Oral Insulin Delivery facilitated by Enteric Coating using Dense Gas Technologies. Insulin dependant diabetes is a rapidly growing disease. The current method for insulin delivery to the patient is by injection, which is inconvenient. Oral delivery of insulin is a more acceptable method. It is proposed to develop a dense gas technique to coat insulin with a pH sensitive polymer to protect it from the acidic environment of the stomach. Insulin can then be released at the high pH of the intestin ....Oral Insulin Delivery facilitated by Enteric Coating using Dense Gas Technologies. Insulin dependant diabetes is a rapidly growing disease. The current method for insulin delivery to the patient is by injection, which is inconvenient. Oral delivery of insulin is a more acceptable method. It is proposed to develop a dense gas technique to coat insulin with a pH sensitive polymer to protect it from the acidic environment of the stomach. Insulin can then be released at the high pH of the intestine when the polymer is dissolved. Particle size control is feasible by dense gas processes by manipulating operating parameters. Advantages include low residual solvent and manufacture at ambient temperatures.Read moreRead less
NOVEL Fe-Cr OXIDE AND SKELETAL (RANEY) CATALYSTS FOR WATER GAS SHIFT REACTION. The water gas shift reaction has an importance implication in the control of carbon monoxide/hydrogen ratios of gas mixtures used during the synthesis of methanol, diesel and hydrogen. The research study aims to develop and characterise Fe-Cr oxide and chromia-promoted Raney Cu catalysts for water gas shift reaction using a tube wall reactor. The catalyst fabrication is based on leaching and electrochemical deposition ....NOVEL Fe-Cr OXIDE AND SKELETAL (RANEY) CATALYSTS FOR WATER GAS SHIFT REACTION. The water gas shift reaction has an importance implication in the control of carbon monoxide/hydrogen ratios of gas mixtures used during the synthesis of methanol, diesel and hydrogen. The research study aims to develop and characterise Fe-Cr oxide and chromia-promoted Raney Cu catalysts for water gas shift reaction using a tube wall reactor. The catalyst fabrication is based on leaching and electrochemical deposition to promote the catalytic activity. The produced catalysts will be characterised and tested for catalytic activity, temperature stability and other physical properties to determine fundamental understanding for future commercial applications.Read moreRead less
New Strategies for Modelling Polyoxometalates. Polyoxometalates are a versatile class of genuine nanomaterials with remarkable chemical and physical properties and dimensions ranging from tens to tens of thousands of atoms. Designing functional materials which exploit their enormous potential is limited by practical difficulties in their structural characterization and restrictions on our ability to model their behaviour. In this project, we will develop a new strategy for computer modelling of ....New Strategies for Modelling Polyoxometalates. Polyoxometalates are a versatile class of genuine nanomaterials with remarkable chemical and physical properties and dimensions ranging from tens to tens of thousands of atoms. Designing functional materials which exploit their enormous potential is limited by practical difficulties in their structural characterization and restrictions on our ability to model their behaviour. In this project, we will develop a new strategy for computer modelling of polyoxometalates based on the classical molecular mechanics approach and high-level techniques. This novel line of attack will be exploited in the characterization of large and highly substituted derivatives which are key to developing functional materials.Read moreRead less
The Study of Pretreatment Options for Composite Fouling of Reverse Osmosis Membranes Used in Water Treatment and Production. It is recognised worldwide that fouling is a major impediment in operation of Reverse Osmosis units used for production, purification and treatment of water. This project is aimed at studying pre-treatment options for composite fouling which is the main type of fouling present in RO units by using both model feed systems and actual field water. The project outcomes are to ....The Study of Pretreatment Options for Composite Fouling of Reverse Osmosis Membranes Used in Water Treatment and Production. It is recognised worldwide that fouling is a major impediment in operation of Reverse Osmosis units used for production, purification and treatment of water. This project is aimed at studying pre-treatment options for composite fouling which is the main type of fouling present in RO units by using both model feed systems and actual field water. The project outcomes are to understand and develop pre-treatment strategies and to use those to develop a hybrid pre-treatment technology. This project will significantly impact water production in general and its outcomes will have far-reaching implications in treatment of water both within Australia and globally.Read moreRead less
The Boron Rejection by RO Membranes in presence of Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Hydroxide. Water scarcity in various parts of the world demands the use of available saline waters for production of potable water. Reverse Osmosis membranes have been used as a means of achieving this objective. Fouling is a major impediment in operation of reverse osmosis units. The project aims to study boron removal by RO under high pH which increases the boron rejection but at the same time exacerbates compos ....The Boron Rejection by RO Membranes in presence of Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Hydroxide. Water scarcity in various parts of the world demands the use of available saline waters for production of potable water. Reverse Osmosis membranes have been used as a means of achieving this objective. Fouling is a major impediment in operation of reverse osmosis units. The project aims to study boron removal by RO under high pH which increases the boron rejection but at the same time exacerbates composite fouling by calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide. Optimum pH for boron rejection will be determined and propensity of calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide at that pH range will be evaluated.Read moreRead less
