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Dr Francois Barkhuysen is a principal researcher and a leader in the fibre-modification focus area in the fibres and textiles technology area. Fibre modification research is aimed at developing and applying techniques and technologies that impart new properties to fibres, increasing their functionality.
Current activities and research interests
Fibre modification research focuses on imparting flame retardancy to cotton using various techniques, such as the sol gel technique, aiming at improving multi-functionality.
Novel research around electro-spinning has been initiated to develop nanofibre products utilising nonwoven technologies. Barkhuysen also forms part of a project team researching natural fibre reinforced composites and the use of plasma for fibre pre-treatment purposes.
Pioneering work is being carried out using information and communications technology to disseminate technical and scientific knowledge on the properties, processing and utilisation of natural fibres, such as wool and mohair. This is being done in partnership with wool and mohair grower organisations and industry.
Formal education
1972,
BSc Hons,
University of Port Elizabeth (UPE)
1976,
MSc Textile Technology,
University of Port Elizabeth (UPE)
1980,
PhD Textile Technology,
University of Port Elizabeth (UPE)
Experience
Barkhuysen’s textile career started in April 1968 and stretches over more than 39 years, covering a wide spectrum of textile disciplines, including scouring, carbonising, flameproofing, soil-resist and durable press treatment of textiles, the dyeing of natural and synthetic fibres and the use of radio frequency energy for the dyeing and drying of textiles.
A major part of his textile research activities centred on the shrink-resist (SR) treatment of wool. A patent for the SR treatment of wool, using dichlorocyanurate in the presence of organic acids, was granted in 1974. Another process for imparting shrink-resistance using methylolmelamine resins was patented in 1982. Barkhuysen is also the co-inventor of a process whereby wool can be shrink-resist treated with chlorine gas, a process patented in 1983 and still being used by the local textile industry. He was also involved in the development of a more environmentally-friendly SR process for wool based on Caro’s acid as the oxidant and is also the co-inventor of a patented stainblocking process for protein fibres.
He is an accredited senior lecturer in the Department of Textile Science at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and has recently been appointed as a research associate at NMMU. Furthermore, he is an extra-ordinary senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry (Polymer and Textiles) at Stellenbosch University. He supervises various MSc and PhD candidates at NMMU, and has served as external examiner for MSc dissertations and PhD theses submitted at other SA universities. Barkhuysen also acts as a moderator for the N1-N3 textile chemistry subjects for textile artisans under the auspices of the Department of Education.
He is a Chartered Textile Technologist, being an Associate of the Manchester-based Textile Institute and a founder member of the Colour Science Association of South Africa. He has served on the committee, also as vice-chairman, of the Eastern Cape Section of the Textile Institute for a number of years.
Barkhuysen's presentations have been included in numerous conference proceedings and he has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals in his field. Listings of papers, presentations, book chapters and conference proceedings as well as journal listings are available, while full text versions of recent CSIR research, which he authored, are available through the CSIR's research database. He contributes to human capital development in his field through supervising MSc and PhD students.
Organisational details
CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing
Metals and Metals Processes
P.O. Box 395
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Email: fbarkhuy@csir.co.za
Publications
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