Leaper

BEng, DIS, MSc, PhD, PGCertHE, FHEA, CEng, FIChemE

  • Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
  • Placements tutor

Research groups and centres

Publications
Researcher ID Google Scholar
headshot of Mark with a teal background

Background:

Dr Leaper obtained a BEng in Chemical Engineering from Loughborough University in 1993, MSc in Bulk Solids Handling from Glasgow Caledonian University in 1995 and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Birmingham in 2002 in the field of fluidised beds. He has also worked as a research fellow at the Universities of Greenwich and Nottingham. In 2007 he was appointed as a Senior Lecturer at the Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University and then a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Aston University in 2012. In January 2016 he joined Loughborough University as a Senior Lecturer.

Qualifications:

  • BEng, DIS Chemical Engineering (Loughborough)
  • MSc Bulk Solids Handling (Glasgow Caledonian)
  • PhD Chemical Engineering (Birmingham)
  • PGCertHE (De Montfort)
  • FHEA
  • Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (FIChemE), Chartered Engineer

Outline of main research interests:

  • Powder caking and storage
  • powder handling
  • formulation engineering
  • pharmaceutical manufacturing
  • drug delivery
  • novel particle separation
  • particle manipulation
  • sustainable solid fuels.

Grants and contracts:

  • Norwegian Research Council (BIA) - Effective Handling of Alumina with Focus on Reduction of Erosion and Scale Formation - £25k – 1/10/2015 – 30/9/2019 – Consortium headed by Tel-Tek, Porsgrunn, Norway. (CI)
  • Diamond Light Source - £35k -1/10/2014-30/9/2017- Joint PhD with CEAC, Aston University – “Novel methods for positioning particles in synchrotrons”. (PI)
  • EPSRC - £9k – 1/10/2011- 30/11/2012 – EP/J00667X/1 “Enhancing powder technology research cooperation between De Montfort University and Scandinavian institutions”, in collaboration with Tel-Tek, Porsgrunn, Norway. (PI)
  • East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) - £15k – 1/3/2011-30/9/2011 – Innovation Fellowship investigating the removal of chewing gum using natural products. (CI)
  • EPSRC First Grant- £230k – 1/4/2009-31/5/2011-EP/G016224/1 “Novel particle analysis methods”, supported by Unilever Research Port Sunlight. (PI)
  • East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) - £55k – 1/1/2009-31/3/2010 – “Leaving out the lumps – using AFM to analyse the caking of spray-dried materials”, in collaboration with Dr Andrew Stapley, Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University. (PI)

Current teaching responsibilities:

  • CGA004 Chemical Engineering Laboratory
  • CGB001 Process Safety and Design
  • CGB014 Instrumentation and Control
  • CGB017 Reaction Engineering I
  • CGB019 Particle Technology
  • CGC001 Individual Design Project
  • CGC002 Professional Development Project
  • CGC033 Research Project
  • CGC038 Team Process Design Project
  • CGD060 Mixing of Fluids and Particles
  • CGP056 MSc Project
  • CGP060 MSc Mixing of Fluids and Particles

Current administrative responsibilities:

  • Placements Tutor for Chemical Engineering.
  • Member: Placements Advisors Group.
  • Member: Courses and Teaching Committee

Selected publications:

Darwish, N.B., Alkhudhiri, A., AlRomaih, H., Alalawi, A., Leaper, M.C., Hilal, N. (2020) Effect of lithium chloride additive on forward osmosis membranes performance. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2019.101049

Vinner, G.K., Rezaie-Yazdi, Z., Leppanen, M., Stapley, A.G.F., Leaper, M.C., Malik, D.J. (2019) Microencapsulation of Salmonella-specific bacteriophage felix o1 using spray-drying in a ph-responsive formulation and direct compression tableting of powders into a solid oral dosage form. Pharmaceuticals, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/ph12010043

Leaper, M.C., Fisk, E., Browne, R. (2019) Feasibility study to investigate caking in washing powder formulations using a Freeman FT4 powder rheometer. Particulate Science and Technology, 37(8). https://doi.org/10.1080/02726351.2017.1409302

Leaper, M.C., Ali, K., Ingham, A.J. (2018) Comparing the Dynamic Flow Properties and Compaction Properties of Pharmaceutical Powder Mixtures. Chemical Engineering and Technology, 41(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/ceat.201600651

Jaggi, V., Leaper, M.C., Ingham, A. (2016) Measuring the flow properties of small powder samples using an avalanche tester. Drying Technology, 34(6). https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2015.1072093

Liu, S., Leaper, M., Miles, N.J. (2014) Particle separation by horizontal deflection in paramagnetic fluid. Powder Technology, 267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2014.03.074

Liu, S., Leaper, M., Miles, N.J. (2014) Vertical flotation of particles in a paramagnetic fluid. Powder Technology, 261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2014.03.067

External collaborators:

  • Unilever
  • McBride
  • Buchi
  • Diamond Light Source
  • Tel-Tek, University College Telemark (Norway)
  • University of Nairobi (Kenya)
  • Sanivation (Kenya)
  • Flamingo Ltd (UK)

External roles and appointments:

  • External PhD Examiner: College of Engineering, Swansea University (2012- ) and School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham (2012 - ).
  • Referee in following journals: Desalination, Powder Technology, Drying Technology, Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, International Journal of Pharmaceutics
  • Reviewing grant applications for the Danish Council for Independent Research, Technology and Production Sciences in the area of nanotechnology, EPSRC and British Council Newton Fund (also panel member)
  • Committee member of IChemE Particle Technology Special Interest Group
  • Scientific committee member for RSC “Particulate Systems Analysis” conference in September 2014.
  • Scientific committee member for Relpowflo V, Skien, Norway, June 2017.