The study and development of a 3D real-time stockpile management system. By successfully completing this project, the efficiency of existing infrastructure investments in industries involved in bulk material handling (inclusive of minerals, grain, sugar and woodchips) will be largely improved. This will allow such industries to contain costs and thus increase international competitiveness. Efficiencies gains (in these industries) to date have been in recover and processing with little attention ....The study and development of a 3D real-time stockpile management system. By successfully completing this project, the efficiency of existing infrastructure investments in industries involved in bulk material handling (inclusive of minerals, grain, sugar and woodchips) will be largely improved. This will allow such industries to contain costs and thus increase international competitiveness. Efficiencies gains (in these industries) to date have been in recover and processing with little attention to stockyard and movement within the stockyards. The industries sectors in which will receive the greatest benefits are in rural and remote Australia. There is also the ability of the system to be exported to overseas clients, particularly in the mining sector.Read moreRead less
A new damage model for rock burst in hard rocks during deep mining. This project seeks to develop a new model to predict incipient rock burst in deep mines. Violent sudden energy released during dynamic brittle failure of rocks can kill people and cause serious damages to mining infrastructures. The project aims to investigate formation of micro-fractures on the brittle shear zones during dynamic brittle failure of pristine rocks with a unique experimental methodology under high-pressure-tempera ....A new damage model for rock burst in hard rocks during deep mining. This project seeks to develop a new model to predict incipient rock burst in deep mines. Violent sudden energy released during dynamic brittle failure of rocks can kill people and cause serious damages to mining infrastructures. The project aims to investigate formation of micro-fractures on the brittle shear zones during dynamic brittle failure of pristine rocks with a unique experimental methodology under high-pressure-temperature condition. It is anticipated that a new micromechanics-based damage model for brittle rocks will be developed from this. Implementation of the new coupled thermo-mechanical damage model into a finite element should result in realistic simulation of deep mining operations to identify rock-burst prone areas and allow mining managers to avoid potential hazards.Read moreRead less
Solution and surface speciation evolution during chalcopyrite leaching. This project will contribute to the development of a more effective industrial leach process for chalcopyrite, the source of more than 50 per cent of the world's copper, and will lead to substantially reduced processing costs and environmental impact, due to removal of the existing smelting step. In addition, the processing of currently uneconomic low grade ores would become economic.
Collection of coarse, composite particles by bubbles in flotation. The minerals industry is of great importance to the Australian economy and flotation is an essential process for the separation of base metals, non-sulphide minerals, and coal. Community benefits will come through lower energy and water consumption in mineral processing. The industry partners will benefit also through increased process efficiencies including increased recovery and lower costs, as well as an exposure to unique m ....Collection of coarse, composite particles by bubbles in flotation. The minerals industry is of great importance to the Australian economy and flotation is an essential process for the separation of base metals, non-sulphide minerals, and coal. Community benefits will come through lower energy and water consumption in mineral processing. The industry partners will benefit also through increased process efficiencies including increased recovery and lower costs, as well as an exposure to unique methodologies that will maintain their technological edge, and the potential to significantly increase their profitability by optimising their mineral processing operations. This project will contribute to the maintenance of a critical mass of research infrastructure at the partner organisations.Read moreRead less
Engineering the sulphidising reactions for flotation of low quality ores. Engineering the sulphidising reactions for flotation of low quality ores. This project aims to engineer sulphidisation reactions to enhance the flotation of low quality ores for the minerals industry. Sulphidisation uses flotation to enrich base metal and precious minerals from low quality ores containing oxides and oxidised sulphides before expensive leaching or smelting. However, the current sulphidisation method is neit ....Engineering the sulphidising reactions for flotation of low quality ores. Engineering the sulphidising reactions for flotation of low quality ores. This project aims to engineer sulphidisation reactions to enhance the flotation of low quality ores for the minerals industry. Sulphidisation uses flotation to enrich base metal and precious minerals from low quality ores containing oxides and oxidised sulphides before expensive leaching or smelting. However, the current sulphidisation method is neither efficient nor widely used. This project will tailor sulphidisation reactions to generate desirable surface products that are not sensitive to flotation conditions. The intended outcome of this project is to provide a step change value in processing low quality resources while minimising the environmental effects of stockpiles.Read moreRead less
Regrinding chemistry and particle breakage mechanisms in increased surface hydrophobicity on fine and ultra-fine particles in mineral flotation. This project will study the effect of regrinding chemistry and particle breakage mechanisms on the redistribution of flotation collectors and the evolution of the metal oxidation species on mineral surfaces. New technologies will be developed to increase mineral surface hydrophobicity and therefore increase fine and ultra-fine particle flotation.
