Research
The consortium have brought together the physical chemistry and chemical engineering of ANU, University of Melbourne, University of Queensland and University of Newcastle; chemical engineering at Newcastle; and the technology of ORICA. Because of continuing links with ICI (UK), the participants had good industrial contacts with relevant sectors of British industry, providing further industrial infrastructure.
The Research School of Chemistry (RSC) at ANU was extensively reviewed by an international panel of reviewers in 1995, which determined that it is "one of the world's major chemistry schools". In a comparative study done at the same time, the Chemistry Department at the University of Melbourne was ranked extremely highly. The Chemistry Department and the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Newcastle have received national acclaim as winners of a Special Research Centre on Multiphase Processes. We believe that there is no better consortium that could address the generic and immediate needs of ORICA Australia Pty Ltd for sustained innovation.
Professor John White, at RSC, has an international reputation for his work on the structure and dynamics of polymers and other "soft matter", using neutron and synchrotron radiation scattering, as well as a long series of collaborations with the chemical industry.
We note the vital importance of the RSC small-angle scattering and reflectometry instruments to current programs between the Research School of Chemistry and ORICA. These are unique in Australia and some of the best in the world, and the ready access to major such international facilities in Europe and in the United States was important to the program.
Dr. Philip Reynolds, at RSC, has a track record of excellent physical chemistry and has recently made seminal contributions to understanding emulsion science using scattering methods.
Professor Chris Easton is a renowned organic chemist with extensive experience in research collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry.
In Melbourne, Associate Professor Franz Grieser has published over 180 articles in international refereed journals in areas of radiation chemistry, surface and colloid chemistry, chemical kinetics, sonochemistry, photochemistry, and spectroscopy. Key infrastructure at Melbourne includes an ultrafast laser photolysis facility and other IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis equipment, a major AFM facility (tapping mode, contact imaging, and force measurement), wet-surface characterisation equipment (electrokinetic, contact angle, ellipsometry, ATR) and wide–frequency-range ultrasound reactors. The Head of the Department of Chemistry Professor Ken Ghiggino, a distinguished physical chemist, has been closely involved with the effort to get UnIChe off the ground.
At Newcastle, Dr Erica Wanless is a Lecturer in the Chemistry Department. During the last six years, Dr Simon Biggs and Dr Wanless have been active in establishing a research partnership with Orica Explosives. This has resulted in direct funding of over $100 000 during this period, a substantial investment by the industry sponsor and a testament to the mutual benefits in the research.
The research has also been recognised in nationally competitive ARC schemes through the award of two SPIRT grants.
There is a wide array of specialised instruments for mesoscale examinations—light scattering, particle sizing, static and dynamic surface tensions, and other rheometrical devices—collectively unavailable elsewhere in Australia. At a larger scale still, Chemical Engineering Professor Geoff Evans , at Newcastle, and ORICA itself have facilities ranging up to pilot-plant scale, with a wide variety of testing instrumentation, such as non-intrusive laser diagnostics, high-speed cameras, and triaxial shear cells.
The Head of Department, Professor Geoff Lawrance is of high scientific reputation and have been closely involved in preparation of and support for this project.
