Hydrogeological drivers and fate of spring flow in a semi-arid setting. In arid and semi-arid climates, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems often rely on groundwater springs. Spring hydrology depends on complex relationships between underlying aquifers and surface conditions, leading to high uncertainties in understanding aquifer-spring-wetland hydrology, which is critical for spring ecosystem protection and to inform management of relevant groundwater-affecting activities. This project will appl ....Hydrogeological drivers and fate of spring flow in a semi-arid setting. In arid and semi-arid climates, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems often rely on groundwater springs. Spring hydrology depends on complex relationships between underlying aquifers and surface conditions, leading to high uncertainties in understanding aquifer-spring-wetland hydrology, which is critical for spring ecosystem protection and to inform management of relevant groundwater-affecting activities. This project will apply novel hydrogeophysical and hydrochemical methods, and computer modelling, to investigate the source aquifer of, and fate of discharge from the Doongmabulla Springs Complex (DSC), located in an area of future development. Project results will inform spring vulnerability to development pressures and climate effects.Read moreRead less
Impact of recycled and low quality process water on sustainable mineral processing practices. Water is in short supply and needs to be considered as a 'key reagent'. The quality of this reagent can vary widely. For a sustainable mineral processing practice, the use of recycled or low quality/saline process water will be essential for a plant to operate in the future. The major benefit is recognition that significant recycle of process water for flotation is achievable if simple water quality con ....Impact of recycled and low quality process water on sustainable mineral processing practices. Water is in short supply and needs to be considered as a 'key reagent'. The quality of this reagent can vary widely. For a sustainable mineral processing practice, the use of recycled or low quality/saline process water will be essential for a plant to operate in the future. The major benefit is recognition that significant recycle of process water for flotation is achievable if simple water quality control and management practices are implemented. In addition, a better understanding and control of water quality in recycled/saline process water may lead to improved flotation stability and performance, and reduced reagent consumption.Read moreRead less
Novel nanosensors for monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. Novel nanosensors for monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. This project aims to develop arrays of electrochemical biosensors based on nanostructured silicon for real-time monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. Real-time monitoring of membrane performance, based on removing virus-sized particles, is a priority for the water industry to maximise asset life and meet increased demand for safe and high- ....Novel nanosensors for monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. Novel nanosensors for monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. This project aims to develop arrays of electrochemical biosensors based on nanostructured silicon for real-time monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. Real-time monitoring of membrane performance, based on removing virus-sized particles, is a priority for the water industry to maximise asset life and meet increased demand for safe and high-quality water. Materials scientists, electrochemists, and specialists in water management and reuse aim to harness advances in nanostructured transducers and electrochemical protocols to develop online performance-monitoring technology. This project is expected to improve water treatment processes, removing viruses and reducing the risks and uncertainties of water recycling.Read moreRead less
Reducing the deleterious impacts of clay particle interactions with valuable minerals in copper and gold processing. This project seeks to understand the rheological behaviour of clay minerals and the effect of the viscosity caused by clay minerals on gas dispersion, the transport of network structures and the locking of the structures in the froth in mineral flotation. Novel methods will be developed to improve flotation separation by reducing the viscosity.
New Stratigraphy and Geostatistics for Gas and Water Resources . Management of gas and water resources is of significant importance to the Australian economy and society. Industry and government use digital modelling to assist in resources management. The first step in modelling is to correlate geological data and then use geostatistics to estimate properties in areas without data. This project aims to produce a new geological framework for the Surat Basin underpinned by new zircon ages and ages ....New Stratigraphy and Geostatistics for Gas and Water Resources . Management of gas and water resources is of significant importance to the Australian economy and society. Industry and government use digital modelling to assist in resources management. The first step in modelling is to correlate geological data and then use geostatistics to estimate properties in areas without data. This project aims to produce a new geological framework for the Surat Basin underpinned by new zircon ages and ages of fossils in sediments and a new geostatistical methodology to better represent flow properties in coal seams and aquifers. This is expected result in a more accurate modelling methodology that can be used by industry and government for modelling resources, including in other basins in Australia and worldwide.Read moreRead less
New nanotechnology controlling wettability in unconventional gas reservoirs. This project aims to develop new nanoparticle technologies to change rock wettability and significantly increase gas production from shale and coal seam gas fields. The project plans to use a unique combination of new theoretical models for suspension transport in fractures and innovative mathematical modelling supported by laboratory studies and validated against field results, to test and develop the new strategies fo ....New nanotechnology controlling wettability in unconventional gas reservoirs. This project aims to develop new nanoparticle technologies to change rock wettability and significantly increase gas production from shale and coal seam gas fields. The project plans to use a unique combination of new theoretical models for suspension transport in fractures and innovative mathematical modelling supported by laboratory studies and validated against field results, to test and develop the new strategies for Australian gas fields. The project is expected to improve understanding of complex physical phenomena associated with natural gas production and to deliver economic benefit to the Australian gas industry.Read moreRead less
A global standard for the status of Wetlands of International Importance. The project will develop and test a new global standard for the assessment and reporting on ecological condition of internationally important wetlands, listed under the Ramsar Convention. It has four aims: establishment of a strategic adaptive management and governance framework, a meta-analysis of the 2,303 internationally listed wetlands, development of a protocol for assessment and prediction and delivering a digital re ....A global standard for the status of Wetlands of International Importance. The project will develop and test a new global standard for the assessment and reporting on ecological condition of internationally important wetlands, listed under the Ramsar Convention. It has four aims: establishment of a strategic adaptive management and governance framework, a meta-analysis of the 2,303 internationally listed wetlands, development of a protocol for assessment and prediction and delivering a digital reporting platform for effective management. The project is significant because it tackles the decline of freshwater ecosystems, by targeting the most prominent wetlands. It also assists state and national governments to meet their obligations under the Ramsar Convention and most importantly guides more effective management.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.
Saving Nemo: Reducing animal use in toxicity assessments of wastewater. Every day, Australians produce ~5 billion litres of wastewater, which contains a cocktail of chemicals. Industries that discharge wastewater are required to assess chemical risks to the receiving environments by conducting whole animal direct toxicity assessments (DTA), which are expensive and pose an ethical dilemma. Our preliminary research shows that new in vitro bioassays provide an ethical and cost effective alternative ....Saving Nemo: Reducing animal use in toxicity assessments of wastewater. Every day, Australians produce ~5 billion litres of wastewater, which contains a cocktail of chemicals. Industries that discharge wastewater are required to assess chemical risks to the receiving environments by conducting whole animal direct toxicity assessments (DTA), which are expensive and pose an ethical dilemma. Our preliminary research shows that new in vitro bioassays provide an ethical and cost effective alternative that could be incorporated into DTA programs if their ecological relevance can be demonstrated. This project will develop and validate a new and internationally significant suite of in vitro bioassays for incorporation into DTA programs, leading to more ethical, cost effective and improved environmental protection.Read moreRead less