Gas-phase and catalytic reaction of halons under reducing conditions. Halons are ozone-depleting substances, but their use continues in most countries. This project pursues techniques to convert, rather than destroy, halons into benign and useful products. The aims of this project are to gain a fundamental understanding of the reactions of the most commonly used halons, 1301, 1211 and 2402, and perform a detailed examination of catalytic processes for conversion of halons to HFCs. The primary ....Gas-phase and catalytic reaction of halons under reducing conditions. Halons are ozone-depleting substances, but their use continues in most countries. This project pursues techniques to convert, rather than destroy, halons into benign and useful products. The aims of this project are to gain a fundamental understanding of the reactions of the most commonly used halons, 1301, 1211 and 2402, and perform a detailed examination of catalytic processes for conversion of halons to HFCs. The primary outcome from the study will be the development of a process specifically designed to convert halons into useful products. This will assist with efforts to phase out continued halon use.Read moreRead less
Transformation of halons and CFC to valuable products through their reaction with methane. Halons and CFCs are well known as ozone depleting substances (ODS). This project pursues the development of a novel process to transform stockpiles of halons and CFCs into vinylidene difluoride (C2H2F2). Vinylidene difluoride is a highly valued commodity, used in the synthesis of heat resistant materials. The primary aim of this research is to gain understanding of the role of catalysts during conversion o ....Transformation of halons and CFC to valuable products through their reaction with methane. Halons and CFCs are well known as ozone depleting substances (ODS). This project pursues the development of a novel process to transform stockpiles of halons and CFCs into vinylidene difluoride (C2H2F2). Vinylidene difluoride is a highly valued commodity, used in the synthesis of heat resistant materials. The primary aim of this research is to gain understanding of the role of catalysts during conversion of CFC 12 and halon 1211 into the desired reaction product. The signifigance of the project is that it will facilitate development of a process for non-destructive treatment of ozone depleting substances. The major outcome of the proposed research is it will lay the technical foundation for the development of an energy efficient process to convert rather than destroy these ODS.Read moreRead less
Innovative green technology for bio-particle engineering. Approximately 40% of new pharmaceuticals are poorly soluble in bodily fluids. In many cases this leads to poor bioavailability, and consequent undesirable side effects as a result of high compensating dosages and generally poor patient compliance. These issues will be addressed by developing a green technology for the re-engineering of pharmaceuticals with the objective of increasing bioavilability. The research programme falls within th ....Innovative green technology for bio-particle engineering. Approximately 40% of new pharmaceuticals are poorly soluble in bodily fluids. In many cases this leads to poor bioavailability, and consequent undesirable side effects as a result of high compensating dosages and generally poor patient compliance. These issues will be addressed by developing a green technology for the re-engineering of pharmaceuticals with the objective of increasing bioavilability. The research programme falls within the Designated Research Priority of Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries. Read moreRead less
The role of floc structure in the formation of sediments and filter cakes. The project aims to understand at a fundamental level if and in what way the fractal structure of aggregates of fine particles is preserved when forming sediments and filter cakes. The effect of this structure on processes for separating solids and liquids is significant: each year, millions of dollars stand to be saved though more efficient filtration, and more efficient thickening of mineral slurries. Improved understan ....The role of floc structure in the formation of sediments and filter cakes. The project aims to understand at a fundamental level if and in what way the fractal structure of aggregates of fine particles is preserved when forming sediments and filter cakes. The effect of this structure on processes for separating solids and liquids is significant: each year, millions of dollars stand to be saved though more efficient filtration, and more efficient thickening of mineral slurries. Improved understanding allows intelligent design of flocculation systems to optimise the performance of downstream solid - liquid separation processes, maximising economic and environmental returns.Read moreRead less
Investigations of Surface-Gas Reactions and Mixing in Micro-combustion. This proposal is closely aligned with the third national research priority of 'Frontier Technologies and Transforming Australian Industries'. Micro-power generation is one such technology that will provide power for a broad array of current and future devices ranging from micro-electronics to micro-propulsion systems. Studies conducted here will lead to enhanced mixing and flame stability in micro-combustors. This will place ....Investigations of Surface-Gas Reactions and Mixing in Micro-combustion. This proposal is closely aligned with the third national research priority of 'Frontier Technologies and Transforming Australian Industries'. Micro-power generation is one such technology that will provide power for a broad array of current and future devices ranging from micro-electronics to micro-propulsion systems. Studies conducted here will lead to enhanced mixing and flame stability in micro-combustors. This will place Australia at the leading edge of international research in this field and enables technological advancement in the emerging micro-power generation industry. Another benefit of this research is the training of graduates who will most likely lead future developments in micro-combustion engineering.Read moreRead less