Carbothermal solid state reduction of manganese ore in hydrogen atmosphere. The aim of the project is to establish mechanisms of solid-state reduction of manganese ore by carbon in hydrogen and effects of gas atmosphere and other operation parameters on the reduction rate. The project will examine carbothermal reduction of manganese ore in hydrogen, helium and argon at different temperatures, ore compositions and sizes. The project's outcomes will be the reduction extent, rate and mechanisms. Th ....Carbothermal solid state reduction of manganese ore in hydrogen atmosphere. The aim of the project is to establish mechanisms of solid-state reduction of manganese ore by carbon in hydrogen and effects of gas atmosphere and other operation parameters on the reduction rate. The project will examine carbothermal reduction of manganese ore in hydrogen, helium and argon at different temperatures, ore compositions and sizes. The project's outcomes will be the reduction extent, rate and mechanisms. They will be used to assess the feasibility of solid-state reduction technology. This will be of importance to Australian manganese 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
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
Mapping Under the Ice - crustal evolution in Antarctica and the assembly of Gondwanaland. The project will use a novel approach to map the sub-ice geology of Antarctica, and fill a gap in paleogeographical reconstructions. Paleocurrents indicate that Permo-Triassic river sands in Gondwanaland were dispersed from the sub-glacial Gamburtsev Mountains and the Beardmore-Ross region following the collision of Gondwanaland and Laurussia to form Pangea. An integrated U-Pb and Hf-isotope analysis of zi ....Mapping Under the Ice - crustal evolution in Antarctica and the assembly of Gondwanaland. The project will use a novel approach to map the sub-ice geology of Antarctica, and fill a gap in paleogeographical reconstructions. Paleocurrents indicate that Permo-Triassic river sands in Gondwanaland were dispersed from the sub-glacial Gamburtsev Mountains and the Beardmore-Ross region following the collision of Gondwanaland and Laurussia to form Pangea. An integrated U-Pb and Hf-isotope analysis of zircon grains from these sandstones will map the age and crustal evolution of these intracontinental orogens. Comparison with similar data from older Devonian sands in Australia-Antarctica-Africa will allow reconstruction of the pre- and post-collisional tectonics of Australia and adjoining areas of Gondwanaland.Read moreRead less
Titanium Electrochemistry in Minerals Processing. Australia is on of the world's largest producers of titanium minerals for industrial and consumer products. This project aims to improve the efficiency of the Sulfate Process which is used to convert the titanium containing ore ilmenite into pure titanium dioxide pigment. The impovements expected include a decrease in the cost of production for the relevant industries, as well as a reduction in the volume of waste materials generated by the proce ....Titanium Electrochemistry in Minerals Processing. Australia is on of the world's largest producers of titanium minerals for industrial and consumer products. This project aims to improve the efficiency of the Sulfate Process which is used to convert the titanium containing ore ilmenite into pure titanium dioxide pigment. The impovements expected include a decrease in the cost of production for the relevant industries, as well as a reduction in the volume of waste materials generated by the process. Read moreRead less
From Synchrotron Characterisation of Single Fluid Inclusions to Archaean Geodynamics: An Integrated Study of Fluid-Rock Interaction in the Primitive Crust. In the primitive Earth, a wide range of phenomena including the initiation of biological activity and the formation of ore deposits were related to the mobilisation of mineralised fluids through the crust. In the Archaean craton of the Pilbara (WA), we have identified, within its tectonic framework, a crustal-scale plumbing system that channe ....From Synchrotron Characterisation of Single Fluid Inclusions to Archaean Geodynamics: An Integrated Study of Fluid-Rock Interaction in the Primitive Crust. In the primitive Earth, a wide range of phenomena including the initiation of biological activity and the formation of ore deposits were related to the mobilisation of mineralised fluids through the crust. In the Archaean craton of the Pilbara (WA), we have identified, within its tectonic framework, a crustal-scale plumbing system that channelled large volumes of mineralised hydrothermal solutions. Our objective is to understand the development of this plumbing system in relation to Archaean crustal geodynamics using a combination of structural geology, metamorphic petrology, geochronology, geochemistry, and the analysis of single-fluid inclusion using synchrotron and other X-ray sources.Read moreRead less
Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Wear Behaviour of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy. Exploring high wear-resistant materials is always an active issue in tribology and material engineering in order to extend the life of the wide-ranged wearing components and devices. NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) demonstrates a superior wear resistance to stainless steel. This project aims to theoretically and experimentally exam the wear mechanism of NiTi SMA and quantify its wear rate. The expected out ....Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Wear Behaviour of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy. Exploring high wear-resistant materials is always an active issue in tribology and material engineering in order to extend the life of the wide-ranged wearing components and devices. NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) demonstrates a superior wear resistance to stainless steel. This project aims to theoretically and experimentally exam the wear mechanism of NiTi SMA and quantify its wear rate. The expected outcome will discover the contributions of phase transition and plasticity on the wear property of NiTi SMA, formulate a reliable wear model and stimulate the application of NiTi in tribology and modern micro-electric-mechanical systems.Read moreRead less
Partial melting in natural metal-silicate and silicate systems: rheological and geochemical implications for the Earth and other planets. Understanding how fluid and melts migrate through the Earth's crust is vital to predicting how important minerals, metals and oil can be concentrated. Understanding fluid-rock systems therefore contribute to an environmentally sustainable Australia (Research Priority 1). Furthering our knowledge of permeable networks through the use of dynamic experiments is a ....Partial melting in natural metal-silicate and silicate systems: rheological and geochemical implications for the Earth and other planets. Understanding how fluid and melts migrate through the Earth's crust is vital to predicting how important minerals, metals and oil can be concentrated. Understanding fluid-rock systems therefore contribute to an environmentally sustainable Australia (Research Priority 1). Furthering our knowledge of permeable networks through the use of dynamic experiments is an innovative way to study their development within naturally evolving crustal systems as they respond to changing physical and chemical conditions. Thus, this proposal is also directly concerned with the continuing aim of building a sustainable Australia through knowledge of deep Earth resources.Read moreRead less
Mapping mineral systems of deep Australia. We aim at enabling mineral resource discoveries by calibrating geophysical surveys using geochemical and petrophysical properties measured on mantle samples brought to the surface by recent volcanoes. National geophysical surveys deliver images of geophysical gradients in the deeper part of the Australian continent. The interpretation of these gradients in geological terms and in terms of economic mineral systems is the key to unlock deep exploration su ....Mapping mineral systems of deep Australia. We aim at enabling mineral resource discoveries by calibrating geophysical surveys using geochemical and petrophysical properties measured on mantle samples brought to the surface by recent volcanoes. National geophysical surveys deliver images of geophysical gradients in the deeper part of the Australian continent. The interpretation of these gradients in geological terms and in terms of economic mineral systems is the key to unlock deep exploration success. This project will turn Australia’s investment in National geophysical surveys into new discoveries of base metals. The benefit stems from enabling the transition to a clean economy which requires a much broader range of critical minerals and a larger quantity of base metals.Read moreRead less
Dynamic Earth Models for Frontier Mineral Exploration. This Project aims to investigate the link between supercontinents, mantle upwelling, and associated mineral resources by combining reconstructions of mantle flow with the global rock record. Mantle upwelling causes eruptions of volcanic provinces and associated rock formations that are rich in minerals. The expected outcomes of the Project include mapping the global potential for magmatic nickel, rare-earth elements, and diamond deposits fro ....Dynamic Earth Models for Frontier Mineral Exploration. This Project aims to investigate the link between supercontinents, mantle upwelling, and associated mineral resources by combining reconstructions of mantle flow with the global rock record. Mantle upwelling causes eruptions of volcanic provinces and associated rock formations that are rich in minerals. The expected outcomes of the Project include mapping the global potential for magmatic nickel, rare-earth elements, and diamond deposits from 1.8 billion years ago and building a research alliance between the University of Wollongong, Anglo American, and De Beers. Significant benefits will be the development of a digital framework to reduce risks in exploration for minerals that are essential for the transition to a low-carbon economy.Read moreRead less