Obituary - Dr Douglas Flett CEng FIMMM
Douglas Flett was one of the leading world experts in extractive metallurgy, particularly in metal separation technologies, and was a Vice-President and Honorary Treasurer of the Institution of Mining & Metallurgy
Dr Douglas Flett CEng FIMMM
3 June 1936 - 25 April 2023
Dr Flett was born 3 June 1936 in Inverness, Scotland and was educated at Robert Gordons College, Aberdeen and at Aberdeen University where he gained a BSc in chemistry and a PhD in physical chemistry in 1959. Dr Flett worked for two years with The Permutit Company Ltd in London on several aspects of resin ion exchange and on ion exchange membranes. He then joined the Mineral Processing Division of the Warren Spring Laboratory in Stevenage, Hertfordshire where he worked on various aspects of solvent extraction of metal ions.
Over time Dr Flett rose through the ranks to finally become Head of the Metals Extraction Division of Warren Spring Laboratory and then Head of the Minerals and Metals Division when the Metals Extraction and Mineral Processing Divisions merged in 1985. He became an independent consultant in 1991 after the closure of the Minerals and Metals Division at the end of 1990, then joined Leeds Mineral Services Group as a part time consultant until the closure of the Group in 1992.
At Warren Spring Laboratory, Dr Flett established himself as one of the leading world experts in extractive metallurgy, particularly in metal separation technologies and specifically in solvent extraction for base metals, rare earths and precious and platinum group metals. He also worked on many aspects of cobalt-nickel separation in weakly acidic sulfate solutions. In this field he was responsible for work which led to the design and implementation of the cobalt solvent extraction plant at what is now Anglo Platinum's Base Metal Refinery at Rustenburg, South Africa, a plant which runs to this day. He has over a hundred publications including patents on metals extraction and purification processes.
Dr Flett is a past Vice President and past Honorary Treasurer of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy and has served on many of its committees. He was the Separation Science Lecturer of the Society of Chemical Industry in 1998 and in 1999 was awarded the Carl Hanson Medal for his achievements in solvent extraction science and technology, particularly for his work on the use of solvent extraction for the recovery and separation of metals. In 2006 he was awarded the Futers Gold Medal by the IMMM for outstanding services to the international minerals industry.