About
My name is Professor Bernie Binks and I am based in the UK. I graduated with a BSc in Chemistry (1983) and
a PhD in surface chemistry (1986) with my thesis being on microemulsions in enhanced oil recovery. After
postdoctoral years at the ENS, Paris and at the University of Hull, I became Lecturer in the Department of
Chemistry, University of Hull in 1991 and was promoted to Professor in 2003. I was Director of the Surfactant
& Colloid Group (>30 strong) for 15 years. – My CV
My research interests include:
- Surfactant science (adsorption and aggregation)
- Microemulsions (structure and formation)
- Emulsions (surfactant- and particle-stabilised Pickering, suspoemulsions)
- Foams (aqueous and non-aqueous)
- Antifoaming (particles, oil, particles+oil)
- Colloidal dispersions (aqueous and non-aqueous)
- Spreading/wetting (on solid and liquid surfaces)
- Particles at fluid-fluid interfaces (air-water, oil-water, water-water, oil-oil, air-oil)
- Novel soft materials (dry water, liquid marbles, powdered oil, foamulsions)
I have published around 350 peer-reviewed papers, edited 3 research books and have 17 patents. – My Publications
I have partnered with over 30 companies to tackle product optimisation and innovation. These include Unilever, BP, Shell, Lubrizol, Nestlé, GSK, Reckitt
Benckiser, Kodak, Syngenta, Dow AgroSciences, AAK, Dow Corning, Halliburton (USA), Rich’s (USA),
Nalco (USA), Shiseido (Japan), Bayer (Germany), Wacker (Germany), Rhodia (France), Firmenich
(Switzerland) and Akzo Nobel (Sweden).
A few successful outcomes are:
- Controlled aeration of fats including chocolate
- Novel surfactants for enhanced oil recovery
- Foaming and antifoaming of lubrication oils
- Pickering emulsions as new sunscreen formulations
- Evaporation from emulsions relevant to agrochemical application
- New emulsifiers for non-dairy whipped emulsions
- Controlling delivery of perfumes from formulations
- Colloidal particle effects in cosmetics formulations
- Surfactant-particle synergism in oilfield chemical formulations
- Crystallisation influence in emulsions
Corrosion inhibitors as surfactants - Aqueous foams in home and personal care products
I have acted as Consultant to over 30 companies and been an expert witness on 2 patent litigation cases.
I have received the following international research awards:
2004 Colloid & Interface Science Group Medal of Royal Society of Chemistry
2011 European Colloid and Interface Society – Rhodia Prize
2014 Surfaces and Interfaces Award, Faraday Division of Royal Society of Chemistry
2016 Langmuir Lecturer Award, Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry of American Chemical Society
2022 Sir Eric Rideal Award and Lecture of Royal Society of Chemistry/Society of Chemical Industry
2022 R&D for Society Award of Society of Chemical Industry
2023 Overbeek Gold Medal of European Colloid and Interface Society (lifetime achievement)
2024 Lectureship Award, Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry of Chemical Society of Japan
