ECMS Small Research Grants Scheme
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| Academic | Dr Yung Ngothai |
| Name of Grant | Rheology of nanoparticles dispersion stabilised with gelatin |
| Funding | $10,000 |
| Duration | 1 year |
| Summary |
| Nanoparticles enhance the value and quality of dispersion-based products
manufactured in Australia's photographic, food and pharmaceutical industries.
Gelatin is a common dispersing agent for these products. However, gelatin
adsorbs and forms nanosized compressible layers on particle surfaces,
which significantly affect the interactions of nanoparticles at high gelatin
concentration and high-shear conditions. Current rheological (hard-sphere)
models cannot accurately predict this phenomenon. Steady and dynamic rheological
measurements with latex nanoparticles dispersed in gelatin will quantify
and characterise the behaviour of these "soft-sphere" systems.
New predictive models will be developed, based on dimensional analysis,
to describe and predict the rheology of soft-sphere colloidal dispersions. |
| |
| Chief Investigator | Dr P J Ashman |
| Name of Grant | Fast Pyrolysis of Mallee Eucalyptus for the Profitable Mitigation
of Dryland Salinity |
| Amount | $10,000 |
| Duration | 1 year |
| Summary |
| Fast pyrolysis is an advanced thermal process for the conversion of solid
biomass to liquid fuel with little net production of greenhouse gases.
Large-scale planting of mallee eucalyptus is an effective strategy for
the mitigation of dryland salinity, but at relatively high cost. Thus
the production of liquid fuel from mallee is synergistic, increasing the
viability of addressing both of these serious environmental problems.
The project will allow the University of Adelaide to establish a bio-oil
research program through undertaking a preliminary assessment of the use
of Australian mallee. Since the viability of many Australian fuels are
yet to be assessed, it will thereby open the door for a significant new
research field. |
| |
| Chief Investigator | Dr David Lewis
|
| Name of Grant | Secondary metabolites from cyanobacteria as selective anti-fungal
agents to inhibit the growth of downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola). |
| Amount | $10,000 |
| Duration | 1 year |
| Summary |
| The Australian Wine Industry currently uses chemical inputs in the form
of sprays, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilisers to combat plant disease.
Agricultural practices that adopt the use of chemical intervention are
not sustainable and will ultimately lead to degradation of the environment.
Alternative methods of intervention include genetically modified organisms
and biologically active agents. This project will investigate the potential
for anti-fungal compounds produced by selected cyanobacteria to be used
for control of downy mildew. Downy mildew is a fungal disease, which is
specific to grapevines and can be extremely devastating, reducing the
yield and quality of the harvested grapes. Australian Institute of Nuclear
Science and Engineering (AINSE) |
| |
| Academic | Dr Yung Ngothai and A/P. Brian O'Neill |
| Collaboration | A/P. Allan Pring (South Australian Museum) |
| Name of Grant | In Situ Neutron Diffraction Studies of Mineral Transformation |
| Funding | $8,500 |
| Duration | 1 year |
| Summary |
| The aim of this project is to measure the rate at which the principal
ore of nickel, pentlandite, transforms to violarite, another important
nickel rich sulphide that forms from it in the upper parts of ore bodies.
To follow the transformation of pentlandite to violarite under simulated
supergene conditions using neutron diffraction we need to design and construct
a hydrothermal flow through cell for in situ experiments. In the current
set of experiments we propose to do some preliminary diffraction experiments
to test our hydrothermal cell. These experiments will reveal the working
characteristics of the cell and we will use some simple experiments systems
such as the alteration Cu metal in deuterated hydrochloric and sulphuric
acids. We also plan to do some preliminary experiments on the transformation
of pentlandite to violarite. |
| |
South Australian Museum 2004 |
| Academic | Dr Yung Ngothai, Dr Chris Colby and A/P. Brian O'Neill |
| Collaboration | Dr Joel Brugger (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences) |
| Name of Grant | Transport of Metals in Vapours & Brines: New Insight into the Formation of the Earth's Mineral |
| Funding | $27,700 |
| Duration | 3 year |
| Summary |
| The specific aims of this project are to use an integrated experimental
approach with multiple analytical techniques (UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometry,
XANES, ex- and in-situ solubility experiments) to
" Identify and measure the thermodynamic properties of Tellurium(-II)
species (25°C to 400°C);
" Measure for the first time the fractionation of Te(-II) between
liquid and vapour;
" Improve our understanding of the transport and deposition of Te,
precious metals and related elements in epthermal and mesothermal environments
using numerical modelling; and
" Integrate the experimental results and modelling technology to
improve exploration success. |
| |
ARC Linkage Project Awards |
| Academic | A/Professor Brian O'Neilland Dr Chris Colby (School of Chemical Engineering), Dr Craig
Heidenreich, Dr Ken Moxham (Civil and Civil and Environmental Engineering) |
| Name of Grant | Desalting reclaimed waste-water to safeguard Virginia's horticultural industries. |
| Funding | Total funding (2nd of 3 years $47,118 in 2004) |
| Summary |
| Virginia is a major horticultural region of South Australia undergoing
rapid expansion. Groundwater resources are depleted and reclaimed sewage
effluent from Adelaide is required for irrigation. Unfortunately, the
effluent is frequently too saline. Large-scale desalting is being considered.
A pilot-scale plant will be built to evaluate suitable desalting processes
(e.g. reverse osmosis) for reducing the effluent's salt content. Original
research will: (i) synthesise the best combination of technologies to
produce effluent streams of varying salinity for matching different crop
requirements; and (ii) optimise delivery and storage of effluent streams
using new storage(s) and the region's multiple aquifer and surface storages. |
| |
Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) Board |
| Academics | Associate Professor Brian O'Neill, Dr Chris Colby |
| Name of Grant | Better quality wine and lower production costs from new processing technologies for protein-haze removal |
| Funding | Total funding 2nd of 3 years ($110,900 in 2004) |
| Summary |
| This project will make substantial contributions to improving efficiencies
and reducing costs of wine production, as well as enhancing wine quality
and value. Besides disadvantages of reduced value of wine recovered from
bentonite lees and perceived negative impacts on treated wine quality,
current methods of bentonite use require considerable manual effort and
produce large volumes of spent bentonite requiring costly disposal. In
addition, the substantial "dead times" in bentonite treatment
tie up valuable equipment and resources, and interrupt the supply chain
at a critical time when product is being prepared for bottling prior to
market dispatch. The project will involve several innovative approaches
to solving these problems. It will do this by exploiting established process
engineering expertise and blending it with pioneering scientific research
by Australia's premier wine research organisation and the practical knowledge
and experience of one of Australia's largest wine companies. New methods
of bentonite use and haze prevention will help the Australian wine industry
reduce its wine losses, minimise waste, decrease processing times, and
enhance and enable better control of wine quality. The commercial technologies
flowing from the project will further enhance the competitiveness of the
Australian wine industry and its image as a market-leader. |
