Advanced chemical recycling of mixed plastics for monomer recovery. This project aims to develop innovative catalytic routes to the chemical recycling of mixed plastics for recovery of their molecular building blocks. Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to the Australian ecosystem. Efficient recycling technologies are urgently needed as Australia only recycles ~4% of its 3.4 million tons of mixed waste plastics. This project expects to design highly efficient catalysts for the stepwise ....Advanced chemical recycling of mixed plastics for monomer recovery. This project aims to develop innovative catalytic routes to the chemical recycling of mixed plastics for recovery of their molecular building blocks. Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to the Australian ecosystem. Efficient recycling technologies are urgently needed as Australia only recycles ~4% of its 3.4 million tons of mixed waste plastics. This project expects to design highly efficient catalysts for the stepwise breakdown of mixed polyolefin plastics into monomers for the subsequent manufacturing of virgin plastics in a circular economy, and to elucidate fundamental underpinning reaction mechanisms. Outcomes will stimulate the Australian waste plastic recycling industry, and minimise plastic accumulation in the environment.Read moreRead less
Scale-up of catalytic furandicarboxylic acid production at room temperature. This project will use new knowledge acquired from our laboratory-scale discoveries to develop a new process feasible for industrial-scale production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). The method makes FDCA, a platform chemical for future chemical industry, from a completely renewable source derived from plant sugars, 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural. This is an essential process for production of biodegradable plastic from s ....Scale-up of catalytic furandicarboxylic acid production at room temperature. This project will use new knowledge acquired from our laboratory-scale discoveries to develop a new process feasible for industrial-scale production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). The method makes FDCA, a platform chemical for future chemical industry, from a completely renewable source derived from plant sugars, 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural. This is an essential process for production of biodegradable plastic from sugar that has not been commercialised. This technology will realise sizeable industrial-scale production of FDCA at low costs and without heating. The production development of this valuable commodity from renewable plant sugars will provide high-quality postgraduate training in future green chemical production methods.Read moreRead less
University of Queensland/Arizona State University partnership to design industrially suitable zeolite membranes for desalination. For desalination, the highest costs are organic-based membrane replacement (lasting ~1 year) and energy requirement. Functionalised zeolitic membranes are low-cost, high performing, chemically tolerant and thermally stable. New zeolite membranes in principle could perform the separation outlasting their organic counterparts, while at the same time offering major energ ....University of Queensland/Arizona State University partnership to design industrially suitable zeolite membranes for desalination. For desalination, the highest costs are organic-based membrane replacement (lasting ~1 year) and energy requirement. Functionalised zeolitic membranes are low-cost, high performing, chemically tolerant and thermally stable. New zeolite membranes in principle could perform the separation outlasting their organic counterparts, while at the same time offering major energy reductions from higher fluxes. Current zeolite membrane research for desalination however is lacking. The proposed team offers experience in bringing highly significant lab scale technologies to industrial scales. The outcomes will address mutual priorities between Australia and USA for reliable low cost supply of fresh water.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC150100019
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,571,797.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Liquefied Natural Gas Futures. ARC Training Centre for Liquefied Natural Gas Futures. This training centre aims to deliver projects and training to enable future Australian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production from reserves in deep water, at small or remote on-shore locations, with greater efficiency, less environmental impact, and at lower cost than currently possible. This should be accomplished via research projects undertaken by the PhD students and research fellows ....ARC Training Centre for Liquefied Natural Gas Futures. ARC Training Centre for Liquefied Natural Gas Futures. This training centre aims to deliver projects and training to enable future Australian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production from reserves in deep water, at small or remote on-shore locations, with greater efficiency, less environmental impact, and at lower cost than currently possible. This should be accomplished via research projects undertaken by the PhD students and research fellows with guidance from the centre’s industrial partners. The centre’s expected legacy is a unique research and training facility, designed for future integration into a microscale LNG plant. The anticipated research and training outcomes will help to ensure Australia plays a leading role in future global LNG developments.Read moreRead less
Mudstones as methane sources: gas production from coal seam interburden. Carbonaceous mudstones associated with coal measures already exploited for gas present an attractive reservoir of methane. This project seeks to provide methods for accessing this gas. Mudstone associated with coal seam gas developments are very extensive and gas quantities may exceed even that in the coal itself. Further infrastructure and access permits are already in place for coal seam gas recovery. Unlike shale, which ....Mudstones as methane sources: gas production from coal seam interburden. Carbonaceous mudstones associated with coal measures already exploited for gas present an attractive reservoir of methane. This project seeks to provide methods for accessing this gas. Mudstone associated with coal seam gas developments are very extensive and gas quantities may exceed even that in the coal itself. Further infrastructure and access permits are already in place for coal seam gas recovery. Unlike shale, which is fissile, mudstone is much softer, more malleable and plastic, and consequently will respond abnormally to hydraulic fracturing and propping, so new methods proposed to be developed in this project are needed for stimulation.Read moreRead less