From 2001 to 2003, UnIChe has given financial support to the following projects:
| Short Project title |
Student |
Degree |
Supervisor |
| Ultrasonic Initiation of polymer latices |
Melanie Bradley |
Melb/PhD |
F Grieser |
| Atomic force microscopy of surfactants |
Emelyn Smith |
Newc/Hons |
Biggs & Wanless |
| Raman study of polymers/TiO2 |
Marissa Haywood |
Melb/Hons |
S Huntington |
| UF Resin structure by NMR |
Alexandra Angelatos |
Melb/Hons |
F Separovic |
| Nitrosamine formation |
Kathryn Hassall |
Melb/Hons |
Jonathon White |
| Agglomeration/settling of MIEX resin |
Nayyar Shah |
Newc/Eng4thYr |
G. Evans |
| Polymeric stabilisers |
Jason Kilpatrick, |
Newc/PhD |
S Biggs |
| APE replacement in surface films |
Brendan Griggs |
Newc/Hons |
Biggs & Wanless |
| UF Resin structure by NMR -Hons |
Sebastiano La Rocca |
Melb/Hons |
F Separovic |
| Nitrosamine formation |
Goh Yit Wooi |
Melb/Hons |
Jonathon White |
| MIEX Resin - agglomeration/settling |
Chris Bonomini |
Newc/Eng4thyr |
G. Evans |
| Melamine replacements in MUF Resins |
Amy Philbrook |
ANU/PhD |
Chris Easton |
| Ionic liquids & novel explosives |
Simon Ferguson |
Newc/PhD |
McCluskey & Biggs |
| Frothers persistence in coal flotation |
Gary Hanly |
Newc/Hons |
Biggs |
| Sonochemistry of Phenol/Aldehyde reactions |
Julian Reichl |
Melb/Hons |
F Grieser |
| Electroluminescent polymer coatings |
Kathryn McNamara |
Melb/Hons |
Ken Ghiggino |
| Characterisation of stabiliser blends |
Alexandra Angelatos |
Melb/Summer |
Separovic |
| Polymeric stabilisers |
Jason Kilpatrick |
Newc/PhD |
S Biggs |
| Resin flow |
Jonathan Foong |
Melb/Eng4thYr |
Cooper-White |
| Resin Shear |
Edeline Wong |
Melb/Eng4thYr |
Cooper-White |
| Tannin & Formaldehyde resins |
Heather Ling |
Melb/Eng4thYr |
Qiao/Solomon |
| Ammonia/hydrogen sulfide separation |
Selena Chen |
Melb/Eng4thYr |
Stevens/Kentish |
| Polymer surfactant and emulsion structure |
Krisztian Baranyai |
ANU/PhD |
White |
| Phenol-Aldehyde Sonication |
Envi Ciawi |
Melb/Hons |
Grieser |
| Monitoring Emulsion polymerisation using raman spectroscopy |
Devi Sunartio |
Melb/Hons |
Grieser |
During the period 2004 to 2006, UnIChe II gave financial support to the following projects:
| Short Project title |
Student |
Degree |
Supervisor |
|
| Role of Frothers and Collectors in Mineral Flotation |
Tim Mitchell |
Newcastle/PhD |
Evans & Nguyen |
|
| Influence of Collectors on Zinc Floatation |
Anjana Lakshminarasimhan |
Newcastle/PhD |
Evans |
|
| Preventing fine particle agglomeration with chemical spacers |
Ben Tremain |
Newcastle/PhD |
Wanless & Dastoor |
|
| Electroluminescent polymers:synthesis & characterisation of oligo-PPVs and water soluble derivates of PPV |
Tin Tan |
Melb/PhD |
White & Ghiggino |
|
| Rheological Characterisation and IFT studies of internal phase emulsions |
Sabrina Zahirovic |
Melb/PhD |
Grieser |
|
| Polymeric stabilizers |
Jason Kilpatrick |
Newcastle/PhD |
Wanless & Biggs |
|
| Ionic liquids & novel explosives |
Simon Fergusson |
Newcastle/PhD |
Wanless, Biggs & McCluskey |
|
| Melamine replacements in MUF Resins |
Amy Philbrook |
ANU/PhD |
Easton |
|
| Structure of explosive emulsions |
Krisztian Baranyai |
ANU/PhD |
White |
|
| Enzymatic degradation of organophosphates |
Foo Jee Loon |
ANU/PhD |
Ollis |
|
| Develop and evaluate novel delivery systems for injectable pharmaceuticals |
Matthew Francis |
ANU/Hons |
Pashley |
|
