Reactivity of Carbon-Carbon Composites. This project investigates the reactivity of pitch-coke carbon composites with the aim of minimising oxidative carbon loss from anodes during aluminium smelting. Such carbon loss accounts for about 15 percent of the total carbon consumption in smelting, and its reduction will provide considerable economic benefit besides contributing to mitigation of greenhouse gas emission. In the present project the effect of coke calcination and composite baking temper ....Reactivity of Carbon-Carbon Composites. This project investigates the reactivity of pitch-coke carbon composites with the aim of minimising oxidative carbon loss from anodes during aluminium smelting. Such carbon loss accounts for about 15 percent of the total carbon consumption in smelting, and its reduction will provide considerable economic benefit besides contributing to mitigation of greenhouse gas emission. In the present project the effect of coke calcination and composite baking temperatures on the relationship between anode microstructure and reactivity in oxygen as well as carbon dioxide will be investigated, and optimum process conditions determined for minimum reactive carbon loss during smelting.Read moreRead less
Inter-metallic Inclusion Reduction in Continuous Metallic Coating. The ZINCALUMER coating process is a core business of BlueScope Steel. Operational and quality issues are being experienced due to inter-metallic particles in the liquid metal bath. The particles cause defects in the metal coating and agglomerate, resulting in periodic shutdowns to remove the dross. Both of these factors impact significantly on the profitability of the operation. In this project a new strategy is being investigate ....Inter-metallic Inclusion Reduction in Continuous Metallic Coating. The ZINCALUMER coating process is a core business of BlueScope Steel. Operational and quality issues are being experienced due to inter-metallic particles in the liquid metal bath. The particles cause defects in the metal coating and agglomerate, resulting in periodic shutdowns to remove the dross. Both of these factors impact significantly on the profitability of the operation. In this project a new strategy is being investigated, whereby the fluid mechanics and heat transfer mechanisms within the bath will allow inter-metallic particles to be continuously removed in the metal coating before they reach the critical size that adversely affects product quality. This will also reduce dross accumulation, thereby reducing shutdown time.Read moreRead less
The elutriation of ultrafine particles according to their density. This study is concerned with exploiting a new and powerful mechanism for separating particles according to their density, with strong potential for recovering and concentrating tens of billions of dollars worth of valuable minerals annually. By coupling the new separation mechanism with a centrifugal force it should be possible to apply gravity separation technology, arguably for the first time, to the recovery of ultrafine parti ....The elutriation of ultrafine particles according to their density. This study is concerned with exploiting a new and powerful mechanism for separating particles according to their density, with strong potential for recovering and concentrating tens of billions of dollars worth of valuable minerals annually. By coupling the new separation mechanism with a centrifugal force it should be possible to apply gravity separation technology, arguably for the first time, to the recovery of ultrafine particles from 200 microns to well below 10 microns, at high separation efficiency, and high feed rates. This study is also ideal for training new researchers, especially at the PhD level, in an area of importance to Australia's economic future. Read moreRead less