South African chemical engineering journal goes international

Popular open-access journal, the South African Journal of Chemical Engineering (SAJCE), has found a new publishing home at Elsevier. Originally published by the South African Institution of Chemical Engineers (SAIChE), the move to a world-leading scientific publisher brings published papers to the attention of a wider international audience for the first time.

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and SAIChE signed a partnership agreement in 2014. This allows both organisations to explore and offer enhanced member benefits. The partnership has enabled SAJCE to join IChemE’s journal portfolio, which is published by Elsevier.

The journal’s aims and scope have been revised to attract papers under a new topic heading; Unique issues facing chemical engineering in developing nations. New and emerging economies face specific technical and societal challenges. Detailed knowledge of local conditions is needed in order to tackle these challenges more effectively. This aspect of chemical engineering is not widely addressed by other journals, hence Elsevier’s enthusiasm to publish new work in the area.

Launched in the 1980s, the SAJCE is at the forefront of chemical engineering research in South Africa. Accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training, it allows local researchers to claim state support for their work.

The journal remains freely available and will be hosted on Elsevier’s digital platform ScienceDirect, providing international exposure for authors.

IChemE’s director of publications, Claudia Flavell-While, commented; "I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to add the South African Journal of Chemical Engineering to our growing list of journal titles. SAJCE is the first fully open-access journal we’re involved with, and because of its specific focus on chemical engineering in the developing world, we are striving to keep article processing charges low. Published research will now gain much greater visibility through its inclusion on the ScienceDirect platform.”

The journal’s core topics include; environmental process engineering, reaction engineering, separation technologies, process and materials synthesis, metallurgical process engineering, coal technology and chemical engineering education. However, the editorial board are keen to receive a broad range of submissions, within, and allied to the field of chemical engineering.