An innovative computational technique for the study and control of oscillation marks in continuous casting of steel. The project addresses an important problem in steel making industry. The success of the project will lead to a comprehensive understanding of the continuous steel casting process and the development of an innovative computational technique for the analysis of the process, which is important for the optimal control of the process. As Australia has a huge amount of mineral resources ....An innovative computational technique for the study and control of oscillation marks in continuous casting of steel. The project addresses an important problem in steel making industry. The success of the project will lead to a comprehensive understanding of the continuous steel casting process and the development of an innovative computational technique for the analysis of the process, which is important for the optimal control of the process. As Australia has a huge amount of mineral resources, improvement of the steel casting technology will result in great economic and social benefit. It will increase the revenue from the steelmaking industry and ensure the Australian steelmaking industry to be internationally competitive. The project will also lead to the production of a number of graduates with expertise directly useful to our local industry. Read moreRead less
The origin of iron formations: implications for ancient ocean chemistry and the evolution of microbial life. Iron formations host most of the world's iron reserves and are central to our understanding of ancient ocean chemistry and the diversity of microbial life. Despite their scientific importance, questions remain about their original composition and formation. Preliminary work suggests that basic assumptions about their deposition require reevaluation. This project will use new technology an ....The origin of iron formations: implications for ancient ocean chemistry and the evolution of microbial life. Iron formations host most of the world's iron reserves and are central to our understanding of ancient ocean chemistry and the diversity of microbial life. Despite their scientific importance, questions remain about their original composition and formation. Preliminary work suggests that basic assumptions about their deposition require reevaluation. This project will use new technology and novel methods to investigate the precursor sediments of iron formations and their temporal relationship with periods of global magmatism and atmospheric oxygenation. Results will be used to test and develop new depositional models for iron formations, underpinning interpretations about the composition of the Precambrian ocean, atmosphere and biosphere. Read moreRead less
The early evolution of the Earth system from multiple sulfur isotope records of sediments and seafloor mineral systems. This project addresses the early evolution of the Earth system that is one of the most important questions in Earth Sciences. It will use Australia's unique rock record and analytical techniques developed in Australia in collaboration with leading international researchers. The National Research Priority area 'An environmentally sustainable Australia: developing deep Earth reso ....The early evolution of the Earth system from multiple sulfur isotope records of sediments and seafloor mineral systems. This project addresses the early evolution of the Earth system that is one of the most important questions in Earth Sciences. It will use Australia's unique rock record and analytical techniques developed in Australia in collaboration with leading international researchers. The National Research Priority area 'An environmentally sustainable Australia: developing deep Earth resources' will benefit through the development of better exploration models for Archaean submarine metal deposits. Students will obtain a high level understanding of the early Earth system, ore deposits, stable isotope and transition metal geochemistry, which are directly applicable in both pure and applied research and mineral exploration.Read moreRead less
Influence of adsorbed surfactants on three phase contact line motion at high capillary number. The interaction between thin films and solid surfaces underpins the performance of a number of value-adding industrial processes, most notably metallurgical coating operations. Typically, these operations are performed at speeds well beyond the range of existing models, thereby limiting their value when changes in operation occur or when there are problems with product quality. Existing models are also ....Influence of adsorbed surfactants on three phase contact line motion at high capillary number. The interaction between thin films and solid surfaces underpins the performance of a number of value-adding industrial processes, most notably metallurgical coating operations. Typically, these operations are performed at speeds well beyond the range of existing models, thereby limiting their value when changes in operation occur or when there are problems with product quality. Existing models are also limited by their inability to account for the presence of surfactants commonly used throughout industry. This study will produce a capability for predicting how velocity and local changes in molecular composition affect the wetting/dewetting of coated surfaces.Read moreRead less
Low-grade metamorphic phosphate geochronology: High-precision dating of ancient crustal fluid flow, hydrothermal mineralisation and the "Great Oxidation Event". Reliable dating techniques are required to obtain precise ages for ancient crustal fluid flow. Current techniques suffer from inheritance and isotopic resetting, problems that are particularly pronounced in early Precambrian rocks. This project will employ new analytical techniques to date phosphate minerals recently identified as potent ....Low-grade metamorphic phosphate geochronology: High-precision dating of ancient crustal fluid flow, hydrothermal mineralisation and the "Great Oxidation Event". Reliable dating techniques are required to obtain precise ages for ancient crustal fluid flow. Current techniques suffer from inheritance and isotopic resetting, problems that are particularly pronounced in early Precambrian rocks. This project will employ new analytical techniques to date phosphate minerals recently identified as potentially important new chronometers of ancient fluid flow, providing the first precise tectonothermal history of the Archaean Pilbara Craton. The project will also establish the age of giant iron-ore deposits across the Hamersley Province, test the various models for iron-ore formation, and provide a minimum age for the oxidation of the Earth's surface. Read moreRead less
