Professor Rachael Rothman (née Elder)

MA MEng (Cantab), PhD, AMIChemE

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering

Director of Student Support

Associate Director Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures

Academic Lead for Sustainability

Professor Rachael Rothman
Profile picture of Professor Rachael Rothman
r.rothman@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7574

Full contact details

Professor Rachael Rothman (née Elder)
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Room F62
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

I was born and brought up in Teesside and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a first class MEng in Chemical Engineering. I spent a year in Sweden before embarking on my PhD at the University of Sheffield.

Following my PhD I was a postdoctoral research associate for two years, becoming a lecturer in 2009 and a senior lecturer in 2014. During this time I was the departmental Support Teaching Coordinator, 4th Year Tutor and Director of Student Support.

I led the department’s successful Athena SWAN silver award submission in 2013 and was the Faculty Director for Women in Engineering 2014 – 2017, leading the faculty's equality and diversity activities. I have twice taken a year of maternity leave following the birth of my sons.

As Director for Women in Engineering I led a team of people working to improve equality and diversity, with a particular focus on gender equality. We strive to be the number one place for women to work and study engineering and organise numerous outreach events and activities to increase the proportion of female staff and students and put in place long-lasting cultural changes.

I was a member of the British Orienteering team for 16 years, ran 7 world championships and have two gold medals from the World University Championships. I have now retired from international racing but still love to go orienteering and am actively involved in coaching local and university athletes and am a mentor on the University Elite Sports Performance Scheme.

Research interests

My research is in the development and analysis of sustainable processes and clean energy systems. My interests lie in whole systems analysis, clean energy technologies and thermochemical and electrochemical cycles for hydrogen production and carbon dioxide utilisation.

Recent projects include:

  • the EPSRC funded 4CU project, investigating utilisation of carbon dioxide to form fuel
  • the European Framework 7 HycycleS project, looking at key components for the Sulfur Iodine and Hybrid Sulphur cycles for hydrogen production
  • the KNOO (Keeping the Nuclear Option Open) project, investigating nuclear hydrogen production.

Research interests

  • Sustainable Processes
  • Clean Energy Systems
  • Thermochemical and Electrochemical Cycles
  • Hydrogen Production
  • Carbon Dioxide Utilisation
  • Membrane Separations
  • Whole System Analysis
Publications

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Rothman R & Ryan AJ (2023) The History and Future of Plastics, Plastic Pollution in the Global Ocean (pp. 21-46). WORLD SCIENTIFIC RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder R, Cumming D & Mogensen MB (2015) High Temperature Electrolysis, Carbon Dioxide Utilisation (pp. 183-209). Elsevier RIS download Bibtex download
  • Almegren H, Armstrong K, Bardow A, Barnes M, Bocarsly AB, Cumming D, Dowson G, Edwards PP, Elder R, France LJ , Gadikota G et al (2015) List of Contributors, Carbon Dioxide Utilisation (pp. xi-xiii). Elsevier RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder R, Cumming D & Mogensen MB (2015) High Temperature Electrolysis, Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: Closing the Carbon Cycle: First Edition (pp. 183-209). RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

