Patrick Keane

Dr Patrick Keane

Grant-Funded Research Fellow

School of Chemical Engineering

College of Engineering and Information Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

Dr. Patrick Keane is a recognised Professional Engineer (Mechanical & Chemical) and researcher who focuses on developing sustainable energy technologies and advanced material solutions.
Believing that necessity is the mother of invention, Dr. Keane is currently a Research Fellow at the University of South Australia's Future Industries Institute, where he is focused on developing and commercialising novel, unpressurised heat pump hot water systems (a project funded by the RACE 2030 CRC).
His work builds on his PhD research, "Amorphous Self-Healing Geopolymer Composites for Molten Salt Containment," and he continues to create new geopolymer solutions for thermal energy storage and refractories. This research, which was short-listed for the SA PhD Excellence Award in 2025, has also resulted in a provisional patent and been featured on the covers of top academic journals, including the Journal of the American Ceramic Society.
As actions speak louder than words, Dr. Keane has also been recognised for his research, winning a first-place award for best PhD presentation at the 2023 Alkali Activate Materials and Geopolymers ECI Conference. He actively translates his expertise into real-world applications through industry consulting and international collaborations, earning a US Army Corps of Engineers Challenge Coin for excellence and serving as an advisory board member for the 16th International Ceramic Congress.
Dr. Keane is an expert in advanced material characterisation (SEM/EDS, STA, XRD/XRF, Raman) and mechanical evaluation (ASTM standards). He is proficient with engineering software (MATLAB, ANSYS, Python) and holds certifications in Lean Six Sigma and Scrum.
His background includes 3D printing concrete structures with the U.S. Army and Marines and developing nanoparticulate metal oxides. He earned his PhD in Energy and Advanced Manufacturing from the University of South Australia and a B.S. in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering with a minor in Material Science from the University of Illinois.
"I am willing and capable to learn and adapt."

Year Citation
2025 Riahi, S., Evans, M., Keane, P., & Bruno, F. (2025). Random vibration impact and fatigue life analyses of aluminium tubes in latent heat thermal energy storage systems on refrigerated trucks. Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 44(e01412), e01412-1-e01412-12.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2024 Keane, P. F., Jacob, R., Belusko, M., Kriven, W. M., Stanford, N., & Bruno, F. (2024). Compositional effects in potassium metakaolin geopolymers containing alumina and glass frit. Ceramics International, 50(21), 43907-1-43917-11.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2024 Sa Ribeiro, R. A., Sa Ribeiro, M. G., Keane, P. F., Sardela, M. R., Sa Ribeiro, P. J., & Kriven, W. M. (2024). Regional metakaolin particle size reduction for higher strength geopolymer. International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology: ceramic product development and commercialization, 21(5), 3184-3192.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2023 Opolot, M., Zhao, C., Keane, P. F., Liu, M., Mancin, S., Bruno, F., & Hooman, K. (2023). Discharge performance of a high temperature phase change material with low-cost wire mesh. Applied Thermal Engineering, 223(article no. 120050), 120050-1-120050-18.
DOI Scopus7 WoS7
2023 Keane, P. F., Jacob, R., Belusko, M., & Bruno, F. (2023). Self-Healing Glass/Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer Composite Exposed to Molten Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride. Applied Sciences, 13(4), 2615-1-2615-13.
DOI Scopus6 WoS6
2023 Zhao, C., Opolot, M., Keane, P., Wang, J., Liu, M., Bruno, F., . . . Hooman, K. (2023). Thermal Characteristics of Melting of a Phase Change Material Enhanced by a Stainless-Steel 304 Periodic Structure. Energy Storage and Saving, 2(2), 442-448.
DOI Scopus12
2023 Haseli, P., Majewski, P., Christo, F., Keane, P., Jafarian, M., & Bruno, F. (2023). A review paper on the extraction of potassium from non-soluble resources with the use of acid and alkaline solution and molten salts. Minerals Engineering, 204(108365), 108365-1-108365-19.
DOI Scopus11 WoS10
2022 Keane, P., Jacob, R., Belusko, M., Kriven, W. M., Stanford, N., & Bruno, F. (2022). Microstructural evolution of amorphous self-healing geopolymer composites containing alumina and glass frit. International Journal of Ceramic Engineering and Science, 4(5), 327-339.
DOI Scopus11 WoS11
2022 Sá Ribeiro, M. G., Sardela, M. R., Keane, P. F., Lopez, J. S., Kriven, W. M., & Sá Ribeiro, R. A. (2022). Lateritic soil geopolymer composites for ceramics and engineering construction applications. International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology: ceramic product development and commercialization, 19(4), 2148-2159.
DOI Scopus6 WoS6
2021 Sá Ribeiro, M. G., Sá Ribeiro, M. G., Keane, P. F., Sardela, M. R., Kriven, W. M., & Sá Ribeiro, R. A. (2021). Acid resistance of metakaolin-based, bamboo fiber geopolymer composites. Construction and Building Materials, 302(124194), 124194-1-124194-9.
DOI Scopus43 WoS39
2021 Keane, P. F., Foltz, J. S., Chadha, V., Marsh, C. P., & Kriven, W. M. (2021). Amorphous self-healed, chopped basalt fiber-reinforced, geopolymer composites. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 104(7), 3443-3451.
DOI Scopus19 WoS17
2021 Bhuiya, A. W., Hu, M., Sankar, K., Keane, P. F., Ribero, D., & Kriven, W. M. (2021). Bone ash reinforced geopolymer composites. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 104(6), 2767-2779.
DOI Scopus18 WoS16
2021 Keane, P., Jacob, R., Trout, N., Clarke, S., & Bruno, F. (2021). Thermal stability of a waste-based alkali-activated material for thermal energy storage. Chemical Thermodynamics and Thermal Analysis, 3-4, 100014-1-100014-9.
DOI Scopus15

