Low temperature carbothermal reduction of alumina. Australia is the world's largest producer of alumina and bauxite; and the aluminium industry is our second largest commodity exporter. This project targets the development of fundamentals of an advanced technology for aluminium production with advantages of low energy consumption, low production costs and being more environment-friendly. This frontier technology will enhance the competitiveness of the Australian aluminium industry and contribute ....Low temperature carbothermal reduction of alumina. Australia is the world's largest producer of alumina and bauxite; and the aluminium industry is our second largest commodity exporter. This project targets the development of fundamentals of an advanced technology for aluminium production with advantages of low energy consumption, low production costs and being more environment-friendly. This frontier technology will enhance the competitiveness of the Australian aluminium industry and contribute to making an environmentally sustainable Australia. The project will also provide high quality education to final year undergraduate students. The project will contribute to the theory of metallurgical processes, particularly to the gas-solid reactions in the reduction and carburisation processes. Read moreRead less
A Novel Approach to Processing of Australian Laterite Ores through Selective Reduction and Carbonylation. Processing of laterite ores, started in 1998 in Australia, has significantly enhanced Australian role on the international nickel market. However, the production of nickel from oxide ores by established technologies consumes two to three times energy as processing of sulphide ores with significant environmental impact. This underlines the importance of development of more energy efficient pr ....A Novel Approach to Processing of Australian Laterite Ores through Selective Reduction and Carbonylation. Processing of laterite ores, started in 1998 in Australia, has significantly enhanced Australian role on the international nickel market. However, the production of nickel from oxide ores by established technologies consumes two to three times energy as processing of sulphide ores with significant environmental impact. This underlines the importance of development of more energy efficient processes for oxide ores. The proposed technology will significantly decrease energy and water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions in nickel production. It will enhance the competitiveness of Australian Nickel Industry and stimulate its expansion with significant economy and social benefits.Read moreRead less
Novel Atomic Level Investigations of High Temperature Surface Thermodynamics of molten steel. This project will develop a highly advanced research capability to investigate critical aspects of impurity interactions and surface phenomena in molten steel. Innovative research proposed in this project will pave the way towards developing novel atomic level technologies whose potentials are largely unexplored and untested, with profound implications for international standing of Australian science an ....Novel Atomic Level Investigations of High Temperature Surface Thermodynamics of molten steel. This project will develop a highly advanced research capability to investigate critical aspects of impurity interactions and surface phenomena in molten steel. Innovative research proposed in this project will pave the way towards developing novel atomic level technologies whose potentials are largely unexplored and untested, with profound implications for international standing of Australian science and steel industry. It will lay the foundations for improvements in steelmaking practices enhancing operational efficiency, environmental sustainability with immense economic/technological benefits. Significant savings are to be gained from the ability to process lower cost scrap and reducing contamination in the final steel products. Read moreRead less
Recycling of Waste Plastics in Electric Furnace Steelmaking: Kinetics of Carbon Dissolution into Steel. Waste plastics form an ever-increasing component of industrial and municipal solid waste and there are serious environmental hazards associated with current methods of plastic waste disposal. This project will produce an in-depth understanding on the critical aspects of recycling waste plastics in steelmaking processes as a carbon and energy resource. Potentially huge quantities of plastic was ....Recycling of Waste Plastics in Electric Furnace Steelmaking: Kinetics of Carbon Dissolution into Steel. Waste plastics form an ever-increasing component of industrial and municipal solid waste and there are serious environmental hazards associated with current methods of plastic waste disposal. This project will produce an in-depth understanding on the critical aspects of recycling waste plastics in steelmaking processes as a carbon and energy resource. Potentially huge quantities of plastic waste can be utilised in the steelmaking industry in a way which will be clean, economic and environmentally friendly. The possibility of recycling infusible and insoluble thermoset plastics will also be investigated.Read moreRead less
Recycling Alumina-Carbon Refractory Waste in Steelmaking: Fundamental understanding of impurities during refractory/steel interactions. This project will deliver the technical advances for critical aspects of the recycling of waste refractories as raw materials in steelmaking. The novel and recycled refractories that we will develop will lead to reductions in waste generation through reduced wear, resulting in significant economic and environmental benefits. Optimising the characteristics of the ....Recycling Alumina-Carbon Refractory Waste in Steelmaking: Fundamental understanding of impurities during refractory/steel interactions. This project will deliver the technical advances for critical aspects of the recycling of waste refractories as raw materials in steelmaking. The novel and recycled refractories that we will develop will lead to reductions in waste generation through reduced wear, resulting in significant economic and environmental benefits. Optimising the characteristics of these refractories will result in longer refractory life, reduced downtime, and increased product quality. These advances will result in significant advantages for the steel industry.Read moreRead less
