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Ian Wark Research InstituteARC Special Research Centre for Particle and Material Interfaces
Annual Report 2009 Experience. The Difference.
VisionAn international magnet for research, The Wark
advances global knowledge and understanding in
interface science and engineering, underpinning
Australian industry through breakthrough science
and technology transfer.
MissionAs a critical member of an elite international
group of colloid and interface science research
organisations, The Wark performs outstanding
research and attracts sponsors, staff and students
from around the globe.
Operating PrinciplesThe activities of The Wark are underpinned by
our guiding principles:
• Strategic Direction. Invest in areas that
build on existing strengths whilst pushing
the research boundaries into emerging areas.
Demonstrate an unswerving commitment to
fundamental research.
• Partnership. Undertake intensive collaboration
with global industry partners to build research
relevance and innovative application.
• Continuous Improvement. Practice
continuous benchmarking with internationally
renowned research organisations.
• Building Research Capacity. Attract world-
class experienced and early career researchers,
as well as PhD students. Support research and
analytical skills with high level technical skills.
• Career Development. Provide enviable
career opportunities, nurture talent, and
reward behaviour that supports an open and
interactive research culture.
Cover: Scanning electron microscopy image of the bottom surface of nanoporous anodic alumina fabricated by electrochemical anodization of aluminium.
Image courtesy of Dr Dusan Losic, conducted at Adelaide Microscopy (SEM XL-30), image scale 10 µm.
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Ian Wark Research InstituteARC Special Research Centre for Particle and Material Interfaces
University of South Australia
Mawson Lakes Campus
Mawson Lakes Blvd
Mawson Lakes South Australia 5095
Australia
T +61 8 8302 3694
F +61 8 8302 3683
W www.unisa.edu.au/iwri
CRICOS provider number 00121B
Photography: Sam Noonan
ContentsAdvisory Board Report 2
Director’s Report 3
The Materials and Minerals Science
Learning and Research Hub 5
Management Structure 6
Staff 8
Postgraduate Students 11
Major Research Sponsors and Donors 13
Research Funding 14
International Collaboration 15
Research Commercialisation 18
Research Highlights 20
Research Projects 34
Honours and Awards 38
Graduates 43
Seminar Program 44
Visitors to the Institute 46
Conference Attendance
and Invited Lectures 49
Publications 52
International Collaborators 60
The Advisory Board commends the fifteenth
Annual Report of the Ian Wark Research Institute
(The Wark™) to the Council of the University of
South Australia.
Replacement and refreshment of the leadership
group is well underway, with new professorial
appointments and internal promotions.
The sixth biennial review of the Institute by the
Research and Technology Advisory Committee
noted that most of their major recommendations
had been implemented. Other matters of
detail to which they draw attention are being
addressed.
Industry funding decreased from 43.7% (2008)
to 34.3% (2009); however our support from
other funding sources increased, resulting in a
small gain in total revenue. Industry funding
is still under pressure from the global financial
difficulties, continuing industry amalgamation,
and new uncertainties regarding mining taxes. It
is encouraging to note that South Australia is on
the verge of becoming a major mineral supplier,
and that is already having a positive impact on
Institute revenue.
Application of The Wark’s research to other
industries is proceeding well and must continue
to be emphasized; and our extensive national
and international research collaborations are
increasingly productive.
Our warmest congratulations go to the recipient
of the Ian Wark Research Institute Medal for
2009, Dr Nasrin Ghouchi Eskandar, a graduate of
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Max Richards AM FTSE
Chairman
June 2010
Advisory Board Report
2
Director’s Report
3
It is with great pleasure that I present my
Director’s Report for 2009. During the year, The
Wark has made great progress in the recruitment
of key high level staff, we have continued
to publish strongly in high impact journals,
developed a number of commercialisation
initiatives, as well as key scientific breakthroughs,
established new facilities, recruited fine PhD
students and developed a swathe of new
research initiatives.
Over 80% of our publications appear in
ARC categorised A and A* journals. These
publications also reflect the extensive national
and international research collaborations of The
Wark. Our publications are highly cited which
gives me great confidence that the Institute
will fare very well in the Excellence in Research
for Australia (ERA) initiative. The latter has
been initiated by the Federal Government and
managed by the Australian Research Council.
The Wark has a Strategic Plan, “Wark 2016”,
which has received enormous support from
our Advisory Board and the University. As one
outcome, we embarked upon the recruitment of
staff at professorial level and made an extensive
search during 2009.
There was intense interest in our professorial
posts. From an excellent field we have appointed
two outstanding scientists to new positions in
The Wark. The first appointment is Professor
Dayang Wang, who was a Group Leader, Max
Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, and
the second is Professor Thomas Nann, who
was the Chair in Nanosciences, University of
East Anglia, United Kingdom. Both of these
appointees will commence with us during the
first half of 2010. Internally, Jonas Addai-Mensah
and Bill Skinner were appointed to full Professor.
Jonas is Professor of Chemical and Interfacial
Engineering, whilst Bill occupies the position of
Professor of Interface Analysis and Synchrotron
Science. Naba Dutta was also promoted to
Associate Professor in Polymer Interfaces. Mihail
Popescu and Benjamin Thierry were promoted
to Senior Research Fellow, whilst Craig Priest
and Vera Lockett are now Research Fellows. Phil
Souter, one of the lynch pins of our Workshop,
was promoted to Higher Education Officer Level
6. All of these promotions were richly deserved
and have strengthened The Wark tremendously.
New research staff include Akira Otsuki from
Waseda University, Japan. Luke Parkinson and
Zofia Swierczek, along with Simon Doe joined
our Scientific Services team. Liz Blackmore
occupies the role of Research Degrees/Project
Officer, whilst Teresa Duncan is providing
welcome support to our busy Minerals team.
In the departure lounge, Tim Barnes was
appointed to a lecturing position in the Sansom
Institute, whilst Renate Fetzer is now employed
by Karlsruher Institut für Technologie as a Staff
Scientist. Roger Horn left The Wark after a
magnificent 17 years as a Senior Professor and
Deputy Director. He is now at Deakin University,
where he is Director, Research Training. Roger
still comes back to visit us regularly but we miss
him greatly on both scientific and personal levels.
Ivan Kempson is now Associate Professor at the
Institute of Physics at the National Synchrotron
Radiation Research Center in Taiwan. Nicola Sleep
has left us for an extended European holiday,
whilst Su Nee Tan has joined CSIRO Process
Science and Engineering as a Research Scientist.
Whilst we are sad that these and other staff have
departed, there is also much joy in seeing them
play important roles in other institutions.
I commend to you our research highlights
section of this report. We have now made very
significant advances in developing new liquid
membranes for fuel cell applications in showing
that dewetting dynamics can be controlled
by contact line pinning and for the first time,
showing how partly soluble drugs can be
delivered using microcapsules.
Our funding from the Australian Research
Council Discovery and Linkage Grant schemes,
NHMRC and kindred granting agencies
continues to be very strong. Catherine Whitby
was awarded a Future Fellowship in the first
round of this years grant awards through the
Australian Research Council, whilst Benjamin
Thierry is supported by the NHMRC on a Career
Development Fellowship. Spomenka Simovic
is the recipient of the Hypatia Postdoctoral
Fellowship. These awards recognize the breadth
and depth of the capabilities of our younger
research staff. Craig Priest was one of Australia’s
Fresh Scientists and the only South Australian.
Our commercialisation activities are proceeding
extremely well. As an example, our
LipoCeramicTM technology is receiving wide
international interest.
During 2009, we installed and commissioned
approximately AU$5 million worth of new
equipment in surface characterization and
nanofabrication.
The Materials and Minerals Science Learning and
Research Hub has now been planned in detail
and “M2” will commence early in 2010, with
completion by November 2011.
Our PhD student recruitment continues to attract
a wide range of students from Australia, Asia,
Europe, South Africa and South America. It is
an enormous pleasure to have these splendid
individuals with us and the mix of different
cultures in The Wark provides a very enriching
environment.
In 2009 we commenced a major new project
with CSIRO under the Minerals Down Under
initiative. This deals specifically with the
agglomeration of nickel laterites.
The Australian Mineral Science Research
Institute (AMSRI), a partnership between the
Universities of South Australia, Melbourne,
Newcastle and Queensland, in conjunction with
AMIRA International and industry, is making
great progress. Funding from the Australian
Research Council (its largest Linkage Grant
ever awarded), from the State Governments
of Victoria and South Australia, and industrial
sponsors has enabled us to carry out a five year
program of breakthrough research which will
underpin the minerals industry in the future.
Excellent progress has been made and a number
of breakthrough, potentially transformational,
technologies have been identified which will
enable the industry to make substantial changes
to current practice. As a result, there should
be substantial reductions in energy and water
useage, as well as capital expenditure. The
Institute has also identified a number of new
research areas in energy and nanobiotechnology
where major market applications are feasible.
I expect to report on the success of these
initiatives in my 2010 Report.
Despite the global financial crisis impinging upon
The Wark, we have made up for any funding
shortfalls by our increased success from other
funding bodies. As the “GFC” subsides, we
expect to see a substantial increase in industry
funding.
Our Advisory Board has a number of new
members, and, along with our Research and
Technology Advisory Committee, in conjunction
with the wise counsel of the Vice Chancellor and
Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research & Innovation,
has provided outstanding support for The
Wark in 2009. My sincere thanks are extended
to all of our sponsors, the University and all
members of The Wark family for their marvellous
contributions in 2009.
John Ralston AO FAA FTSE
Director
June 2010
4
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The University of South Australia has created
the Materials and Minerals Science Learning and
Research Hub at the Mawson Lakes campus.
Bringing together UniSA’s flagship Ian Wark
Research Institute (The Wark™) and the Mawson
Institute, along with the School of Mathematics
and Statistics, the hub is intended to be a nexus
for innovative learning, teaching and high quality
research as well as engaging industry and the
broader community in its activities.
At the heart of the hub is the new $50
million M2 Building; a 5600m2, 3-storey
building, housing teaching and research
laboratories, undergraduate study areas and
an industry enclave. The building will facilitate
the engagement between undergraduate
and postgraduate coursework science and
engineering students, higher degree research
students, leading researchers and industry
stakeholders in a flexible, open and creative
space aimed at stimulating innovation.
M2, in keeping with the University’s stated
environmental commitment, is designed to be an
eco-friendly building that will achieve a minimum
5-star Green Star rating from the Green Building
Council of Australia. It is designed to be
‘transparent’, to allow the community to see in
and help demystify the teaching and research
activities and will effectively re-orient the campus
to engage more directly with the Mawson Lakes
community.
Industry partners are invited to fully engage
in the teaching and research by the provision
of office and ancillary spaces in a dedicated
technology transfer node. Breaking down these
traditional barriers will enhance the learning
experience of students, allowing them exposure
to potential employers and to benefit from the
‘real world’ perspectives of industry partners. It
will also serve to revolutionise the university-
industry research relationship, allowing them
to work side-by-side in an active partnership
instead of the more traditional periodic reporting
relationship.
The building will contain 10 state-of-the-art
teaching and research laboratories ranging from
micro computer aided tomography, to minerals
research, nano- and biotechnology and through
to cell therapy – totalling approximately 1000m2.
It will house a unique, technology rich lecture
theatre, with fully immersive audio-visual systems
in a challenging, yet engaging, discussion forum.
These facilities will be wired to ‘export’ the
activities to other areas within the building or
elsewhere in the world.
The new facilities will allow The Wark to further
its long standing partnerships with the giants
of the global resources world - names like
BHP-Billiton, Rio Tinto and Anglo Platinum - to
develop new and highly innovative mineral
recovery technologies. These new systems
include nano-scale mineral separation and
recovery using microfluidics - lab on a chip
- systems as well as continuing to refine and
advance traditional recovery methodologies.
The building is scheduled for completion in
November 2011.