Year Citation
2019 Keane, P. F., & Kriven, W. M. (2019). Microstructure and flexure strengths of dolomite particulate-reinforced geopolymer composites. In J. Wang, W. Kriven, T. Fey, P. Colombo, W. J. Weber, J. Amoroso, . . . M. Fukushima (Eds.), Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings Vol. 39 (pp. 173-181). FL, Daytona Beach: AMER CERAMIC SOC.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2017 Keane, P. F., Kutyla, G. P., Wight, J. F., Rickard, W., & Kriven, W. M. (2017). Mica platelet-reinforced geopolymer composites. In W. M. Kriven, J. Wang, Y. Zhou, D. Zhu, & G. Costa (Eds.), Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings Vol. 37 (pp. 13-20). FL, Daytona Beach: JOHN WILEY & SONS INC.
DOI Scopus6 WoS1
2017 Kutyla, G. P., Keane, P. F., Kriven, W. M., Carlson, T. A., & Marsh, C. P. (2017). Strength improvements in clay-based ceramic reinforced with discontinuous basalt fiber. In J. Salem, D. Singh, M. Fukushima, & A. Gyekenyesi (Eds.), MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND PERFORMANCE OF ENGINEERING CERAMICS AND COMPOSITES XI Vol. 37 (pp. 227-233). FL, Daytona Beach: JOHN WILEY & SONS INC.
DOI Scopus1
2017 Kutyla, G. P., Keane, P. F., Kriven, W. M., Carlson, T. A., & Marsh, C. P. (2017). Strength improvements in clay-based ceramic reinforced with discontinuous basalt fiber. In Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings Vol. 37 (pp. 227-233).
DOI Scopus2
2014 Musil, S. S., Keane, P. F., & Kriven, W. M. (2014). Green composite: Sodium-based geopolymer reinforced with chemically extracted corn husk fibers. In Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings Vol. 34 (pp. 123-133). Wiley.
DOI Scopus26

  • Development and Commercialisation of a Novel Domestic Heat Pump Water Heater, Race for 2030, 05/08/2025 - 20/02/2028

  • Electrifying the Cold Chain – Phase 2, Race for 2030, 04/04/2023 - 14/02/2025

  • Electrifying the Cold Chain – phase 2, Race for 2030, 17/04/2023 - 16/04/2024

Courses I teach

  • MATH 1063 Mathematical Methods for Engineers 1 (2025)
  • MENG 1012 Engineering Mechanics (2025)

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