Banded iron formations: life, oxygen and ocean chemistry. This project aims to investigate the co-evolution of life and environments during Earth’s first two billion years using iron-rich chemical sediments deposited from global oceans. The project expects to generate knowledge of Earth’s transition into a planet habitable for complex life by combining nanoscale characterisation techniques, with laboratory experiments and theoretical modelling. Expected outcomes include transformative ideas abou ....Banded iron formations: life, oxygen and ocean chemistry. This project aims to investigate the co-evolution of life and environments during Earth’s first two billion years using iron-rich chemical sediments deposited from global oceans. The project expects to generate knowledge of Earth’s transition into a planet habitable for complex life by combining nanoscale characterisation techniques, with laboratory experiments and theoretical modelling. Expected outcomes include transformative ideas about the role of life in iron and phosphorus cycles, the chemistry of the early ocean, ancient biological productivity, the antiquity of oxygenic photosynthesis and the rise of oxygen. The project will also deliver new conceptual models for the formation of the host-rocks for most of the world’s iron resources, improving how we explore for iron in the Earth’s crust. This should provide benefits to understanding geobiology on Earth and other planets.Read moreRead less
Using immersive virtual reality to enhance students’ science visualisation. This project aims to investigate the potential of advanced visualisation technology, immersive virtual reality, as a collaborative learning environment to support students to explore their ideas and learn a core chemistry concept, molecular structures and functions. Incorporating both data analytics and qualitative video analysis, the project will establish a deep understanding of how students learn about the molecular w ....Using immersive virtual reality to enhance students’ science visualisation. This project aims to investigate the potential of advanced visualisation technology, immersive virtual reality, as a collaborative learning environment to support students to explore their ideas and learn a core chemistry concept, molecular structures and functions. Incorporating both data analytics and qualitative video analysis, the project will establish a deep understanding of how students learn about the molecular world within an immersive virtual reality environment in relation to the learners’ experience, chemistry content, visual representations, learning tasks, and design features. The project will recommend evidence-driven design considerations for learning resources development and further educational research with advanced technologies.Read moreRead less
The online future of Science and Engineering education: The essential elements of laboratory-based learning for remote-access implementation. Laboratory classes are a critical part of science and engineering degree programs, but there has been little research into what actually takes place within them. Remote laboratories, in which students control equipment via the internet, are one potential solution for accommodating rising numbers of students, but the interfaces must be developed to effectiv ....The online future of Science and Engineering education: The essential elements of laboratory-based learning for remote-access implementation. Laboratory classes are a critical part of science and engineering degree programs, but there has been little research into what actually takes place within them. Remote laboratories, in which students control equipment via the internet, are one potential solution for accommodating rising numbers of students, but the interfaces must be developed to effectively support student learning. This project will investigate how students interact with equipment, each other, and with laboratory demonstrators in order to determine the crucial components of effective laboratory learning experiences. It will identify and characterise the interactions of students in laboratory classes, and develop mechanisms to support these interactions remotely.Read moreRead less
Engaging Students during the Early Years of Secondary School. This project aims to design, test and share sustainable strategies to support teachers and enable students from low socioeconomic communities to achieve success. The greatest decreases in students’ interest and effort occur when they transition into secondary school, with students from low socioeconomic communities at greatest risk of disengagement. What can teachers do to engage their students during this key life transition? This pr ....Engaging Students during the Early Years of Secondary School. This project aims to design, test and share sustainable strategies to support teachers and enable students from low socioeconomic communities to achieve success. The greatest decreases in students’ interest and effort occur when they transition into secondary school, with students from low socioeconomic communities at greatest risk of disengagement. What can teachers do to engage their students during this key life transition? This project plans to identify teacher behaviours that motivate students in their first year at secondary school. Using an experimental design with a representative sample of 150 teachers and 1500 students in low socioeconomic areas across three states, the project plans to test whether an online professional learning program for teachers can improve student engagement and achievement. This cost-effective and scalable intervention is designed for widespread dissemination to Australian teachers.Read moreRead less
The roles of scientific diagrams in contributing to science achievement and conceptual change. The project is designed to develop a body of research that facilitates excellence in teaching and in learning scientific diagrams in secondary school science. Benefits will include the dissemination of effective pedagogical strategies and improved science achievement measured by conceptual change from both cognitive and affective perspectives.