Images courtesy of John Wardle Architects and Swanbury Penglase Architects
The Materials and Minerals Science Learning and Research Hub
Management Structure
University of South Australia Council
Office of theDeputy Vice-Chancellor
(Researchand Innovation)
AdvisoryBoard
Research and Technology
Advisory Committee
Director Laureate Professor John Ralston
Executive Policy and
Planning Committee
Bio and PolymerInterfaces
SectorCo-ordinator
Prof Clive Prestidge
Colloids andNanostructures
SectorCo-ordinator
A/Prof Daniel Fornasiero
Mineral ProcessingSector
Co-ordinatorProf Stephen Grano
ScientificServices
Corporate Services
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Advisory Board
The Advisory Board convened on two occasions during 2009. Members were:
Dr Max Richards (Chair) Chair, School of Botany Foundation, University of Melbourne
Dr Matthew Cuthbertson (Deputy Chair) Chief Executive Officer, CRC for Advanced Automotive Technology Ltd
Prof Calum Drummond Chief, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering
Dr Chris Goodes General Manager Innovation - Recovery, Rio Tinto Technology & Innovation
Dr Rachel Lucas Director, RLC Pty Ltd
Dr Jim May Former Chief Executive, AMIRA Ltd
Prof Caroline McMillen Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice President - Research and Innovation, University of South Australia
Ms Ann Nelson Deputy CEO/Director Bioscience Infrastructure, BioInnovation SA
Mr Joe Pease Chief Executive, Xstrata Technology
Dr Neville Plint Head, Research & Development, Anglo Platinum Ltd
Laureate Prof John Ralston Director, Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia
Dr Leanna Read Managing Director and CEO, TGR BioSciences Pty Ltd
Dr Andrew Shook Chief Technology & Information Management Officer, Uranium Customer Sector Group, BHP Billiton
Mr Antony Simpson Past Chair, Mason & Cox Pty Ltd
Mr Keith Smith Managing Director, Oncaidia Pty Ltd
Ms Madelene Pierce (Executive Officer) Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia
Research and Technology Advisory Committee
The Research and Technology Advisory Committee, which convenes biennially, visited the Institute from 25-29 May 2009. The visit included several
days of intensive discussions with staff and students, followed by a presentation and written report to the Advisory Board. Members were:
Prof Brian Vincent (Chair) Leverhulme Professor of Physical Chemistry and Director, Bristol Colloid Centre, University of Bristol,
United Kingdom
Dr Terry Blake Surface Science Kodak (retired), United Kingdom
Dr Matthew Cuthbertson Chief Executive Officer, CRC for Advanced Automotive Technology Ltd, Australia
Prof Cyril O’Connor Director, Centre for Minerals Research, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Prof Marcus Textor Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Ms Madelene Pierce (Executive Officer) Ian Wark Research Institute
Executive Policy and Planning Committee
The Executive Policy and Planning Committee met on a monthly basis and comprised:
Laureate Prof John Ralston (Chair) Director
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah Dean, Research Education
Dr David Beattie Academic Staff Representative
A/Prof Daniel Fornasiero Sector Coordinator: Colloids and Nanostructures
Prof Stephen Grano Sector Coordinator: Mineral Processing
Prof Hans Griesser Deputy Director (Industry)
Mr Craig Hackney Facilities & Information Systems Manager
Ms Wendy Harrington Postgraduate Student Representative
Prof Roger Horn Deputy Director (Academic)
Mr Paul Luppino Professional Staff Representative
Mr Philip Moore Manager: Scientific Services
Prof Clive Prestidge Sector Coordinator: Bio and Polymer Interfaces
Ms Sandra Ray Operations Manager
A/Prof Bill Skinner Academic Staff Representative
Dr Terry Wilks Institute Manager
Mrs Liz Blackmore (Executive Officer)
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Staff
Director
Laureate Professor John Ralston, AO FAA FTSE
FRACI BSc(Hons) MSc DipEd PhD Melbourne DIC
London, UK Dr.h.c Abo Akademi, Finland
Deputy Directors
Professor Hans Griesser, DipChem
SciTeachingCert PhD ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Professor Roger Horn, BSc(Hons) Monash PhD
Cambridge, UK
Institute Manager
Terry Wilks, BSc(Hons) MSc PhD Newcastle, UK
Research Professors
Stephen Grano, BMetEng(Hons) Queensland
MAppSc SAIT PhD UniSA
Clive Prestidge, BSc(Hons) Loughborough, UK
PhD Bristol, UK
Namita Roy Choudhury, BSc(Hons) BTech
MTech(Hons) Calcutta, India PhD Kharagpur, India
Associate Research Professors
Jonas Addai-Mensah, BEng(Hons) UST, Ghana
MSc TIIT, Israel PhD Queensland
Daniel Fornasiero, Maitre es Science Grenoble,
France PhD Adelaide
Sunil Kumar, BSc(Hons) MSc(Hons) GNDU, India
PhD IIT, Delhi, India
William Skinner, BSc Melbourne BAppSc PhD
RMIT
Senior Research Fellows
David Beattie, BSc(Hons) PhD Edinburgh, UK
Jason Connor, BAppSc(Hons) Central Queensland
PhD UniSA
Naba Dutta, BSc(Hons) BTech Calcutta, India PhD
Kharagpur, India
Dusan Losic, BSc Novi Sad, Serbia PhD Flinders
Hamid Manouchehri, BSc MSc(Hons) Tehran, Iran
PhD Lulea, Sweden
Satomi Onishi, BSc Tokyo University of Science, Japan MSc Ibaraki, Japan PhD Saitama, Japan
Rossen Sedev, MSc University of Sofia, Bulgaria
PhD Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
Research Fellows
Igor Ametov, BSc PhD Moscow State, Russia BEng Adelaide
Timothy Barnes, BAppSc(Hons) UniSA GradDipEd
Adelaide PhD UniSA
Rick Fabretto, BSc(Hons) Flinders BEd PhD UniSA
Saeed Farrokhpay, BSc MSc Amir Kabir, Iran PhD
UniSA
Sabina Gredelj, BEng(Hons) PhD UniSA
Colin Hall, BAppSc(Hons) UniSA
Sarah Harmer, BAppSc(Hons) PhD UniSA
Ivan Kempson, BAppSc(Hons) PhD UniSA
Akira Otsuki, BEng MEng Akita, Japan PhD
University of Tokyo, Japan
Mihail Popescu, MSc Bucharest, Romania PhD
Emory, USA
Spomenka Simovic, BSc MSc Belgrade, Yugoslavia
PhD UniSA
Benjamin Thierry, BEng INP Grenoble, France MSc
Montreal, Canada PhD McGill, Canada
Catherine Whitby, BSc(Hons) UNSW PhD
Melbourne
Massimiliano Zanin, BEng Trieste, Italy PhD
Cagliari, Italy
Research Associates
Artem Borysenko, MSc Kharkiv State, Ukraine
PhD National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine
Venkata Ramana Chimala, BEng Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, India PhD Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, India
Renate Fetzer, Dip Physics Ulm, Germany PhD
Saarland, Germany
Tatiana Khmeleva, MEng Ural Polytechnic, Russia
PhD UniSA
Marta Krasowska, MSc Maria Curie Sklodowska University, Poland PhD Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Mahaveer Kurkuri, BSc Karnatak University, India MSc Mysore University, India PhD Karnatak University, India
8
Heading
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Vera Lockett, MSc Ural State, Russia PhD Russian Academy of Science, Russia
Sundar Mayavan, BTech Central Electrochemical Research Institute, India MSc Anna, India
Agnieszka Mierczynska-Vasilev, MSc PhD Lodz, Poland
Chi Ndi, BSc Buea, Cameroon MSc Leiden, The Netherlands PhD UniSA
Craig Priest, BAppSc(Hons) PhD UniSA
Surya Subianto, BAppSc(Hons) PhD QUT
Hui Tan, BEng Hunan, PR China DipChemEng
MSc Stellenbosch, South Africa PhD Melbourne
Su Nee Tan, BSc Tulane, USA MSc Minnesota, USA PhD UniSA
Jingfang Zhou, BSc(Hons) Xiamen, PR China MSc
Henan, PR China PhD UniSA
Scientific Services
Scott Abbott, BAppSc(Hons) PhD UniSA
Chris Bassell, BAppSc BEng UniSA
John Denman, BTech BSc(Hons) Flinders PhD
UniSA
Liping Ding, BEng(Hons) MEng Northeastern, PR China, PhD Queensland
Simon Doe, BEng Nottingham, UK
DipWeldingEng TWI, UK GradCertTechComm
Melbourne
Aleksandr Kaplun, BSc Kiev State, Ukraine
Philip Moore, Advanced Chem Plant Operation
Poole Tech College, UK DipOH&S Management
NSC, Adelaide
Ray Newell, BSc MSc UNSW PhD UniSA
Dennis Palms, MSc PhD Johannes-Gutenberg, Germany
Luke Parkinson, BSc Adelaide, BSc(Hons)
Queensland
Maria Provatas, BSc Flinders BAppSc UniSA
Keith Quast, BAppSc MAppSc SAIT
Andrew Robinson, BAppSc SAIT DipOHS&W TAFE
Cert IV Workplace Training & Assessment TAFE
Zofia Swierczek, MSc AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland
Eric Tavenner, BSc Missouri-Rolla, USA MSc
Southwest Missouri State, USA PhD Queensland
Tosha Tichy, DipAppSc UniSA
Daniel Weissmann, ScTechCert SAIT
Research and Technology Support
Michael Bottroff, Cert IV Info Tech TAFE
Louie Del Castillo, BSc Unciano Medical College, Philippines
Darren Faulkner, Fitting & Machining App, Adv
Cert Engineering TAFE
Simon Field, Cert III Mech Eng TAFE Adv Dip
Engineering TAFE GradCertBusAdmin UniSA
Peter Gray, Post Trade Cert Kilkenny Elect College
Craig Hackney, ScTechCert SAIT BBus UniSA
Marek Jasieniak, BSc(Hons) Cracow, Poland
Czeslaw Poprawski, DipMechEng TUW, Poland
ScTechCert SAIT
Rada Pushkarova, BEng Kiev, Ukraine PhD UniSA
Nicola Sleep, BTech BSc(Hons) Flinders
Phil Souter, Post-trade Certificate TAFE
Administration
Liz Blackmore, DipBusMgmt Business SA
Paul Byrne, BA (Hons) Adelaide
Teresa Duncan, Cert III Business (Admin) TAFE
Julie Freytag
Kim Gauci
Tracy Greeneklee, Cert IV Business (Admin) TAFE
Cert IV Info Tech TAFE DipBusAdmin TAFE
Christina Koutlakis
Paul Luppino, AssDipAcc TAFE
Madelene Pierce, BA(Hons) Flinders
Kathryn Prohaska
Sandra Ray, GradDipMgmt MBA UniSA
Baden Smith, AssDipAdvGraphicDes TAFE
Maureen Terry
Paul Wotley, BSc(Hons) Adelaide
Kerry Zweck, Cert IV Business (Admin) Jobs Statewide
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Adjunct Research Professors
Dr Terry Blake, Visiting Professor, University of Mons-Hainaut, Belgium and Past Head, Surface Science Kodak, United Kingdom
Dr M Iko Burgar, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Victoria, Australia
Dr Bart Follink, Chief of Division, CSIRO Process Science and Engineering, Victoria, Australia
Prof Takehiko Kitamori, Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Japan
Prof Ron Martin, Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, Canada
Prof Wayne Nesbitt, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, Canada
Prof Jordan Petrov, Institute of Biophysics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
Dr Allan Pring, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia
Prof Jarl Rosenholm, Physical Chemistry, Abo Akademi, Turku, Finland
Adjunct Research Associate Professor
Dr Nataliya Mishchuk, Institute of Colloid and Water Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine
Adjunct Senior Research Fellows
Mr George Levay, Levay & Co Environmental Services, Adelaide, Australia
Dr Ray Shaw (retired), Rio Tinto Group, Victoria, Australia
Dr Robert Sumner, BHP Billiton, Adelaide, Australia
Dr Marek Zbik, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia
Adjunct Research Fellows
Dr Joan Thomas, Jefferson Lab (The College of William and Mary), Virginia, USA
Dr Gunhild von Oertzen, Consultant in Numerical Modeling and Energy Distribution, Namibia
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Left to right: PhD student Mr Daniel Chipfunhu, Dr Igor Ametov and Dr Jason Connor.