  • Hoseini M, Greenwood S, Baird H, Webb T, Mattinson P, Fairclough P & Rothman R (2022) Many Happy Returns: Combining Environmental, Technological and Behavioural Sciences to Understand What Is Required to Make Reusable Packaging Sustainable. The AIChE Annual Meeting RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dong S, Kremers E, Brucoli M, Brown S & Rothman R (2020) Impact of household heterogeneity on community energy storage in the UK. Energy Reports, Vol. 6(Supplement 5) (pp 117-123). Southampton, UK, 9 July 2019 - 10 July 2019. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dong S, Kremers E, Brucoli M, Brown SF & Rothman R (2018) Residential PV-BES Systems: Economic and Grid Impact Analysis. Energy Procedia, Vol. 151 (pp 199-208), 11 September 2018 - 12 September 2018. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mehranjani AS, Cumming DJ, Call AV & Rothman R (2015) A Study of 8YSZ/GDC Bi-Layered Electrolyte: The Effect of 2 Mol% Fe2O3 Dopant on Sintering and Conductivity. ECS meeting SOFC-XIV (SOFC Electrolytes, Cells and Stacks) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Thompson AR, Call AV, Cumming DJ, Sinclair DC & Elder RH (2015) Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Data from Solid Oxide Cells Undergoing Co-Electrolysis: The Influence of Rig Inductance. ECS Transactions, Vol. 68(1) (pp 3417-3427) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Manerova J, Call AV, Sinclair DC & Elder RH (2015) Methodology for Analysis of Solid Oxide Cells via Raman Spectroscopy. ECS Transactions, Vol. 68(1) (pp 2083-2092) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH, He G, Cumming DJ & Allen RWK (2013) Separation of sulphur dioxide and oxygen in thermochemical hydrogen production. Fuels and Petrochemicals Division 2013 - Core Programming Area at the 2013 AIChE Annual Meeting: Global Challenges for Engineering a Sustainable Future (pp 204) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cumming DJ, Taylor R, Manerova J, Sinclair DC, Hardacre C & Elder RH (2013) In-Situ Monitoring of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells. ECS Transactions, Vol. 58(2) (pp 207-216) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH (2012) Developing tools for teaching chemical engineering unit operation design. EE 2012 - International Conference on Innovation, Practice and Research in Engineering Education, Conference Proceedings RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH (2011) Developing tools for teaching chemical engineering unit operation design. Process Development Division - Core Programming Topic at the 2011 AIChE Annual Meeting (pp 147-148) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH & Roeb M (2011) HycycleS: Materials and components for hydrogen production by sulphur based thermochemical cycles - Summary of key results from the European collaborative project. Engineering Sciences and Fundamentals - Core Programming Topic at the 2011 AIChE Annual Meeting, Vol. 1 (pp 4) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH, Shaw A, Romero M, Elbakhbakhi N, Priestman GH & Allen RWK (2010) Low Temperature Separations in the Sulphuric Acid Decomposition Stage of the Sulphur Iodine and Hybrid Sulphur Thermochemical Water Splitting Cycles. 18th World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2010, WHEC 2010, Proceedings, Vol. 2 (pp 349-354) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH, Atkin I, Priestman GH, Sinclair DC & Allen RWK (2010) Improving Sulphur Dioxide Yield in the Sulphuric Acid Thermal Decomposition Process through the Application of High Temperature Ceramic Membrane Separations. 18th World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2010, WHEC 2010, Proceedings, Vol. 2 (pp 259-265) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH, Elbakhbakhi NM, Priestman GH & Allen RWK (2008) Application of nafion membranes to the sulphur iodine cycle. AIChE Annual Meeting, Conference Proceedings RIS download Bibtex download
  • Le Duigou A, Borgard JM, Larousse B, Doizi D, Werkoff F, Allen R, Ewan BC, Priestman GH, Devonshire R, Elder R , Minocha M et al (2007) Recent progress in EC funded project HYTHEC on massive scale hydrogen production via thermochemical cycles. 2007 AIChE Annual Meeting RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH, Priestman GH & Allen RWK (2007) Improving the efficiency of the sulphur iodine thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production using membrane separations. AIChE Annual Meeting, Conference Proceedings RIS download Bibtex download
  • Le Duigou A, Borgard JM, Larousse B, Doizi D, Werkoff F, Allen R, Ewan BC, Priestman GH, Devonshire R, Elder R , Minocha M et al (2006) HYTHEC : Aims and first assessments of an EC funded project on massive scale hydrogen production via thermochemical cycles. 16th World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2006, WHEC 2006, Vol. 3 (pp 2031-2041) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH, Ewan BC, Priestman GH & Allen RWK (2005) The separation of HIx in the sulphur iodine thermochemical cycle for sustainable hydrogen production. 7th World Congress of Chemical Engineering, GLASGOW2005, incorporating the 5th European Congress of Chemical Engineering (pp 50-51) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Elder RH, Borgard JM, Priestman GH, Ewan BC & Allen RWK (2005) Use of membranes and reactive distillation for the separation of HI x in the Sulphur-Iodine cycle. AIChE Annual Meeting, Conference Proceedings (pp 7744-7754) RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Grants

I currently hold two EPSRC Energy Feasibility grants, one looking at plasma and fluidic assisted electrolysis for carbon dioxide utilisation and one investigating solar fuels from sustainable feedstock using earth-abundant catalysts.

Teaching activities
  • CPE321: Design Project
  • CPE2012: Chemical Engineering Design