Kathryn Hadler

Kathryn Hadler is an Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Earth Science & Engineering at Imperial College London's Faculty of Engineering. Her research spans terrestrial mineral processing optimization and space resource utilization (SRU/ISRU), aiming to advance sustainable mining practices and enable extraterrestrial resource extraction. She leads the Advanced Mineral Processing Research Group and collaborates with the Space Lab to develop lunar regolith processing technologies.

Education: MEng (Chemical Engineering with French, UMIST, 2002), PhD (Down the bank froth stability and flotation performance, University of Manchester, 2006). Professional roles include Post-doctoral Research Associate (2006-2011) and Lecturer (2011-present) at Imperial College London.

Research focuses on: 1) Dry mineral processing using electrostatic/triobelectric methods to reduce water usage in mining; 2) Lunar oxygen production via mineral reduction techniques adapted for low-gravity environments; 3) Design optimization of flotation cells and hydrocyclones using CFD modeling and experimental validation. Key innovations include the Peak Air Recovery optimization strategy and novel tribocharger designs.

Recent work emphasizes SRU challenges: particle size control via vibration-induced segregation, automated dry sieving mechanisms, and hybrid ISRU plant configurations. Over 50 peer-reviewed publications span mineral separation fundamentals, space resource systems, and electrostatic particle manipulation.

Awards: No explicit awards listed, though contributions to SRU and dry processing methodologies are internationally recognized. Active in developing Imperial's space engineering curriculum and laboratory infrastructure for lunar resource prototyping.