Alternative technology for titanium tetrachloride: production and chlorination of titanium oxycarbonitride. The proposed project targets alternative cost-efficient technology for titanium tetrachloride, which is an intermediate product in production of titanium metal and titania pigment. More efficient technology for processing of titanium minerals will strengthen the position of Australia in the titanium industry at a global level. It has a potential to enhance Australia capacity to exploit nic ....Alternative technology for titanium tetrachloride: production and chlorination of titanium oxycarbonitride. The proposed project targets alternative cost-efficient technology for titanium tetrachloride, which is an intermediate product in production of titanium metal and titania pigment. More efficient technology for processing of titanium minerals will strengthen the position of Australia in the titanium industry at a global level. It has a potential to enhance Australia capacity to exploit niche markets for titanium dioxide white pigment and titanium metal, enabling Australia to capitalise on its huge mineral sands resource, rich in ilmenite and rutile. The project will also contribute to the theory of metallurgical processes, particularly to the gas-solid reactions in the reduction, carburisation, nitridation and chlorination processes. Read moreRead less
Interfacial phenomena between carbon-alumina refractories and molten steel: A Monte Carlo simulation study. This project aims to carry out an atomic level investigation of the interfacial phenomena between carbon-alumina refractories and molten steel. For the first time, Monte Carlo computer simulations will be used to investigate the dissolution behavior of graphite particles distributed randomly in an alumina matrix. With support from experiments, these simulations are expected to identify me ....Interfacial phenomena between carbon-alumina refractories and molten steel: A Monte Carlo simulation study. This project aims to carry out an atomic level investigation of the interfacial phenomena between carbon-alumina refractories and molten steel. For the first time, Monte Carlo computer simulations will be used to investigate the dissolution behavior of graphite particles distributed randomly in an alumina matrix. With support from experiments, these simulations are expected to identify mechanisms and effective solutions for minimizing carbon erosion and surface reactions. Leading to advanced refractory materials with enhanced wear resistance, this research will result in significant improvements to steel quality, lowered costs, reduced downtimes and will be of far reaching importance to steelmaking technologies.Read moreRead less
Alternative processing of titanium minerals: carburisation and chlorination of rutile and ilmenite. Australia produces about 40% of the world's stocks of ilmenite and 25% of rutile, which are used as raw materials for the titanium industry. Current methods for processing these minerals into pigment titanium dioxide and metallic titanium are complex, expensive and produce by-products that are environmentally dangerous. The project will study titania reduction from rutile and ilmenites to oxycarbi ....Alternative processing of titanium minerals: carburisation and chlorination of rutile and ilmenite. Australia produces about 40% of the world's stocks of ilmenite and 25% of rutile, which are used as raw materials for the titanium industry. Current methods for processing these minerals into pigment titanium dioxide and metallic titanium are complex, expensive and produce by-products that are environmentally dangerous. The project will study titania reduction from rutile and ilmenites to oxycarbides and reactions of chlorination of titanium oxycarbide. The aim is to establish fundamentals of titanium carburisation/chlorination processes and to assess their potential for processing of titanium minerals more efficiently. Outcomes will include reaction kinetics and mechanisms of reduction/carburisation and chlorination reactions, constraints and optimal conditions for carburisation/chlorination process.Read moreRead less
Granular dynamics: from discrete simulation towards continuum modelling. The project aims to develop a general averaging theory to link discrete to continuum description of granular dynamics and a comprehensive understanding of the underlying physics. This will be achieved through detailed analysis of the particle-particle and particle-wall interactions at both microscopic and macroscopic levels, supported by the newly developed averaging theory and novel discrete particle simulation. The result ....Granular dynamics: from discrete simulation towards continuum modelling. The project aims to develop a general averaging theory to link discrete to continuum description of granular dynamics and a comprehensive understanding of the underlying physics. This will be achieved through detailed analysis of the particle-particle and particle-wall interactions at both microscopic and macroscopic levels, supported by the newly developed averaging theory and novel discrete particle simulation. The results, in terms of constitutive relations and boundary conditions, will be implemented in continuum-based process modelling and tested by comparing numerical and experimental results via typical case studies. It will significantly enhance the present capability of modelling granular flow that is widely encountered in many industries and in nature.Read moreRead less
A Fundamental Investigation of the Thermoplastic Behaviour and Porous Structural Evolution of Coke and Char Particles. During heating, solid fuel particles undergo complex physical changes resulting in sophisticated structures in the residual material (coke and char) which influence the operational performance of these materials in ironmaking and power generation processes. The mechanistic understanding of the evolution of physical structure and the coupled role of gas evolution has not been wel ....A Fundamental Investigation of the Thermoplastic Behaviour and Porous Structural Evolution of Coke and Char Particles. During heating, solid fuel particles undergo complex physical changes resulting in sophisticated structures in the residual material (coke and char) which influence the operational performance of these materials in ironmaking and power generation processes. The mechanistic understanding of the evolution of physical structure and the coupled role of gas evolution has not been well established. An interpretive and predictive mechanism to describe the process will be developed through experimental observations and mathematical modelling. The project will provide fundamental new insights and understanding of operational issues concerning the complex behaviour of solid fuel residues in coal based industrial processes.Read moreRead less