Improving student outcomes: coaching teachers in the power of feedback. This project aims to investigate how student outcomes can be augmented through coaching teachers in effective feedback practice. The project addresses a critical problem of stagnating levels of student achievement in Australian schools with the innovative research design combining evidence-based, pedagogies of feedback, formative assessment and instructional coaching to improve teacher practice and ultimately raise student a ....Improving student outcomes: coaching teachers in the power of feedback. This project aims to investigate how student outcomes can be augmented through coaching teachers in effective feedback practice. The project addresses a critical problem of stagnating levels of student achievement in Australian schools with the innovative research design combining evidence-based, pedagogies of feedback, formative assessment and instructional coaching to improve teacher practice and ultimately raise student achievement levels. The project aims to guide policy implementation in pedagogy to raise the quality of teaching standards and to improve learning outcomes for Australian students. Ultimately, outcomes from the research will help close the gap for low achieving students, and challenge and extend those who may already be meeting required benchmarks. Read moreRead less
Multiliteracies for addressing disadvantage in senior school science. Multiliteracies for addressing disadvantage in senior school science. This project aims to develop discipline-specific pedagogies in senior physics, chemistry and biology to improve disadvantaged students’ engagement and achievement. Many students from disadvantaged backgrounds fail to develop the linguistic precision and symbolic representational dexterity needed to comprehend and communicate senior school science concepts. T ....Multiliteracies for addressing disadvantage in senior school science. Multiliteracies for addressing disadvantage in senior school science. This project aims to develop discipline-specific pedagogies in senior physics, chemistry and biology to improve disadvantaged students’ engagement and achievement. Many students from disadvantaged backgrounds fail to develop the linguistic precision and symbolic representational dexterity needed to comprehend and communicate senior school science concepts. These pedagogies will ‘infuse’ multiliteracies in senior school science to improve access to science-based pathways for these students, and enable them to understand progressively more complex scientific concepts and demonstrate this in examinations. This project is expected to improve student retention, arrest declining enrolments in senior school science, and increase young people working in science.Read moreRead less
Enhancing phosphorus use efficiency in macadamia for sustainable production. Macadamia nuts are an iconic native Australian product worth $287 million annually at the farm gate. Phosphorus fertiliser management currently threatens price premiums for sustainable production in high value European Union export markets, and ‘social license’ to farm in their densely populated coastal production areas. The project aims to exploit adaptive root and shoot traits for phosphorus efficiency found in Austra ....Enhancing phosphorus use efficiency in macadamia for sustainable production. Macadamia nuts are an iconic native Australian product worth $287 million annually at the farm gate. Phosphorus fertiliser management currently threatens price premiums for sustainable production in high value European Union export markets, and ‘social license’ to farm in their densely populated coastal production areas. The project aims to exploit adaptive root and shoot traits for phosphorus efficiency found in Australian native plants to optimise phosphorus fertiliser management and set the platform for breeding macadamia root stocks/varieties that require less phosphorus fertiliser. The outcome will be a macadamia industry that is able to maintain current market price premiums and maintain social license to farm in coastal Australia.Read moreRead less
The adequacy and sustainability of self-managed superannuation funds: Governance, performance, asset allocation, fee structure and compliance. This project will provide research to aid decision makers in policy formation and setting on governance, regulatory and performance issues relating to Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs), which now make up the largest proportion of superannuation assets, accounting for over 30% of the total $1.1 trillion of superannuation assets in Australia. Empir ....The adequacy and sustainability of self-managed superannuation funds: Governance, performance, asset allocation, fee structure and compliance. This project will provide research to aid decision makers in policy formation and setting on governance, regulatory and performance issues relating to Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs), which now make up the largest proportion of superannuation assets, accounting for over 30% of the total $1.1 trillion of superannuation assets in Australia. Empirically driven advice to the Government and the general community on these issues is of substantial importance given the need for retirees to be self-financing and the current adverse conditions experienced in today's financial environment. Research stemming from this project will highlight the value proposition SMSFs may or may not be providing to the superannuation industry.Read moreRead less