Characterisation and Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrates from Water Recycling Applications. Concentrates from reverse osmosis (RO) pose a considerable threat to both the environment but also the successful implementation of reverse osmosis as a technology. Naturally, the concentrate contains everything that the RO retains and hence contaminants such as viruses, organics such as pharmaceutically active compounds and hormones as well as nutrients and salinity. Treatment of such waste streams ....Characterisation and Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrates from Water Recycling Applications. Concentrates from reverse osmosis (RO) pose a considerable threat to both the environment but also the successful implementation of reverse osmosis as a technology. Naturally, the concentrate contains everything that the RO retains and hence contaminants such as viruses, organics such as pharmaceutically active compounds and hormones as well as nutrients and salinity. Treatment of such waste streams will enhance the health of receiving water bodies and reduce the risk of increased build up of contaminants if wastes are recycled into wastewater treatment plants. New ways to treat such contaminants will be explored, the efficiency and cost evaluated in the broader water cycle and sustainability framework.Read moreRead less
Ozone-Enhanced Particle Removal in Water Treatment. Combined ozonation/biologically active carbon filtration provides effective contaminant removal while minimizing disinfection by-product formation. However, the cost of installation in conventional water treatment plants is very high. This project will investigate the beneficial influence of ozonation on the micro-flocculation of small particles, with the aim to optimising particle removal by sedimentation prior to filtration. To do this, requi ....Ozone-Enhanced Particle Removal in Water Treatment. Combined ozonation/biologically active carbon filtration provides effective contaminant removal while minimizing disinfection by-product formation. However, the cost of installation in conventional water treatment plants is very high. This project will investigate the beneficial influence of ozonation on the micro-flocculation of small particles, with the aim to optimising particle removal by sedimentation prior to filtration. To do this, requires a clear understanding of how dissolved ozone interacts with particle surfaces for different water chemistries. The ideal outcome would be to develop a robust water treatment system that required BAC filtration only and eliminated the need for a conventional sand filtration stage as well.Read moreRead less
Assessment and optimisation of N-nitrosamine rejection by reverse osmosis for planned potable water recycling applications. Water recycling is a strategic approach to secure potable water supplies in Australia. The underlying challenge is to protect public health by ensuring robust treatment processes capable of effectively eliminating contaminants of concern. This research aims to enhance the capabilities of advanced water treatment plant designers and operators to control N-nitrosamine concent ....Assessment and optimisation of N-nitrosamine rejection by reverse osmosis for planned potable water recycling applications. Water recycling is a strategic approach to secure potable water supplies in Australia. The underlying challenge is to protect public health by ensuring robust treatment processes capable of effectively eliminating contaminants of concern. This research aims to enhance the capabilities of advanced water treatment plant designers and operators to control N-nitrosamine concentrations by optimised reverse osmosis treatment. A predictive model will be developed allowing for the optimisation of N-nitrosamine removal by reverse osmosis filtration in full scale installation. The project will directly enhance the viability of indirect potable water recycling and thus reduce dependency on water sources vulnerable to climate change.Read moreRead less
A multiscale-multifunctional approach to advanced diagnosis and operator performance in complex process systems. Major process system failures and subsequent poor diagnosis continues to produce significant company disruption, environmental damage, injury and possible loss of life. The benefits of this work will be reduced impacts and risks. This work will provide a new integrated approach with structured tools and diagnostic designs for process industries. It should have direct impacts on compan ....A multiscale-multifunctional approach to advanced diagnosis and operator performance in complex process systems. Major process system failures and subsequent poor diagnosis continues to produce significant company disruption, environmental damage, injury and possible loss of life. The benefits of this work will be reduced impacts and risks. This work will provide a new integrated approach with structured tools and diagnostic designs for process industries. It should have direct impacts on company performance through improved diagnosis, more timely response and hence reduced likelihood of major accidents. It will help to improve overall risk management practice in the process industries with less impact on people, property and environment, thus improving operational performance. Local communities will be direct beneficiaries of these reduced risks.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100109
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$370,000.00
Summary
A facility for non-destructive quantification of coal structures, composition and percolation fluid flows in energy and environmental applications. The facility will advance our scientific understanding of 3D micro- and nanostructures of coal under various mechanical and chemical conditions. It will help develop process innovation and breakthrough technologies for energy and environmental applications. It will also enhance the research capabilities of the collaborating institutions.