Degrees Awarded
Nasrin Ghouchi Eskandar, PhD in Applied Science
Mingzhao He, PhD in Applied Science
PhD Students
Nick Absalom BSc(Hons) Flinders
Robert Acres BSc Nanotechnology (Hons) Flinders
Furqan Ahmed MBBS MCPS Sindh Medical College & Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre Karachi, Pakistan MPhil University of Karachi, Pakistan
Yamini Akkamsetty BPharm St Peters Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, India MSc Flinders
Trent Albrecht BSc(Hons) UniSA
Moom Sinn Aw BChemEng(Hons) Adelaide
Audrey Beaussart MEng European School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nancy, France
Xun Bian BEng MEng Wuhan University of Technology, PR China
Susana Brito E Abreu BEng Licenciado Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, Portugal
Chiu Ping Chan BSc(Hons) UniSA
Joseph Chan BSc(Hons) Flinders
Daniel Chipfunhu BSc(Hons) MSc University of Zimbabwe
Martin Cole BSc(Hons) Flinders
Jessica Cook BSc (Hons) UniSA
Lorena Del Castillo BSc MSc University of the Philippines
Terry Dermis BSc(Hons) UniSA
Ivan Djordjevic BAppSc BSc(Hons) UniSA
Yusuf Ferdosi BSc(Hons) Aligarh Muslim University, India MSc University of Allahabad, India MPhil Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology, Bangladesh
Mariya Foundas BProcessEng(Hons) Moscow State Institute of Food, Russia
Jairo Garnica Rodriguez BEng Universidad Nacional de Colombia, MEng MPhil Queensland
Carlos Gontijo Eng de Ninas Universidade Federal do Minas Gerais, Brazil
Aravind Govindaraj Kannan BTech Central Electrochemical Research Institute, India
Colin Hall BAppSc(Hons) UniSA
Wendy Harrington BSc(Hons) UniSA
Allister Henderson BSc(Hons) Adelaide
Lachlan Hyde BSc (Hons) Flinders
Karyn Jarvis BAppSc BSc(Hons) UniSA
Li Jiang BSc Ludong, PR China MSc Tianjin, PR China
Yogesh Kalegowda BSc MSc Kuvempu University, India
Jessica Kinal BEng(Hons) Curtin
Hua Li BPhil/BA MPhil Tianjin, PR China
Sundar Mayavan BTech Central Electrochemical Research Institute, India MSc Anna, India
Regis Mejard MEng Ecole Centrale de Lille, France
MEng Universite des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, France
Mayur Mistry BAppSc BSc(Hons) UniSA
Solomon Muganda BSc(Hons) MPhil University of Zimbabwe
Ataollah Nosrati BSc Petroleum University of Technology, Iran MSc Tarbiat Modarres University, Iran
Muireann O’Loughlin BSc(Hons) National University of Ireland, Galway
Mani Paneru MTech IIT Bombay, India
Srinivas Parimi BSc Andhra, India MSc Griffith
Jin Sung Park BEng Yeungnam University, Korea
MEng Ajou University, Korea
Luke Parkinson BSc Adelaide BSc(Hons)
Queensland
Anuttam Patra BSc(Hons) Calcutta, India MSc IISc Bangalore, India
Thiru Ponnusamy Meenakshisundaram
BEng(Hons) Regional Engineering College Trichy, India, MAppSc UniSA
Lee San Puah BEng(Hons) University of Science, Malaysia
Gujie Qian BEng Tongji University, PR China MEng
East China University of Science & Technology, PR China
Melanie Ramiasa DEUG Lycee Saint Louis, France
Dip d’Ing ENSC Rennes, France
Andry (Laza) Randriamanjatosoa BEng Polytechnic University of Antananarivo, Madagascar MSc
Tuebingen, Germany
Postgraduate Students
11
Heading
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Santanu Ray BSc MSc Jadavpur, India
Evgueni Resnianski BSc MSc Novosibirsk State, Russia
Iliana Sedeva MSc Sofia, Bulgaria GradDipEd
Adelaide
Yunyu Shi BChemEng East China University of Science and Technology, PR China, MChemEng
Adelaide
Maria Sinche Gonzalez BEng San Agustin National University, Peru MMinRes Madrid Polytechnic University, Spain
Bogale Tadesse BEd Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia MSc Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Sin Ying Tan BEng(Hons) Curtin
Sandra Thompson BAppSc(Hons) UniSA
Diana Tran BChemEng(Hons) Adelaide
My Yung Truong BEng Adelaide
Valentin Vancea DipEng Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania
Mohanraj Vellore Janarthanan BPharm JSS College of Pharmacy, India MPharm Curtin
Feng Wang BMed Guangxi College of TC Medicine, PR China MSc Waikato, New Zealand
Wenbo Wang BMinProc Southern Institute of Metallurgy, PR China MSc University of Science and Technology Beijing, PR China
Danfeng Xu BSc Northeastern, PR China MSc
Tianjin, PR China
Die Yang BEng Anhui University, PR China MSc
University of Science & Technology, PR China
Xiangfei Ye BEng Tianjin, PR China MSc Nanyang, Singapore/Technical University of Munich, Germany
Kai Ying Yeap BChemEng(Hons) Adelaide
Hardi Ys BSc Syiah Kuala, Indonesia MSc Andalas, Indonesia
Yang Yu BSc Nankai University, PR China MSc
Tianjin, PR China
Lin Zhou BChemEng Daqing Petroleum Institute, PR China MSc Tianjin, PR China
MEng Student
Djoko Julianto BEng Institute of Technology Bandung, Indonesia
12
PhD students Ms Diana Tran and Mr Joseph Chan
Major Research Sponsors and Donors
Major Research Sponsors
The Wark’s sponsors include the Australian
Federal and State Governments, as well as major
national and international companies from the
minerals and materials processing, chemical,
pharmaceutical, biotechnology, specialty
manufacturing and related industries.
AMIRA International Ltd
AngloGold Ashanti Limited
Anglo Platinum Ltd
AREVA
Australia-India Strategic Research Fund -
Australian Government
Australian Research Council - Australian
Government
BHP Billiton Ltd
Boliden Minerals AB
COREM
CP Kelco Oy
CRC for Advanced Automotive Technology
CRC for Polymers
CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Fund
CSIRO Process Science and Engineering
Department of Primary Industries & Resources
- South Australian Government
Energy Exploration Ltd
Freeport-McMoRan Mining Company
ITEK Pty Ltd
Lundin Mining Corporation (Somincor)
Magotteaux Australia Pty Ltd
MMG Century
Mount Sylvia Diatomite Pty Ltd
National Collaborative Research Infrastructure
Strategy - Australian Government
National Health and Medical Research Council
- Australian Government
Newcrest Resources Inc
Ok Tedi Mining Ltd
Orica Australia Pty Ltd
Outotec
OZ Minerals Ltd
Penford Australia Ltd
Premier’s Science & Research Fund - South
Australian Government
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
pSivida Ltd
Rio Tinto Kennecott Utah Copper
Rio Tinto Ltd
RMS Foundation
Silver City Mining Company Ltd
SMR Automotive Australia Pty Limited
Teck Ltd
Tiwest Joint Venture
Vale Inco Ltd
Xstrata Qld Ltd
Xstrata Technology
ZBB Technologies Ltd
Donors
The Wark also receives generous donations from
individuals and organisations through The Wark
Fund. The fund was established in 2008 to help
underpin the activities of The Wark. Donated
funds may be used to support postgraduate
scholarships, postdoctoral fellowships, the
acquisition of major equipment, academic
research or other special projects.
We thank all donors for their continuing interest
and practical support by investing in our future.
For further information on The Wark Fund, please
visit www.unisa.edu.au/giving/fundingpriorities/
Wark.asp
13
Research Funding
16,000,000
14,000,000
12,000,000
10,000,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
02000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Funding Division - 2009
Operating Revenue for the Period 2000 - 2009
Federal/State Government
35.6% Industry
34.3%
University of South Australia
29.2%
14
International Collaboration
The Wark has formal partnerships and
agreements with institutions in 12 countries to
promote international cooperation in research
and research education. During 2009, our
collaborative activities focused on the following
highly prestigious institutions.
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
Collaborative activities in the area of physical chemistry, surface engineering, nanotribology.
The Wark and the Indian Institute of Science
(IISc) in Bangalore together hold an international
collaborative grant ‘Fluid Flow and Lubrication at
the Nanometre Scale’ under the Australia-India
Strategic Research Fund. This bilateral fund is
co-sponsored by the Australian Government
through the Department of Innovation, Industry,
Science and Research and the Indian Government
through its Department of Science and
Technology.
One of the activities sponsored under this grant
is a series of workshops held jointly between the
two institutions, allowing the researchers with
an interest in the project to meet and discuss
research directions and results.
Dr Souvik Math from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, showing their surface force apparatus.
Photo by Rossen Sedev
15
Heading
H16 During 2009, the 2nd Indo-Australian Workshop
was held in Bangalore from 23-25 November.
The Wark delegation consisted of Laureate
Prof John Ralston, Dr Rossen Sedev, Dr Craig
Priest, Dr Satomi Onishi, Dr Catherine Whitby
and Dr Jason Connor. The Wark presentations
included a wide range of topics including
Dynamic Wetting, Electrowetting, Microfluidic
Extraction, Film Stability, Particle Attachment
and Corrosion. From the IISc, speakers included
Prof Sanjay Biswas, Prof K Ganapathy Ayappa,
Dr Rashmi Ranjan Sahoo, Mr Foram Thakkar and
Dr Raghuraman N Govardhan. They covered
topics ranging from Lubrication and Tribology
of Suspensions to Structure and Dynamics of
Confined Water, Polymer Grafted Membranes
and Flow over Textured Surfaces. The workshop
was well-attended and generated significant
discussion on future plans for the Indo-Australian
collaborative project.
A number of visits were undertaken to coincide
with the Workshop:
• Several weeks prior, Dr Satomi Onishi visited
the Department of Mechanical Engineering at
the IISc. She worked closely with Prof Sanjay
Biswas, Dr Souvik Math and a PhD student,
Mr Deepak Kumar. Atomic force microscopy
was used to study experimentally the frictional
properties of model surfaces under various
humidity conditions.
• On 25 November, The Wark delegation
visited the Interdisciplinary Centre for
Nanoelectronics and Nanoengineering at
the IISc. Professors Bhat and Pratap gave
an overview of the facility, major aims,
key programs and recent developments
(including their new building and equipment
acquisitions). The ensuing discussion
focused on common research, technical and
management problems.
Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Japan
Collaborative activities in the area of physical chemistry and interfacial physics. Professor Takehiko Kitamori is an Adjunct Research Professor at The Wark, and Laureate Prof John Ralston is a Fellow of the Graduate School of Engineering.
The Wark and the Graduate School of
Engineering at the University of Tokyo have a
long-standing collaboration on the fundamental
physical chemistry and interfacial physics of
liquids in micro- and nano-fluidic devices. The
successful operation of micro- and nano-fluidic
devices relies heavily on interfacial phenomena
that can be manipulated by chemical and
physical modification of channel walls. This
collaboration brings The Wark’s expertise in
interfacial science together with the University of
Tokyo’s outstanding track record in micro- and
nano-fluidics research to create new knowledge
in this multidisciplinary area.
This collaboration was strengthened in 2009 by
a short-term visit by Mr Ryo Ishibashi (University
of Tokyo) to The Wark for an experimental study
of the wettability of microstructured surfaces,
hosted by Dr Craig Priest. The visit (13 July – 2
August) successfully laid a platform for ongoing
research in the field of structuring channels for
microfluidic applications.
The Wark hosted a joint Micro and Nanofluidics
Workshop from 14-15 December. Eight
participants from the University of Tokyo (Prof
Takehiko Kitamori, Prof Yasuhiko Sugii, Dr
Kazuma Mawatari, Dr Xu Yan, Mr Katsuyoshi
Takahashi, Mr Kyojiro Morikawa, Mr Ryo
Ishibashi, and Mr Takuya Murao), Dr Takehiko
Tsukahara from the Tokyo Institute of Technology,
and seven participants from The Wark (Laureate
Prof John Ralston, Dr Rossen Sedev, Dr Catherine
Whitby, Dr Craig Priest, Dr Mahaveer Kurkuri,
Dr Jingfang Zhou, and Ms Melanie Ramiasa)
presented their latest research. Seminars were
followed by detailed discussions on scientific
developments and future collaboration between
the University of Tokyo and The Wark.
The Australian Research Council awarded a
Discovery Grant for a joint research project titled
‘Energy dissipation and nanoscale processes at
moving contact lines’. The Chief Investigators are
Laureate Prof John Ralston, Prof Siegfried Dietrich
(MPI-MR), Prof Takehiko Kitamori (University of
Tokyo), Dr Rossen Sedev and Dr Mihail Popescu.
Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Stuttgart, Germany
Collaborative activities in the area of physical and interfacial chemistry, in particular the wetting of structured surfaces and solid-liquid interfaces.
The Wark’s collaboration with the Max Planck
Institute for Metals Research (MPI-MR) continued
during 2009. As indicated above, Prof Siegfried
Dietrich from the MPI-MR is a Chief Investigator
on a new, collaborative research project in the
area of wetting phenomena.
Additional research activities revolved around two
primary areas:
• Chemically active colloids, involving Dr Mihail
Popescu and Laureate Prof John Ralston (from
The Wark) and Prof Siegfried Dietrich and
Dr Mykola Taskinkevych (from the MPI-MR).
Dr Popescu visited the MPI-MR on three
occasions - one week each time, in January,
August and November. Outcomes included
the publication of a joint paper ‘Phoretic
motion of spheroidal particles due to self-
generated solute gradients’ in The European
Physical Journal E, as well as the preparation
of two research proposals for submission in
2010.
• Ionic liquids, structure and properties,
involving Laureate Prof John Ralston, Dr
Rossen Sedev and Dr Vera Lockett (from The
Wark) and Dr Markus Bier (from the MPI-MR).
Dr Bier visited The Wark in May to combine
experimental results from The Wark with
simulation results from the MPI-MR. The
outcomes were promising and further work is
planned.
Materials Research Center, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Collaborative activities in the area of biomaterials.
A proposal for collaborative research on novel
antibacterial coatings for biomedical materials
and implants was developed jointly between
researchers at the ETH, the University of
Basel, the EPF Lausanne, The Wark, and three
companies. The proposal is based on novel
antibacterial chemicals identified in Australian
plants. A key aim is to develop efficient coating
technologies for application to a range of
biomedical devices and implants. Another key
aim is to elucidate the biomolecular mechanism
of action of these compounds. The application
was submitted to the Swiss CCMX Scheme and
has been awarded funding.
Prof Marcus Textor from the Laboratory for
Surface Science and Technology is also a
significant contributor to The Wark through
membership of our Research and Technology
Advisory Committee.
17
Wark staff at the summit of the Great Wall of China. The Wark has a formal agreement with Tianjin University, with collaborative activities in the areas of chemical engineering, environmental science and engineering, and material science and engineering. Laureate Prof John Ralston is an Honorary Professor of Tianjin University, and six of their graduates are enrolled in PhD programs in The Wark.
Research Commercialisation
18
ITEK, the commercialisation arm of the University
of South Australia, is working closely with
The Wark in relation to commercialisation
opportunities. The accompanying table lists
technologies/patents which are in various stages
of development. The following are discussed by
way of example:
LipoCeramic™ Drug Delivery Technologies
Based on hybrid materials composed of lipids
and nanoparticles, this innovative drug delivery
technology developed by Prof Clive Prestidge
and team enables “difficult” drugs to be
administered to patients with greater absorption
and via unique mechanisms. Proof of concept
has been established for improved oral delivery of
both poorly soluble drugs and proteins by using
LipoCeramicTM microcapsules, and also improved
dermal delivery for cosmetic and pharmaceutical
actives ingredients.
Considerable commercial opportunities exist
through the re-engineering of pharmaceutical
products with better performance, e.g. efficacy/
toxicity and stability.
ITEK has assisted the research team in
establishing patent protection via four patent
‘families’ and taking the technology from
concept to a viable commercial opportunity.
The focus is now on implementing the
commercialisation strategy by extending
commercial partnerships and enabling human
clinical trials.
Microfluidic Mineral Separation
Led by Laureate Prof John Ralston, The Wark has
been funded, under the National Collaborative
Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), as the
South Australian node of the Australian National
Fabrication Facility (ANFF) and has established
a new facility unique to Australia, specializing
in the design, fabrication and development of
microchips and nanostructures for micro and
nanofluidics.
Additional ANFF funding was announced in
the 2009 Federal budget, via the Education
Investment Fund (EIF), which will see micro- and
nano-tomography (miniature ‘cat scans’), and
a range of quality assurance tools added to the
existing ANFF-SA facility at The Wark. This brings
the total capital investment to over $12 million.
An example of the application of such
technology is microfluidic solvent extraction,
(i) LipoCeramicTM tablets undergoing disintegration and friability testing
(ii) Tablets containing LipoCeramicTM microcapsules
(i) (ii)
19
which is traditionally employed in high-
value, low-volume separations for analytical
applications. Microfluidics, however, is equally
suited to intensify industrial processes, such as
mineral processing where larger samples must
be processed at high rates and with maximal
product yields. Microfluidic solvent extraction is
advantageous as it offers a smaller footprint, a
closed system with no moving parts contacting
the fluids, the possibility to use smaller volumes
of solvents, negligible evaporation, better control
over aggressive or hazardous substances, and
easier recycling.
ITEK has been involved in the ongoing
development of the patent strategy, and
commercial and industry validation.
Antimicrobial Coatings
A platform technology based on antimicrobial
coatings has been developed by researchers from
The Wark (Prof Hans Griesser) and the Sansom
Institute (Dr Susan Semple). The significance
of this project relates to the enormous medical
problems and costs that bacterial infections
associated with implants and biomedical devices
cause. A solution to the problem will bring
quality-of-life benefits to patients, cost benefits
to the health system, and commercial benefits
to the manufacturer(s) of antibacterial coated
biomedical devices. This technology platform
hinges on novel antibacterial compounds that
have been recently extracted and identified
from Australian plants of the genus Eremophila.
These compounds are being coated, by staff
employed under an NHMRC Development
Grant, as thin layers onto model materials used
for biomedical device fabrication and evaluated
for their ability to deter colonization by several
biofilm-forming human pathogenic bacteria.
Tests have shown that such coatings can prevent
bacterial colonisation of coated surfaces from
suspension and subsequent biofilm formation by
the human pathogen bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis. Pre-clinical safety testing with
mouse fibroblast cells has shown encouraging
compatibility; the work now needs to advance
to more sophisticated bacteriological tests prior
to application onto real-life biomedical products.
An international collaboration has been initiated
to elucidate the antibacterial mechanism of
action of these novel antibiotics.
ITEK has assisted the team to raise funds
via an NHMRC Development grant, and a
Commercial Development Initiative grant from
BioInnovationSA, and has conducted extensive
market research in the area and supported patent
protection of the technology, which is currently
in PCT phase. Legal support was also provided
to Prof Griesser who secured additional funding
from, and a license to, an orthopaedics company.
ITEK expects to engage in further industry
development and validation once the current
research milestones are complete.
Patents List
Patent Title Status
A Process and Device for Effecting Selective Separation of Particles Patent pending
Active Polymeric Films Patent pending
Agents and Methods for Photodynamic and/or Photothermal Therapy Patent pending
Antimicrobial Surfaces Patent pending
Bioactive Coating of Biomedical Implants Patent pending
Bubble Generation Apparatus Patent pending
Capsule Formation by Nanoparticles Patent pending
Dried Formulations of Nanoparticle-Coated Capsules Patent pending
Drug Release from Nanoparticle-Coated Capsules Patent pending
Extraction Apparatus and Processes Patent pending
Fabrication of Nanoparticles on Solid Surfaces Patent pending
Formation of Nanoporous Materials Patent pending
Nanoparticle-coated Capsule Formulation for Dermal Drug Delivery Patent pending
Nanoparticle-coated Capsule Formulation for Treatment of Inflammation Patent pending
Photoresponsive Surfaces Granted
20
Research Highlights
Facilities
ANFF-SA Open for Business
Australia now has a world-class micro and
nanofabrication facility dedicated to research
and development of microfluidic chips. The
South Australian node of the Australian National
Fabrication Facility (ANFF-SA), established at The
Wark, opened a Class 1000 and Class 100 clean
room facility in April 2009. The facility boasts a
photolithography suite with SussMicroTec and
EVGroup fabrication tools, including a mask
aligner with nano-imprint lithography capabilities
and substrate bonder capable of hot embossing
glass (650°C, 60 kN). Complementary fabrication
equipment includes a deep reactive ion etcher
(ULVAC NLD570) for oxide etching and a Kira
micromachining tool for generating precise
structures from the nm to mm scale. The facility
is already making an impact on research projects
across the country from the eastern states to
Western Australia, with growing interest.
Powerful Mass Spectrometry Tool Commissioned
The Wark has even greater capability in surface
analysis with the addition of the PHI TRIFT V
nanoToF. This powerful mass spectrometry
instrument was commissioned at The Wark
in 2009, as an integral part of the Australian
Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility
(AMMRF). This Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass
Spectrometer (ToF-SIMS) is unique in its ability
to combine surface sensitivity, spatial resolution
and chemical specificity with parallel detection of
atomic and molecular species, both organic and
inorganic in nature. The instrument combines
TRIFT analyser performance, revolutionary
versatile sample handling and four high
performance ion gun options to enable analysis
of a wide range of samples with unprecedented
sensitivity. This analytical support will enable
progress in a wide range of areas and represents
a research capability unique in Australia.
New Projects and Funding
Shape Controlled Electrocatalyst for Clean EnergyNaba Dutta, Namita Roy Choudhury, Steven
Holdcroft (Simon Fraser University, Canada),
Christopher Elvin (CSIRO Livestock Industries,
Brisbane), Anita Hill (CSIRO Materials Science
and Engineering, Clayton), Shape Controlled Nanostructured Electrocatalyst for Clean Energy Generation (ARC Discovery Grant).
The development of alternative clean energy
technology is critical to reduce carbon emissions
and global warming. This project will bring
significant benefits to the Australian community
and economy by developing highly efficient
supported catalyst, with a focus on the cost
and efficiency of clean electrochemical energy
conversion devices. An increase in the catalyst
efficiency would translate to a significant
cost saving and deliver to the nation a strong
intellectual property (IP) position in this frontier
technology. The fundamental understanding will
also underpin the growth in other catalysis areas
including sensors, environment pollution and
efficient chemical production.
Heading
H
Nano-Ratchets for Biomolecule Separation
Dusan Losic, Lee White (Mathematics and
Statistics, UniSA), Wanlin Guo (Nanjing University
of Aeronautics and Astronautics, PR China),
Periodic Nano-Ratchets: A New Paradigm for Biomolecule Separation (ARC Discovery Grant).
Nanoscience and nanotechnology is recognized
as the key strategy to improve conventional,
and develop new, devices and technologies
for molecular separation. This project proposes
the theoretical and experimental study of a
new separation concept based on molecular
rectification using specially designed nanopore
and nanotube structures that consist of periodic
and asymmetrical ratchets with nano-scale
dimensions. The platform technologies developed
from this research will reveal new insights into
fundamental phenomena of molecular separation
processes underpinning development of a new
generation of separation devices to be applied
to proteomics, forensic and a range of medical,
biotechnological and analytical applications.
A Nanoscopic View of Dynamic Wetting
John Ralston, Siegfried Dietrich (MPI for
Metals Research, Germany), Takehiko Kitamori
(University of Tokyo, Japan), Rossen Sedev, Mihail
Popescu, Energy Dissipation and Nanoscale Processes at Moving Contact Lines (ARC
Discovery Grant).
Understanding how liquids spread and wet flat
surfaces, capillaries, open channels and particles
requires the determination of energy dissipation
at the moving liquid front, or contact line, and
the nanoscale processes that take place. Without
this knowledge many natural processes will
remain a mystery and technologies undeveloped.
The project will use novel techniques to design
interfaces, control solid-liquid interactions and
interrogate the nanoscale processes at moving
contact lines. As outcomes, robust models of
dynamic wetting will be developed that will
change the research field substantially, transform
coarse particle flotation in the minerals industry
and underpin micro and nanofluidics in the
emergent field of process intensification.
Silver Nanoparticles for Infection Prevention
Hans Griesser, Krasimir Vasilev (Mawson
Institute, UniSA), Howard Morris (SA Health),
Tim Kuchel (IMVS), Simon Pearce (Advanced
Scientific Communications), Chi Ndi, Novel Silver Nanoparticle Coatings for the Prevention of Infection of Biomedical Implants and Devices (NHMRC Development Grant).
21
ANFF-SA Yellow Room photolithography equipment (foreground substrate bonder and background mask aligner).
22 Prevention of infections associated with a range
of implants and biomedical devices is crucial in
avoiding medical complications. Novel coatings
harnessing nanoparticles with significantly
improved antibacterial properties have been
developed at The Wark and can be applied
generically to a wide range of biomedical
implants and devices used in human health care.
