Markus Kraft awarded IChemE's Geldart Medal

Professor Markus Kraft has been awarded The 2026 Geldart Medal by the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).

The Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology professor was voted as the recipient ‘in recognition of his pioneering work in the combustion synthesis of organic and inorganic nanostructured particles’.

The deciding panel said: “Prof Kraft’s research has had broad impact both within and beyond the particle technology community and his achievements have been widely used in industry.”

Prof Kraft received the medal during the IChemE Spring Conferring Ceremony held at Royal Armouries in Leeds on 29 May 2026.

He said: “I am honoured to be awarded The Geldart Medal by the IChemE. It was wonderful to join my fellow chemical engineers and medal winners in Leeds for such a great event. I really enjoyed celebrating with everyone and taking the time to catch up with colleagues.”

The Geldart Medal was introduced in 2014 to recognise a major contribution to research in the area of particle technology.

The medal is named after Derek Geldart, former Emeritus Professor of Powder Technology at the University of Bradford, whose classification of powders according to their fluidisation behaviour remains influential in the field.

Prof Kraft is internationally recognised for his work in computational modelling of combustion phenomena and particle technology. His research has advanced understanding of nanoparticle formation and contributed to applications in areas including energy, manufacturing and sustainability.

He was a founding Director of the Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education (CARES) in Singapore, stepping away from the role last year, and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Meanwhile, Professor Jonathan Seville, who studied Chemical Engineering at the department in the 1970s, was awarded the 2026 Davidson Medal by IChemE in recognition of his lifelong commitment to mentoring within the profession.

The medal – named after CEB’s former Head of Department, and the man known as the ‘founding father of fluidisation’, John Davidson – recognises individuals who have been active mentors in industry or academia. Seville, who had himself been mentored by Davidson as a undergraduate, saw the honour as ‘very satisfying’.