Distribution and origin of 4 billion-year-old zircons from Western Australia: Implications for the early history of the earth and moom. We aim to determine the distribution and origin of >4 billion year old (Ga) zircons in rocks from north-western Western Australia, using geological mapping, mineralogical and chemical techniques and SHRIMP zircon geochronology. The >4Ga zircons are the oldest known crustal material, and the only material which can give direct information on the earliest evoluti ....Distribution and origin of 4 billion-year-old zircons from Western Australia: Implications for the early history of the earth and moom. We aim to determine the distribution and origin of >4 billion year old (Ga) zircons in rocks from north-western Western Australia, using geological mapping, mineralogical and chemical techniques and SHRIMP zircon geochronology. The >4Ga zircons are the oldest known crustal material, and the only material which can give direct information on the earliest evolution of the Earth. In this research, we will collaborate with international research groups also intending to investigate the early history of the Earth using the >4Ga zircons. Outcomes will be new ideas on the origin of the zircons, the differentiation of the Earth, the formation of the Moon and the Earth's oceans, and the development of ancient life forms.Read moreRead less
Controlling precipitation processes in the production of value-added zirconia. Doral Specialty Chemicals produces specialised zirconia products from zircon sands mined in WA. Doping the zirconia with metals such as yttrium and aluminium can produce advanced ceramics, with applications in areas such as solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen sensors. The aim of this project is to improve the fundamental understanding of the chemistry in the initial processing steps, so that the process can be readily m ....Controlling precipitation processes in the production of value-added zirconia. Doral Specialty Chemicals produces specialised zirconia products from zircon sands mined in WA. Doping the zirconia with metals such as yttrium and aluminium can produce advanced ceramics, with applications in areas such as solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen sensors. The aim of this project is to improve the fundamental understanding of the chemistry in the initial processing steps, so that the process can be readily modified to produce new doped zirconia ceramics, without the extensive empirical process development currently required. The resulting ability to quickly produce new compositions on a commercial scale will put this industry in a world-leading position, dramatically increasing the added value of the zirconia products.Read moreRead less
Realising Australia’s rare earth resource potential. This project aims to reveal the potential for undiscovered economic deposits of rare earth elements within the Australian continent. Future supply of these elements underpins societies transition to clean energy and embrace of high-tech applications. The project expects to greatly enhance our knowledge of Australia’s endowment of rare earth element resources using an array of traditional and innovative geological research methods. Expected out ....Realising Australia’s rare earth resource potential. This project aims to reveal the potential for undiscovered economic deposits of rare earth elements within the Australian continent. Future supply of these elements underpins societies transition to clean energy and embrace of high-tech applications. The project expects to greatly enhance our knowledge of Australia’s endowment of rare earth element resources using an array of traditional and innovative geological research methods. Expected outcomes of this project include a greater understanding of how, where and when rare earth element orebodies form in the Earth's crust. This should provide significant benefits to exploring for––and discovering––new orebodies that are required to secure global critical metal supplies. Read moreRead less
Structural studies of titanyl and zirconyl sulfate hydrates. This project aims to provide knowledge that will inform the development of new methods of extraction and refining of titanium from ilmenite ores. In addition the knowledge gained in this research will aid the design and synthesis advanced ceramics and nanocomposites, and will provide the fundamental understanding of material structures that are required to adequately control the formation of such materials.