This project seeks to optimise the technology,
verify it in clinical animal studies, and transfer it
to a range of biomedical devices and products.
The performance of coated products against
bacterial colonisation and for compatibility with
human cells under a range of conditions will
also be evaluated. This project is focused on
delivering a new flexible technology to overcome
the limitations of current infection prevention
technologies.
Environmentally Benign Flotation Chemicals
David Beattie, Daniel Fornasiero, Jonas Addai-
Mensah, John Ralston, Environmentally Benign Flotation Chemicals (ARC Linkage Grant and
AMIRA International Ltd).
Replacing hazardous flotation chemicals with
those that have lower impact on human health
and the environment is a significant challenge.
The proposed work will be underpinned by
a strong collaboration between surface and
colloid chemists, mining companies, and
chemical suppliers committed to making mineral
processing a safer and more environmentally
sustainable industry. It is anticipated that this
research will guide the replacement of toxic
and environmentally hazardous chemicals used
in the mineral processing industry with benign
chemicals that are biodegradable and have low
toxicity. Replacing these chemicals reduces the
risk of workplace injuries and damage to the
environment that could be caused by industrial
accidents.
Nanomaterials from Diatomaceous Earth
Dusan Losic, Jonas Addai-Mensah, Ian Neering
(Mount Sylvia Diatomite), Advanced Nanoscale Materials Engineered from Diatomaceous Earth (ARC Linkage Grant and Mount Sylvia Diatomite
Pty Ltd).
Nature has elegantly solved the problem of
building complex 3-D structures with well-
defined nanoscale features and multifunctional
properties. Diatoms, single cell algae, are the
most extraordinary example of these structures.
The unique structural, mechanical, optical, and
photonic properties of silica material obtained
from diatoms, derived from their unique porous
micro to nano scale porous architecture, was
explored in this project as an attractive and
low-cost natural resource for the development
of new nanomaterials and devices. Several new
nanoscale materials based on diatom silica were
developed from natural diatomaceous earth
(DE) and the study of their applications for
environmental remediation, water purification,
catalysis and drug delivery is in the process.
Biomolecular Cues on Solid Materials Surfaces
Hans Griesser, Rob Short (Mawson Institute,
UniSA), Krasimir Vasilev (Mawson Institute,
UniSA), John Hayball (Sansom Institute, UniSA),
Michael Brown (RAH), Clive McFarland (UNSW),
Chemokine Gradients for Directed Migration of Captured Cells and Guidance of Tissue Engineering (NHMRC Project Grant).
Gradients of biomolecules are fundamental
to biological systems; numerous physiological
processes such as tissue development and
diseases are driven by gradients of biological
signals. Solid-supported signal gradients will
be engineered on the nano-scale to direct
and control cell migration and tissue growth.
Synthetic gradient-mediated control of cell
attachment, activation, and movement will
provide bio-assays for migrating cancer stem
cells, antigen-specific lymphocytes, and
endothelial cells, and will use nano-engineered
surface gradients to isolate precursor cell types
based on functional potential. Chemokine
gradient layers will provide convenient and
appropriate two-dimensional model systems to
assist in the study of various biological processes
where chemokine gradients are thought to
play a key role, as a step towards improved
understanding of the role of chemokine gradients
and how such gradients could be fabricated and
applied for medical and diagnostic purposes.
Publication Highlights
New Supported Liquid Membrane for Electrochemical Applications
Subianto, S, Mistry, M K, Choudhury, N,
Dutta, N & Knott, R, (2009), ‘Composite
Polymer Electrolyte Containing Ionic Liquid
and Functionalized Polyhedral Oligometric
Silsesquioxanes for Anhydrous PEM Applications’,
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 1, (6),
1173-1182, (1944-8244), 2009
A landmark research publication reporting a new
type of supported liquid membrane made by
combining ionic liquid with Nafion membrane
reinforced with nanostructured Polyhedral
Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS) using layer by
layer strategy for anhydrous proton exchange
membrane (PEM) application. The presence of
the conducting nanostructure has enhanced the
proton conductivity especially at low humidity
due to its confinement in the ionic domains. The
work paved the way to a new platform for the
synthesis of efficient composite membranes in
our other projects on energy storage applications.
Heading
H
Nafion 117 Nafion-S-POSSHybrid
Hybrid-Ionic LiquidMembrane
Nafion
SilicaNano-
particles
IonicLiquid
1. Soaking in S-POSS solution
2. Annealing3. Reacidification
2. Annealing
1. Soaking in IL solution
SO3H
SO3H
SO3H
SO3H
SO3H
SO3HSO3H
SO3H
SO3H SO3H
SO3H
SO3H
SO3HSO3H
SO3H
SOSO3H
SO3H
SO3HHO3S
HO3S
O
OO O O
OO
OO
O
OO
Si SiSi Si
SiSiSiSi
23
Exploring De-wetting
Fetzer, R & Ralston, J, (2009), ‘Dynamic
Dewetting Regimes Explored’, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part C: Nanomaterials and Interfaces, 113, (20), 8888-8894, (1932-7447),
2009
This study investigated the dynamic contact angle
for liquid-liquid systems under spontaneous
de-wetting conditions. Contact line motion
was observed using a high-speed camera for
droplets de-wetting spontaneously over a range
of chemically modified surfaces. The results
were interpreted using both the Molecular
Kinetic Theory and the Hydrodynamic Theory.
Strong evidence is shown that local pinning of
the contact line on chemically heterogeneous
surfaces influences the de-wetting dynamics.
This is of fundamental importance to a range
of technologies where liquids interact with
heterogeneous surfaces, including mineral
flotation, coatings technologies and microfluidics.
Detecting Dead Tumour Cells with Functional Nanoparticles
Thierry, B, Al-Ejeh, F, Brown, M P, Majewski,
P & Griesser, H, (2009), ‘Immunotargeting of
Functional Nanoparticles for MRI detection of
Apoptotic Tumor Cells’, Advanced Materials, 21,
541-545, (0935-9648), 2009
Extending the expertise of The Wark in the design
of bio-interfaces and the control of biologically
non-specific binding events, superparamagnetic
nanoparticles have been developed to bind with
a very high specificity to intratumoral dead cells.
This collaborative study between The Wark and
the Royal Adelaide Hospital could lead to the
development of advanced MRI nano-probes
aimed at more efficient monitoring of patient’s
responses to chemotherapy.
New Supported Liquid Membrane for Electrochemical Aplications
Novel Oral Delivery for Poorly Soluble Drugs
Tan, A, Simovic, S, Davey, A, Rades, T &
Prestidge, C, (2009), ‘Silica-lipid hybrid (SLH)
microcapsules: a novel oral delivery system for
poorly soluble drugs’, Journal of Controlled Release, 134, 62-70, (0168-3659), 2009
The first published report on improving the oral
delivery in vivo of a poorly soluble drug using
SLH (LipoCeramicTM) microcapsules. Improved
oral absorption for the non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drug celecoxib was demonstrated
in comparison with lipid emulsions and
commercial products. Physicochemical stability
of celecoxib in a non-crystalline form was also
demonstrated after storage. This work led to
several new collaborations and international
conference invitations.
Novel Biomimetic Nanosprings
Dutta, N, Choudhury, N, Truong, M Y, Kim, M,
Elvin, C & Hill, A J, (2009), ‘Physical approaches
for fabrication of organized nanostructure
of resilin-mimetic elastic protein rec1-resilin’,
Biomaterials, 30, 4868-4876, (0142-9612), 2009
Truong M Y, Dutta, N, Choudhury, N, Kim, M,
Elvin, C, Hill, A J, Thierry, B & Vasilev, K, (2010)
‘A pH-responsive interface derived from resilin-
mimetic protein Rec1-resilin’, Biomaterials, 31,
4434-4446, 2010
This research has demonstrated for the first time
that a pH-responsive surface and interface can be
derived from the bio-mimetic protein Rec1-resilin.
The responsiveness is kinetically fast, robust
and completely reversible, and has potential
applications in many areas including controlling
cell adhesion and migration and creating
functional surfaces for biosensors and controlled
nanoparticle synthesis. Three PhD students have
worked on this project, with two theses already
completed and one completion imminent.
Dual dye confocal fluorescence image of silica-lipid hybrid (SLH) microcapsules: blue (lipid), red (silica), and combined (silica-lipid).
Diverse Applications of Multifunction Biomimetic Protein Based Polymer Rec1- Resilin: (i) optically active highly resilient (>90%) crosslinked elastomer; (ii) pH responsive surface/interfaces; (iii) synthesis and directed self-assembly of functional nanoobjects (eg electrocatalytic nanoparticles)
(i)
HOOC OOC
+H2N
OH
H2N
O+
Switchable surface
pH2
Switchable surface
pH 4.9 pH 12
(ii) (iii)
24
Heading
H 25Senator The Hon Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, (left) and A/Prof Bill Skinner
Photo by Norman Plant
Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Expo
On 26 October, the University of South Australia
(UniSA) participated in the ARC Research Expo
in Canberra which accompanied the ARC major
grants announcements. Twenty five Australian
universities attended the event to showcase
their research. UniSA’s exhibit focused on the
nanofabrication and microfluidics research work
of The Wark. This included film footage of the
nanofabrication facilities and a display of several
microfluidic chips.
After the grant announcements, several hundred
guests, including a number of parliamentarians,
visited the Expo and exhibits. Senator Kim
Carr, in particular, spent a significant amount
of time at the UniSA exhibit, discussing
nanofabrication and microfluidics with A/Prof
Bill Skinner and Mr Philip Moore. Interest in the
exhibit also generated several leads for potential
collaborations and contract opportunities for The
Wark.
2008 Ian Wark Research Institute Medal Presentation
Members of the Research and Technology
Advisory Committee recommended that the
2008 Ian Wark Research Institute Medal be
awarded to Dr Jingfang Zhou for her thesis titled
Thymine-functionalized Gold Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Surface Structure and Colloid Stability.
The Medal was presented to Jingfang on 29
May by Dr Max Richards (Chair, Advisory Board)
and Prof Brian Vincent (Chair, Research and
Technology Advisory Committee).
Left to right: Dr Max Richards, Dr Jingfang Zhou and Prof Brian Vincent
26
Bio and Polymer InterfacesSector Coordinator: Prof Clive Prestidge
Research Themes
• Bio-interface science
• Functional surfaces and porous surfaces for
biomaterial applications
• Functional colloids and nanoparticles for
therapeutic delivery and diagnostics
Research Overview
The Bio and Polymer Interfaces Sector continues
to develop, increasing its research profile and
extending the quality and significance of its
scientific outputs. It is encouraging to see the
excellent success in national competitive grant
proposals (particularly NHMRC) and the large
number of new collaborations between The Wark
and biomedical researchers from both academic
departments and hospital research groups. The
nanomedicine field is a clear area of ongoing
growth for The Wark.
Staff and students
Dr Tim Barnes left The Wark to commence a
teaching and research position in the School of
Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at UniSA. Tim
will maintain an active research profile and will
continue to work collaboratively with The Wark,
helping to strengthen the existing links.
New PhD students are Regis Mejard and
Yamini Akkamsetty. Regis’ project is ‘Advanced
nanostructured biointerfaces for cell capture’,
whilst Yamini will work on ‘Hybrid carriers for
drug delivery’.
Nasrin Ghouchi Eskandar was awarded a
PhD for her thesis titled ‘Physiochemical and
biopharmaceutical investigations of nanoparticle-
coated submicron emulsions: towards novel
dermal delivery systems’, whilst Martin Cole, Ivan
Djordjevic and Karyn Jarvis submitted their PhD
theses for examination.
The contribution of two of our researchers was
recognized with A/Prof Sunil Kumar becoming
a Steering Committee Member for IUVSTA
(International Union for Vacuum Science,
Technique and Applications), on the development
of Biointerfaces Division. Prof Clive Prestidge was
made a Fellow of the International Union of Pure
and Applied Chemistry.
Dr Benjamin Thierry secured a prestigious
NHMRC Career Development Award Fellowship
to work on ‘Functional nanoparticles: Towards
novel advanced cancer diagnostic, prognostic
and therapeutic strategies’.
Research outcomes
Major projects that came to an end in 2009
include the ARC Linkage project ‘Investigation
of surface properties of biomedical materials
and devices cleaned by a new hybrid (ultrasonic-
electrolytic) system’ with Soniclean and the
AMMRF (Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis
Research Facility) TAP grant ‘Cryo-TEM
investigation on the evolution of nanostructure
of biomimetic protein rec1-resilin’.