| Organosilanes as molecular spacers in powder coatings |
Ben Tremain |
Newc/Hons |
Wanless |
|
| Development of novel diagnostic reagents |
Bianca Boseley |
UQ/Hons |
Barnard |
|
| HMX/Aluminium Interactions in a shock tube |
Gary Hanly Aaron Matijasevich |
UQ/Hons |
Gentle |
|
| The use of Nanomaterials as Gas and Oil Barriers in Signal Tube |
Luke Page |
UQ/Hons |
Martin |
|
| Self-Replicating molecules activated via Nano/Micro-particles:Innovative microparticle based systems for overcoming current barriers in low concentration genomic screening |
Alisa Becker |
UQ/Hons |
Trau |
|
| Nanotechnology based Devices for Biomolecular diagnostics: New Generations of Microparticles for genomic and proteomic applications |
Matthew Daley |
UQ/Hons |
Trau, Battersby & Lawrie |
|
| Suramin Analogues as Inhibitors of Fibroblast Growth Factor-1 |
Andrew Bennett |
UQ/Hons |
McGreary |
|
| Effect of Colloidal particles on W/O emulsification |
Chris Thornton |
Newcastle/Hons |
Evans |
|
| Inclusion of Ionic Liquids in Emulsion Explosives |
Colin Clarke |
Newcastle/Hons |
Wanless |
|
| Surfactant Adsorption on Latex Particles |
Kurt Nicholson |
Newcastle/Hons |
Wanless |
|
| Development of single chain, enzyme fusion protein for a diagnostic assay |
Vivian Sze-Yue Chan |
UQ/Hons |
Barnard |
|
| Application Extensions of ICP Analysis Methods |
Aaron Grindlay |
UQ/Hons |
Kavanagh |
|
| The Use of Nanomaterials as Gas and Oil in Signal Tube |
2006 mid-year entrance |
UQ/Hons |
Martin |
|
| Recycled Paper Mill Water Re-use: The effect of increased White Water conductivity and evaluation of appropriate wastewater treatment technologies |
Grant Clements |
UQ/Hons |
Lant |
|
| New Synthetic pathways to luminescent polymers |
Andrew Morton |
Melb/Hons |
White |
|
| An investigation of the technical and commercial applicability of inorganic polymers to enhance Orica's operations |
Ben Crookes |
Melb/Summer Vacation Project |
Lukey |
|
| An investigation of the technical and commercial applicability of inorganic polymers to enhance Orica's operations |
Chris Ingram |
Melb/Summer Vacation Project |
Lukey |
|
| Pore Structure of MIEX by AFM |
Anna Mularski |
Melb/Summer Vacation Project |
Dagastine | |
| Use of Sol-Cel Technology in Mining Explosive Vacation |
Mitchell McMahon |
Newcastle/Summer Vacation Project |
Evans |
|
| Biological Chemistry or Materials Chemistry |
Katie Quinn |
UQ/Summer Scholarship for First Years |
Xu |
|
| Medical chemistry, biological & pharmaceutical chemistry or environmental chemistry |
May Tan |
UQ/Summer Scholarship for First Years |
Blanchfield | |
| Biological/biomedical including Organic, Medical & Biological Chemistry |
Bavahuna Manoharan |
UQ/Summer Scholarship for First Years |
Garson |
|
| Biomaterials or drug design and development | Melinda Stanton |
UQ/Summer Scholarship for First Years |
Jack |
|
| Chemistry in the Food industry or mathematics/mathematical modelling in Chem Research |
Amy Smith |
UQ/Summer Scholarship for First Years |
Hardin |
|
| Physical or Inorganic Chemistry |
Corina-Iulia Preda |
UQ/Summer Scholarship for First Years |
Riley | |
| Medicinal or Biological Chemistry |
Angela Richards |
UQ/Summer Scholarship for First Years |
De Voss |
|
| Physical or Inorganic Chemistry |
Jakov Kulis |
UQ/Summer Scholarship for First Years |
Schultz |
|
| Organic or Biochemistry |
Simon Chen |
UQ/Summer Scholarship for First Years |
Trau |