The Rare Earth Potential of the Gascoyne Region of Western Australia. The Gascoyne Region of Western Australia is an emerging Neodymium-rich rare earth district in its early stages of development. The mineral occurrences of the region are complex and their geological distribution and source(s) remain unclear. With the support of all the active explorers in the region, a better understanding of the entire mineral system is sought to maximise exploration efficiency. This project aims to undertake ....The Rare Earth Potential of the Gascoyne Region of Western Australia. The Gascoyne Region of Western Australia is an emerging Neodymium-rich rare earth district in its early stages of development. The mineral occurrences of the region are complex and their geological distribution and source(s) remain unclear. With the support of all the active explorers in the region, a better understanding of the entire mineral system is sought to maximise exploration efficiency. This project aims to undertake a full assessment of the minerals, their processing and the environmental impact of production to determine the potential of the region. The expected outcome of the project is to develop a world-class rare earth mineral district in Australia, to ensure future supplies of these strategically important metals. Read moreRead less
Fluid-induced creation and decay of porosity and permeability in minerals. This project aims to investigate the role of hydrothermal fluids in the creation and decay of porosity and permeability in minerals. By developing new experimental techniques and undertaking experimental studies mimicking natural conditions, this project expects to generate knowledge of the fundamental relationships between fluid-mineral reactions, pore creation and decay, pore geometry and connectivity, and the mechanism ....Fluid-induced creation and decay of porosity and permeability in minerals. This project aims to investigate the role of hydrothermal fluids in the creation and decay of porosity and permeability in minerals. By developing new experimental techniques and undertaking experimental studies mimicking natural conditions, this project expects to generate knowledge of the fundamental relationships between fluid-mineral reactions, pore creation and decay, pore geometry and connectivity, and the mechanism for the formation of fluid inclusions. This should provide significant benefits such as a deeper understanding of the hydrothermal fluids flowing through tight rocks in the Earth’s crust to form orebodies, and provide a scientific basis to underpin the development of greener technologies for recovering natural resources.Read moreRead less
Rare Earth Metal Separation by Polymer Inclusion Membranes. The project aims to develop a novel hydrometallurgical method for the separation of the rare earth metals dysprosium and terbium from mixed rare earth metal solutions using polymer inclusion membranes with a crosslinked or non-crosslinked polymer backbone. These metals are crucial for the manufacturing of advanced technology products. The membrane-based method is expected to offer significant advantages over the currently used solvent e ....Rare Earth Metal Separation by Polymer Inclusion Membranes. The project aims to develop a novel hydrometallurgical method for the separation of the rare earth metals dysprosium and terbium from mixed rare earth metal solutions using polymer inclusion membranes with a crosslinked or non-crosslinked polymer backbone. These metals are crucial for the manufacturing of advanced technology products. The membrane-based method is expected to offer significant advantages over the currently used solvent extraction methods by eliminating the use of solvents and conducting the separation as a continuous process where the extraction and back-extraction steps take place simultaneously. These advantages are expected to make the separation process more cost-effective and drastically reduce its environmental impact.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
Bio-recovery of rare earth elements from Australian soils and mine tailings. This project aims to discover how microbes dissolve weathering-resistant phosphate minerals that contain valuable rare earth elements used widely in modern technology. This discovery would create new knowledge in the interdisciplinary fields of biogeochemistry and biohydrometallurgy, using an innovative combination of techniques in metagenomics, microbiology and mineralogy. Expected research outcomes include new, more ....Bio-recovery of rare earth elements from Australian soils and mine tailings. This project aims to discover how microbes dissolve weathering-resistant phosphate minerals that contain valuable rare earth elements used widely in modern technology. This discovery would create new knowledge in the interdisciplinary fields of biogeochemistry and biohydrometallurgy, using an innovative combination of techniques in metagenomics, microbiology and mineralogy. Expected research outcomes include new, more economic and environmentally sustainable biotechnologies for recovering rare earth elements and increasing phosphorus availability in Australian mineral deposits and soils. These outcomes should benefit the mining and agricultural sectors, by decreasing Australia's dependency on overseas REE supply and the use of fertilizers.Read moreRead less
Multiple vertical tectonic movements in a continental interior: consequences of flat-subduction and foundering of an oceanic plateau? This project will investigate how the subduction of particularly thick oceanic crust impacts on the landscape, climate, structure and composition of the adjacent continent. It will help in understanding the history and distribution of mineral and hydrocarbon resources, of similar provinces in Australia.