2009 was an exciting year for new projects with
the Sector being successful in ARC Discovery
and Linkage grants, an NHMRC Fellowship and
grants, partnership in the newly formed CRC for
Wound Healing, and a range of projects directly
funded by industry. In total, 8 new projects
received funding.
A full international PCT patent application was
submitted on the subject of ‘Antimicrobial
Surfaces’, covering results from collaborative
work between The Wark and the Sansom
Institute. Inventors: Hans Griesser, Hardi Ys, Chi
Ndi and Susan Semple.
A provisional patent application titled ‘An
apparatus and method for cleaning using
a combination of electrolysis, ultrasonics and
disinfection’, was submitted by Soniclean Pty Ltd
to IP Australia on 26 October 2009. Inventors:
WahTong Lee, Sunil Kumar and Endre Szili.
Another provisional patent application,
titled ‘Active Polymeric Films’, resulted from
collaboration between the Mawson Institute and
The Wark. Inventors: Krasimir Vasilev and Hans
Griesser.
Heading
H 27
Key publications
More than 30 fully refereed journal articles
were published concerning Bio and Polymer
Interfaces research. Two of these are listed under
Publication Highlights (pages 22-24), but others
of significance include:
• Thierry, B, Ng, J, Krieg, T & Griesser, H, (2009),
‘A robust procedure for the functionalization of
gold nanorods and noble metal nanoparticles’,
Chemical Communications, 13, 1724-1726,
(1359-7345), 2009
New insight is provided into the chemical
functionalization of nanoparticles to enhance
their performance in the body. Specifically,
new methods for the effective PEGylation of
nanoparticles and nanorods (ie coating with
polyethylene(glycol polymers)) have been
established that provide good stability against
heat, high salt concentrations and extreme
pH. Such surface functionalized nanoparticles
have application in therapeutic delivery and as
diagnostic agents.
• Ghouchi Eskandar, N, Simovic, S & Prestidge,
C, (2009), ‘Nanoparticle coated submicron
emulsions: Sustained in-vitro release and
improved dermal delivery of all trans-retinol’,
Pharmaceutical Research, 26, (7), 1764-1775,
(0724-8741), 2009
It is demonstrated that silica nanoparticle
layers can be fabricated around lipid
emulsion droplets and that these layers play a
significant role in facilitating sustained release
of encapsulated molecules and enhanced
uptake across the skin when applied topically.
Nanoparticle coated lipid droplets can be used
for targeted dermal delivery and have potential
to be used in new cosmetic or pharmaceutical
products.
• Cole, M A, Voelcker, N H, Thissen, H &
Griesser, H, (2009), ‘Stimuli-responsive
interfaces and systems for the control of
protein-surface and cell-surface interactions’,
Biomaterials, 30, (9), 1827-1850, (0142-9612),
2009
This review surveyed the emerging field of
research on coatings whose properties can
be changed in a controlled manner by the
application of an external stimulus. The ability
to switch interfacial properties is the key for a
number of potential applications, particularly
in the biomedical devices and biosensing areas.
This publication, together with two research
papers, has established the Wark’s visibility in
this field.
Project of significance
Hans Griesser, Michael Perkins (Flinders
University) and Susan Semple (Sansom Institute,
UniSA), Development and evaluation of novel antibacterial coatings for the prevention of infection of biomedical implants and devices (NHMRC and ITEK Pty Ltd)
This project investigates a strategy for combating
infections at human implants and biomedical
devices, such as catheters, and knee and hip
implants. The technology is based on novel
antibacterial compounds extracted from
Australian plants of the genus Eremophila. These
novel compounds are active against multi-drug
resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, a
bacterium that accounts for over 50% of all
infections associated with biomedical devices
and implants. In addition to this ability to combat
“superbugs”, assays with mammalian cell lines
have shown a safety window, reducing concerns
about possible damage to human host cells
and tissue. Two coating methodologies have
been developed for applying these compounds
onto various biomedical devices, and bacterial
testing has shown excellent performance.
The technology is the subject of a PCT patent
application and has attracted interest from
several companies.
Analysis of biomaterials coatings by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).
28
Colloids and NanostructuresSector Coordinator: A/Prof Daniel Fornasiero
Research Themes
• Stability of colloidal particles, including their
aggregation, dispersion and adsorption on
solid or gas surfaces
• Manipulation of surface chemical and
physical nano-heterogeneities to influence the
properties of these surfaces with simple and
complex fluids
Research Overview
Staff and students
We welcomed two new staff members into
Sector projects during 2009. Simon Field,
Polymer Device Technologist, commenced
in February and Sundar Mayavan, Research
Associate in Polymeric Fuel Cell Membranes,
commenced in September.
A number of staff departed, including Prof
Roger Horn, Deputy Director (Academic) and a
founding member of The Wark. Roger maintains
an active involvement in a number of research
projects and will continue to be a frequent visitor.
Other staff who left The Wark during 2009 were
Dr Renate Fetzer, Dr Ivan Kempson, Nicola Sleep,
Dr Surya Subianto and Dr Su Nee Tan.
Seven new students joined Sector projects,
namely Trent Albrecht, Moom Sinn Aw, Muireann
O’Loughlin, Melanie Ramiasa, Maria Sinche
Gonzalez, Bogale Tadesse and Valentin Vancea.
Mingzhao He was awarded a PhD for his thesis
titled ‘The influence of adsorbed polymer on
clay and copper mineral particles’ interactions’.
Audrey Beaussart, Sundar Mayavan and Iliana
Sedeva all submitted their PhD theses for
examination.
Dr Catherine Whitby secured a prestigious
Australian Research Council Future Fellowship to
continue her work on Controlling Detachment of
Particles at Interfaces.
Research outcomes
2009 saw the completion of AMIRA International
and ARC Linkage project P498B, a long running
project on ‘Polymers at mineral interfaces’,
however this project now continues under the
banner of P498C. Also coming to an end was the
Tiwest Joint Venture project on ‘Optimisation of
pigment coating surface treatments’.
The Sector commenced a number of new
challenges in 2009, including two new projects
with CSIRO Process Science and Engineering
on ‘Ionic liquids’ and the ‘Fundamentals of
electrocrystallization from aqueous solution’.
Also starting was a new ARC Linkage grant
with Mount Sylvia Diatomite and an Australia-
India Strategic Research Fund grant. ITEK, the
commercialisation arm of the University of
South Australia, has funded a project looking at
solvent extraction using the exciting new field of
microfluidics.
Dr Nate Stevens, Prof John Ralston and Dr Rossen
Sedev were awarded a provisional patent dealing
29with particle wettability. A second provisional
patent was awarded for a process and device
for effecting selective separation of particles.
The inventors are Diana Tran, Prof John Ralston,
Dr Daniel Fornasiero, Dr Catherine Whitby and
Darren Faulkner.
Key publications
Two of the Sector’s publications are listed under
Publication Highlights (pages 22-24), but others
of significance include:
• Beaussart, A, Mierczynska-Vasilev, A &
Beattie, D, (2009), ‘Adsorption of Dextrin on
Hydrophobic Minerals’, Langmuir, 25, (17),
9913-9921, (0743-7463), 2009
The adsorption of dextrin on talc,
molybdenite, and graphite (three naturally
hydrophobic minerals) has been compared
to gain an insight into the role of adsorbed
polymer morphology on the reduction of
mineral hydrophobicity, and therefore on
the effectiveness of dextrin to depress the
flotation of the three minerals.
• Stevens, N, Ralston, J & Sedev, R, (2009), ‘The
uniform capillary model for packed beds and
particle wettability’, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 337, (1), 162-169, (0021-
9797), 2009
This paper describes a new methodology for
the measurement of advancing and receding
contact angles of particles from capillary
pressure measurements in packed beds of
particles partially saturated with liquids. This
technique was validated with model systems
and applied successfully to various real
particulate systems.
Project of significance
Daniel Fornasiero, John Ralston, George Levay
and Chris Moran (SMI, University of Queensland),
Impact of recycled and low quality process water on sustainable mineral processing practices (ARC
Linkage Grant and AMIRA International Ltd)
Water represents a major component of mineral
processing operations and is becoming a critical
issue for the minerals industry because the
shortage of available water and restriction for
the disposal of used water to the environment
have resulted in a need for increasing water
recycling and reuse. Poor quality process water,
including saline waters, can significantly impact
on the performance of mineral beneficiation
processes and therefore there is a strong
economic imperative to identify and understand
the factors causing the negative effects of this
water on flotation performance and to develop
strategies to control or neutralise these negative
effects. Use of this water as process water
will help achieve economy and sustainability
in water usage in the industry and good water
management practice. Seven companies around
the world are sponsoring this project. The
project is a blend of fundamental studies, with
three PhD students, and applied studies, with
investigations at the plant sites of each sponsor.
It commenced in 2008 and will run for a period
of three years.
Polydisperse water droplets resting on a superhydrophobic metal surface. Photo by Jairo Garnica Rodriguez
30
Mineral ProcessingSector Coordinator: Prof Stephen Grano
Research Themes
• Mineral flotation and agglomeration
• Mineral leaching
• Solvent extraction of minerals
Research Overview
Staff and students
We were joined by Dr Akira Otsuki and Teresa
Duncan. Akira joins us as a Research Fellow from
Waseda University in Japan and Teresa will be
providing administrative support to the Sector.
Leaving us in 2009 were Dr Sabina Gredelj, Dr
Tatiana Khmeleva and Dr Rada Pushkarova.
Three new students started work on Sector
projects in 2009, namely Yusuf Ferdosi, Yogesh
Kalegowda and Jin Sung Park, whilst three
students submitted their theses for examination;
Carlos Gontijo and Diana Tran for a PhD and
Djoko Julianto for a Masters degree.
Research outcomes
The sixth phase of one of the nation’s longest
running and most successful minerals research
projects, AMIRA P260E - Improving Sulphide
Mineral Flotation, came to an end in 2009. The
sixth iteration took the lifespan of the project
past 20 years and independent analysis puts the
return on investment for this project at better
than 20:1 for every dollar invested. The project
now continues on into the future with the
renewed P260F.
Also concluding in 2009 were projects with
Magotteaux, Xstrata and a number of projects
with an industry leader in the international
resources sector.
Amongst the new projects to commence was
a new study with Magotteaux, looking at the
interactive effects of the grinding environment
of froth stability. Also commencing was the
landmark CSIRO MDU Flagship Collaboration
Fund Project, looking into ways to improve the
grade and leaching behaviour of nickel laterite
ores. This is the beginning of an even closer
relationship between The Wark and the CSIRO
Process Science and Engineering division.
Key publications
Nosrati, A, Addai-Mensah, J & Skinner, W,
(2009), ‘pH mediated interfacial chemistry
and particle interactions in aqueous muscovite
dispersions’, Chemical Engineering Journal, 152,
406-414, (1385-8947), 2009
Interfacial chemistry and particle interactions of
aqueous muscovite dispersions were investigated
in the pH range 2-9. Electrokinetic zeta potential
and pulp shear rheology indicated a bifurcation,
accompanied by a strong pH-history, solid
loading and time dependency. Incongruent
leaching and subsequent specific adsorption of
hydrolysable Al(III), Si(IV), K+ and Fe(III) ions were
observed to dominate the interfacial chemistry
and rheological behaviour, both of which showed
good compliance with DLVO theory.
Zanin, M, Ametov, I, Grano, S, Zhou, L &
Skinner, W, (2009), ‘A study of mechanisms
affecting molybdenite recovery in a bulk copper/
molybdenum flotation circuit’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 93, 256-266,
(0301-7516), 2009
Molybdenite flotation at Kennecott Utah Copper
was studied by means of a combination of plant
metallurgical surveys and laboratory mineralogical
(QEMSCAN®) and surface (ToF-SIMS) analysis.
Heading
H 31
Left to right: A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah, A/Prof Daniel Fornasiero, Dr Max Zanin and Dr Akira Otsuki
It was suggested that the lower flotation recovery
of molybdenite compared to the copper sulphide
is determined by several factors, including
particle morphology, inherent hydrophobicity
and formation of slime coatings in the presence
of skarn ores. Implications on plant performance
were discussed, and solutions presented.
Projects of significance
Stephen Grano, Daniel Fornasiero and Bill
Skinner, Improving sulphide mineral flotation (P260E) (ARC Linkage Grant and AMIRA
International Ltd)
The main aim of this project was to improve
value sulphide mineral particles recovery by
flotation. This is exemplified by one of the case
studies in which the performance of different
concentrators treating porphyry copper ore was
investigated, in relation to enhanced molybdenite
recovery. In spite of the apparently high natural
hydrophobicity of the mineral, molybdenite
recovery in flotation is very variable, and is
generally lower than the recovery of copper
minerals. A combination of plant surveys,
flotation testing, and surface analysis and
modification methods was applied to investigate
the issue for improvement. Consistently, in all the
plants investigated, an increase in molybdenite
recovery was achieved in the rougher/scavengers,
ranging from 1% to more than 10%.
Jonas Addai-Mensah and Bill Skinner, Improving aqueous processing and control of copper leach tails behaviour (ARC Linkage Grant)
This project investigates properties and behaviour
of reactive gangue clay – value mineral ores
which are pivotal to a number of processes in the
minerals industry, including hydrometallurgical
extraction of value metals (eg copper, gold and
nickel), dewatering and waste minimization.
Several important findings which improve our
knowledge and understanding of how pulp
mineralogy and chemistry-mediated particle
interactions arising from incongruent leaching
of clay minerals may have a striking impact on
mixed oxide-clay mineral particle interactions and
temporal rheological behaviour have emerged.
John Ralston, Jonas Addai-Mensah, Daniel
Fornasiero, Bill Skinner, Stephen Grano and
Hamid Manouchehri, Preconcentration and agglomeration to enhance heap leaching of nickel laterite (CSIRO Flagship Collaboration
Fund)
The main thrust of this new 3-year project is to
perform strategic basic and applied studies of the
key fundamental issues underpinning complex,
low-grade nickel laterite milling, beneficiation
and particle agglomeration to produce large and
robust granules conducive to heap leaching for
enhanced nickel recovery. The project involves
collaborative research with groups from CSIRO
and the Universities of Melbourne, Queensland
and British Columbia.
32
Scientific ServicesManager: Mr Philip Moore
Scientific Services had a remarkable 2009,
particularly given the severe impact of the
global financial crisis on many of the industry
sectors that we service. Scientific Services
actually outperformed our 2008 performance
and returned a more than 12% increase in the
number of projects, with increases in the amount
of work from both internal and external clients.
Even more pleasing is the repeat business that
we were able to generate with 2009 seeing
an average of over 3 projects per client. This
upswing in business resulted in a massive 65%
increase in revenue, with all of that growth
coming from industry clients while revenue from
internal sales slipped slightly.
On the staffing front, we welcomed Zofia
Swierczek, Simon Doe and Luke Parkinson and
bid farewell to one of our Mineral Technologists
in Liping Ding. Zofia is a mineralogist
and brings a wealth of experience to the
Minerals Technology team and will be our
main mineralogical analyst working with the
QEMSCAN®.
Simon Doe has been recruited to lead the
Nanofabrication team in our Microfluidics and
Nanofabrication Facility, which is the South
Australian Node of ANFF (Australian National
Fabrication Facility), where his skills in project
management and experience working in industry
will help market and focus the activities of the
team to deliver a first class service to our clients.
Luke will bring his micro and nanofabrication
machining skills, together with his engineering
and design experience, to enable us to open new
markets with the exciting Kira Micro Mill, a high
speed precision mill, which is able to physically
machine to nanometre scale tolerances.
These key appointments followed the
construction of two clean rooms, a Micro Milling
area and the installation of five significant items
of equipment, which collectively provide the
capability to manufacture microfluidic chips and
devices, fabricate micro-engineered structures
and surfaces and enhance performance through
modification of surface chemistry.
The new nanoTOF was commissioned by mid-
year, which is one of two National Flagship
instruments operating within the South
Australian Node of the AMMRF (Australian
Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility).
This advanced surface analysis equipment, the
only one of its type in Australia, started to deliver
outcomes for the Australian research community
and industry throughout the remaining half of
2009.
Both the nanoTOF and Microfluidics and
Nanofabrication Facility (ANFF-SA) were funded
from the Federal Government’s NCRIS Scheme
(National Collaborative Research Infrastructure
Strategy).
Metrics
Mining and Minerals projects were again the
dominant source of funding with an increase of
5.6% on the previous year. This result exceeded
expectations as staff turnover throughout the
year placed additional burdens on the continuing
team members.
The experience and knowledge of the 18 staff
working within Scientific Services was being
utilised to its fullest potential, as over 90% of
work performed for clients included some form
of value adding. Although basic sample analysis,
where data only is reported, was conducted for
a number of clients, this represented just 3.8%
of the total income for 2009. Another point
to note is the increase in our NCRIS supported
activities from 2008. The AMMRF component
was 1.1% in 2008 and ANFF-SA was in the
construction phase.
Future Directions
During 2009, further funding for ANFF-SA was
awarded through the Federal Government’s EIF
(Education Investment Fund) which will enable
capability for quality control of fabricated
items, process control and development to be
progressively added from 2010 to 2013.
33
To support the increasing utilisation of the Mini
Pilot Plant, a facility for the rapid analysis of
minerals samples will be established during 2010.
This will include a new laboratory equipped
with two fume cupboards specifically designed
for acid digestion of samples and an X-ray
Fluorescence Spectrometer.
It is also anticipated that X-ray Diffraction
equipment will be installed during 2010
under arrangements which are currently being
negotiated.
Other 4.6%
Plastics 0.3%
Paints and Coatings 0.3%
Biotech 0.2%
Construction 1.1%
ConsumerProducts 2.9%
Education 14.2%
Government 2.3%Food & Beverage 0.5%
Health & Pharmaceuticals 1.4%
Metals 0.4%
Mining and Minerals 73.6%
Explore 0.24%
Solve 26.08%
Consult 67.06%
Access 0.83%
Advise 1.10%
AMMRF 4.43%
ANFF 0.26%
Type of work in 2009 as a percentage of total income
Income from Industry Sectors 2009
34
Research Projects*Total funding over $50,000
BIO AND POLYMER INTERFACES
*A physicochemical approach for optimizing drug delivery from BioSilicon
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and pSivida Ltd
Chief Investigators: C Prestidge, A Evans (Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, UniSA) and P Pendleton
(Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, UniSA)
*Advanced nanostructured biointerfaces for cell capture
Research Sponsor: Australian Research Council Discovery Grant
Chief Investigators: H Griesser, B Thierry, C Prestidge, M Brown (Royal Adelaide Hospital) and M Tabrizian
(University of Montreal)
*Development and evaluation of novel antibacterial coatings for the prevention of infection of biomedical
implants and devices
Research Sponsors: National Health and Medical Research Council and ITEK Pty Ltd
Chief Investigators: H Griesser, M Perkins (Flinders University) and S Semple (Sansom Institute, UniSA)
*Development of novel antibacterial coatings
Research Sponsor: RMS Foundation
Chief Investigators: H Griesser, M Perkins (Flinders University) and S Semple (Sansom Institute, UniSA)
*Engineered nanotube membranes for molecular separation and biosensing
Research Sponsor: Australian Research Council Fellowship
Chief Investigator: D Losic
*Immunotargeted nanoparticles to improve tumour delivery of chemosensitising cytotoxic drugs and
b-radiation
Research Sponsor: National Health and Medical Research Council
Chief Investigators: H Griesser, B Thierry, P Majewski (Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical
Engineering, UniSA), M Brown (Royal Adelaide Hospital) and J Taylor (Royal Adelaide Hospital)
Inducing bioactivity in three dimensional tissue engineering scaffolds
Research Sponsor: NED University
Chief Investigator: S Kumar
*Lipoceramic technologies: A solution to low and variable bioavailability of poorly soluble and
inflammatory drugs
Research Sponsor: National Health and Medical Research Council
Chief Investigators: C Prestidge, B Boyd (Monash University) and A Davey (Pharmacy and Medical
Sciences, UniSA)
*Preclinical evaluation of novel prostate targeted nanoparticles for imaging primary and metastatic
prostate cancer (administered by the University of New South Wales)
Research Sponsors: Cancer Australia and Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Chief Investigators: P Russell (UNSW), B Thierry, B Walsh (Mimomic), J Bucci (UNSW), P deSouza (UNSW)
and A Khatri (UNSW)
35
*Surface for tissue engineering
Research Sponsor: CRC for Polymers
Chief Investigator: H Griesser
COLLOIDS AND NANOSTRUCTURES
*Advanced nanoscale materials engineered from diatomaceous earth
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and Mount Sylvia Diatomite Pty Ltd
Chief Investigators: D Losic and J Addai-Mensah
*Anomalous interfacial air bubble dynamics: The importance of electrokinetic effects in thin film
drainage
Research Sponsor: Australian Research Council Discovery Grant
Chief Investigators: R Horn and S Miklavcic (Mathematics and Statistics, UniSA)
*Development of novel nanostructured electro-optical systems
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and SMR Automotive Australia Pty Limited
Chief Investigators: H Griesser, P Murphy (Mawson Institute, UniSA), G Wallace (University of
Wollongong), P Innis (University of Wollongong) and S Edwards (SMR Automotive Australia Pty Limited)
*Electrical double layer and electron transfer in ionic liquids
Research Sponsor: CSIRO Process Science and Engineering
Chief Investigators: J Ralston, R Sedev and M Horne (CSIRO Process Science and Engineering)
*Enhanced depression and dispersion of minerals in flotation (P498C)
*Environmentally benign flotation chemicals (P498C)
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and AMIRA International Ltd
Chief Investigators: D Beattie, D Fornasiero, J Addai-Mensah and J Ralston
*Fluid flow and lubrication on the nanometre scale
Research Sponsor: Australia India Strategic Research Fund Grant
Chief Investigators: R Sedev, J Ralston, C Priest and R Horn
*Fundamentals of electrocrystallization from aqueous solution
Research Sponsor: CSIRO Process Science and Engineering
Chief Investigators: J Ralston and J Addai-Mensah
*Gradient index optical coatings by plasma polymerisation
Research Sponsor: CRC for Advanced Automotive Technology
Chief Investigators: H Griesser, P Murphy (Mawson Institute, UniSA) and R Short (Mawson Institute,
UniSA)
*Impact of recycled and low quality water on sustainable mineral processing practices
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and AMIRA International Ltd
Chief Investigators: D Fornasiero, C Moran (University of Queensland) and J Ralston
*Ionic liquids
Research Sponsor: CSIRO Process Science and Engineering
Chief Investigators: J Ralston and R Sedev
36 Microfluidic solvent extraction: Improved fluid flow stability and phase separation
Research Sponsor: ITEK Pty Ltd
Chief Investigator: R Sedev
*Novel nanostructured polymeric membranes for energy storage applications
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and ZBB Technologies Ltd
Chief Investigators: N Roy Choudhury and W Skinner
*Optimisation of pigment coating surface treatments
Research Sponsor: Tiwest Joint Venture
Chief Investigators: W Skinner and J Addai-Mensah
*Particle-bubble interactions
Research Sponsor: CSIRO Process Science and Engineering
Chief Investigators: J Ralston, D Fornasiero and P Koh (CSIRO Process Science and Engineering)
*Particles at interfaces: Controlling detachment
Research Sponsor: Australian Research Council Fellowship
Chief Investigator: C Whitby
*Plastic mirror development
Research Sponsor: CRC for Advanced Automotive Technology
Chief Investigators: H Griesser, P Murphy (Mawson Institute, UniSA) and R Short (Mawson Institute,
UniSA)
*Polymers at mineral interfaces (P498B)
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and AMIRA International Ltd
Chief Investigators: D Beattie, D Fornasiero, J Addai-Mensah and J Ralston
MINERAL PROCESSING
*Gangue recovery fundamental studies - Flotation
Research Sponsor: Industry Partner
Chief Investigators: J Addai-Mensah and S Grano
*Gangue recovery fundamental studies - Leach and Surface Chemistry
Research Sponsor: Industry Partner
Chief Investigators: J Addai-Mensah and S Grano
*Improving aqueous processing and control of copper leach tails behaviour
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and Industry Partner
Chief Investigators: J Addai-Mensah and W Skinner
*Improving froth performance in the zinc cleaners at Century Mine
Research Sponsor: MMG Century
Chief Investigators: S Farrokhpay and M Zanin
*Improving froth zone performance at Prominent Hill
Research Sponsor: OZ Minerals Ltd
Chief Investigators: M Zanin, I Ametov and S Grano
*Improving sulphide mineral flotation (P260E)
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and AMIRA International Ltd
Chief Investigators: S Grano, D Fornasiero and W Skinner
*Increasing the sulphur grade of the pyrite concentrate at Vaal River
Research Sponsor: AngloGold Ashanti Limited
Chief Investigators: S Gredelj, M Zanin and S Grano
*Matching flotation concentrate composition to downstream processing in copper production
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and Industry Partner
Chief Investigators: S Grano, S Harmer and I Ametov
* Optimising the recovery of fine and coarse particles in mineral flotation
Research Sponsors: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant and AMIRA International Ltd
Chief Investigators: S Grano and D Fornasiero
*Preconcentration and agglomeration to enhance heap leaching of nickel laterite
Research Sponsor: CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Fund
Chief Investigators: J Ralston, H Manouchehri, S Grano, D Fornasiero, J Addai-Mensah and W Skinner
Separation of chalcopyrite and bornite in single mineral mixtures, future ores and current concentrates
Research Sponsor: Industry Partner
Chief Investigator: I Ametov
*Separation of enargite from Frieda River-Nena final concentrate
Research Sponsor: Xstrata Qld Ltd
Chief Investigators: S Grano, P Moore and K Quast
*Separation of minerals in final concentrate
Research Sponsor: Industry Partner
Chief Investigators: S Grano and I Ametov
CORPORATE
*Australian Mineral Science Research Institute
Research Sponsors: AMIRA International Ltd, Australian Research Council Linkage Grant, South Australian
Government and UniSA
Chief Investigator: J Ralston
*Fabrication of advanced materials
Research Sponsors: National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, UniSA and South Australian
Government
Chief Investigator: J Ralston
Mechanical properties of coated bioceramics
Research Sponsor: Australian Academy of Science International Travel Grant
Chief Investigator: S Kumar
Microfluidic operations with ionic liquids
Research Sponsor: South Australian Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and
Technology
Chief Investigator: R Sedev
*SA Regional facility for microscopy
Research Sponsors: National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, UniSA and South Australian
Government
Chief Investigator: H Griesser
37
38
Honours and Awards
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah
Award of Merit, Contribution of Members of Communities from Countries within Africa to the State of South Australia
A reception, hosted by The Hon Mike Rann,
Premier of South Australia, was held on 28
February. Jonas was the recipient of this award
for his significant contribution and outstanding
achievement in “Excellence in education,
research, scholarship, leadership, service and
community engagement”.
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah
Appointment as External Examiner, Department of Mineral Engineering, University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, Ghana
Jonas’ duties will include reviewing examination
questions, feedback on examinations and
academic standards and reporting to Department
and Faculty Boards.
A Memorandum of Understanding between
UniSA and the University of Mines and
Technology was signed in 2007 to facilitate
staff/student exchanges, joint research, training
and publications.
Ms Susana Brito E Abreu
Commercialisation Training Scheme Scholarship
The objective of the Commercialisation
Training Scheme is to provide high quality
research commercialisation training for the next
generation of Australian researchers as a means
of equipping them with the skills, knowledge
and experience necessary to bring research-based
ideas, inventions and innovations to market.
PhD students Mr Mani Paneru (left) and Mr Terry Dermis
Heading
H 39
The CTS scholarships are based on academic
merit and the probability of pursuing a career
that will use the skills, knowledge and experience
gained during CTS training. Susana, whose
area of research is mineral processing, was one
of seven UniSA students to be awarded a CTS
scholarship in 2009.
Mr Terry Dermis and Mr Mani Paneru
Joint Winners - Best Wark Student Seminar
Pulp chemistry and kinetics of an isothermally leached muscovite clay mineral
Terry is in the second year of his PhD and is
working in the area of minerals and metallurgical
processing. His principal supervisor is A/Prof Bill
Skinner.
Contact angle saturation in electrowetting: An overview
Mani is in the third year of his PhD and his
research area is electrowetting of ionic liquids
in solid-liquid-liquid systems. His principal
supervisor is Laureate Prof John Ralston.
Prof Stephen Grano
Excellence in Research Commercialisation, South Australian Science Excellence Awards
This award recognises commercial success
and acceptance achieved through creating an
innovative product, process or service. Stephen
was acknowledged for his success in forging
a range of industry partnerships on a national
and international scale in the area of minerals
processing. Stephen noted that the award was
recognition of many years of hard work and
will facilitate the advancement of his research
initiatives through greater interaction with
industry.
Prof Hans Griesser
CSIRO Medal for Research Excellence
CSIRO awarded their 2009 Medal for Research
Excellence to the ophthalmic biomaterials team,
which Hans co-founded and has since been very
much involved in defining research directions that
have lead to patents and commercial products.
Thus he was a named key member of the team
that received the medal (each member received a
medal) on 14 October.
Ms Kara Holloway
Playford Trust Honours Scholarship
The $1000 prize is awarded to the highest
calibre Honours students in South Australia
undertaking research projects in the priority areas
of Horticulture and Aquaculture, Water, Energy
and Climate Change, Advanced Manufacturing
and New Technologies or Mining and Resources
Development.
Prof Stephen Grano (left) receives the Excellence in Research Commercialisation, South Australian Science Excellence Awards from The Hon Michael O’Brien MP
Ms Christine Lim
Best Poster Prize, Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association Conference
Christine, a Wark Honours student, was the
recipient of the best poster prize at the APSA
Conference held in Hobart, Australia, 9-11
December. Christine’s poster, titled “Mechanical
investigation of silica-lipid hybrid microcapsules
for improved delivery of poorly soluble drugs”
was chosen from amongst 150 posters presented
by predominately postgraduate students at the
conference.
Dr Craig Priest
Fresh Science Award
Dr Craig Priest was selected as one of only
16 scientists nationally – the only one from
South Australia – to participate in Fresh Science
2009. Fresh Science is a national competition
that helps promote young scientists in the
media. Applicants are assessed on their ability
to communicate their research to the general
public, and the winners attend an intensive
media training course in Melbourne, Australia.
The program included a series of school talks in
country Victoria and the Melbourne Museum and
interviews with TV, print, and radio journalists.
Craig’s work on microfluidic solvent extraction
was featured in the Adelaide Advertiser, SA
Mines and Energy Magazine, and a number of
web-based media outlets.
Laureate Prof John Ralston
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Clunies Ross Award
John was the recipient of the prestigious ATSE
Clunies Ross Award for Lifetime Contribution,
one of the highest awards in Australia,
acknowledging not only fundamental research
but its application in making real differences
in the world. The ATSE Clunies Ross Award
is awarded for the application of science
and technology for the economic, social or
environmental benefit of Australia and this award
recognises John’s distinguished career in particle
physics and colloid science and its application to
the mining and mineral production industries.
This Award has developed successfully over the
years into one of the pre-eminent awards for
scientists, technologists and innovators across
Australia and has recognised the achievements of
many special people. A further aim of the Award
is to raise the profile of science and technology
in the community through promotion of the
Awardees and their contributions to Australia.
Laureate Prof John Ralston
Sir Willis Connolly Memorial Medal
John was the recipient of the Medal for 2009
which is awarded to a person who, through
their ability to communicate, had advanced the
professionalism, industry or management of
science, engineering or technology. This award
is presented jointly between The AusIMM and
the Barbarians – a group established by persons
associated with brown coal in Victoria who have
close ties to the industry in Germany.
Prof Jarl Rosenholm (Adjunct Research Professor)
Honorary Doctorate, UniSA
The University of South Australia awards
the Honorary Doctorate Degree to a person
of eminence who has made a distinguished
contribution to the public services or a field
of academic endeavour. At the graduation
ceremony held on 30 March, Prof Rosenholm
was awarded the Degree in recognition of his
contribution to UniSA and his distinguished
career as a scientist, researcher and entrepreneur.
Prof Rosenholm has been an Adjunct Research
Professor with The Wark, UniSA since 1999.
Throughout this time, he has been a strong
advocate for The Wark and has worked to
establish strategic partnerships between the
University of South Australia and Abo Akademi
University, Finland.
Hons student Ms Christine Lim
40
Heading
H 41
Prof Jarl Rosenholm (left) and Laureate Prof John Ralston
Dr Catherine Whitby
Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship
Catherine was one of three UniSA researchers
awarded a prestigious Future Fellowship by the
ARC. These Fellowships aim to retain and attract
Australia’s brightest and best researchers. The
Fellowship provides funding of approximately
$700,000 over a period of four years.
Catherine’s research project is titled Particles
at Interfaces - Controlling Detachment. Small,
solid particles affect the processes used by the
Australian mining industry to recover precious
metals and valuable minerals in ways that
remain poorly understood. The outcomes of this
project will make significant contributions to
the fundamental understanding of the role of
particles in emulsions and foams. The results will
also ultimately transfer to, and have a substantial
impact on, the pharmaceutical industry, which
is poised to use nanotechnology to revolutionise
drug delivery.Dr Catherine Whitby
Ms Kai Ying Yeap
2009 Graeme Jameson Award, CHEMECA Conference
The Graeme Jameson Award is offered by the
Australasian Particle Technology Society for the
best paper by a postgraduate student in the
area of particle technology based on originality,
clarity of written presentation, quality of science
and potential practical value of the finding.
Kai Ying’s paper was titled, “The influence
of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and orthokinetic
flocculation on dewatering behavior of talc
suspensions”.
Fellow Wark student, Mr Ataollah Nosrati, was
a runner-up for the Graeme Jameson prize
for his paper, “The role of pulp chemistry and
particle interaction forces in aqueous muscovite
dispersions”, deserving a ‘highly commended’
certificate. The Awards were presented during
the CHEMECA Conference held in Perth,
Australia, 27-30 September.
The award is named in honour of the Society’s
founding president Graeme Jameson, Professor
of Chemical Engineering at the University of
Newcastle, Australia.
Dr Nasrin Ghouchi Eskandar
2009 Ian Wark Research Institute Medal
Dr Nasrin Ghouchi Eskandar was awarded the
Ian Wark Research Institute Medal for 2009.
Nasrin’s thesis was entitled, “Physiochemical and
biopharmaceutical investigations of nanoparticle-
coated submicron emulsions: Towards novel
dermal delivery systems” and her principal
supervisor was Prof Clive Prestidge.
The Ian Wark Research Institute Medal is
awarded annually to the graduate or graduand
from the Ian Wark Research Institute with the
most outstanding PhD thesis.
The Medal is based on the creativity and
originality of the research, the student’s
comprehension of the field, the significance and
utility of the research as a contribution to, or as
an application of, knowledge and the impact
of the thesis through the number and level of
international publications.
Wark Student Travel Grants
Each year travel grants of up to $1,000 are
made available to HDR students enrolled at The
Wark, with a maximum of $3,000 overall being
available each half year. The grants are for
the purpose of attending conferences held at
locations either in Australia or internationally. In
2009, the following students were recipients of
Travel Grants:
Ms Candace Chan
Mr Ataollah Nosrati
Mr Mohanraj Vellore Janarthanan
Ms Sin Ying Tan
Mr Wenbo Wang
Ms Danfeng Xu
42
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah (left) and PhD student Ms Kai Ying Yeap
Nasrin Ghouchi Eskandar
BSc(Hons) Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran PhD UniSA
Principal Supervisor: Prof Clive Prestidge
Thesis Title: Physiochemical and biopharmaceutical investigations of nanoparticle-coated submicron emulsions: towards novel dermal delivery systems
New processes have been developed for
coating submicron emulsion droplets with
silica nanoparticles. Scientific insight into
the synergy of nanoparticles and emulsifiers
in stabilizing oil-in-water emulsions is
presented and pharmaceutical applications
explored. Novel drug delivery systems have
been developed for Vitamin A with improved
physical stability, enhanced chemical stability
and shelf-life. Controlled and targeted
delivery into the skin has been demonstrated
and this forms the basis for new cosmetic
and pharmaceutical products.
Graduate Position: Research Associate,
Ian Wark Research Institute, University of
South Australia
Mingzhao He
MSc Northeastern University, PR China LICEng
Lulea, Sweden PhD UniSA
Principal Supervisor: A/Prof Jonas Addai-
Mensah
Thesis Title: The influence of adsorbed polymer on clay and copper mineral particles’ interactions
Comprehensive, fundamental studies
including zeta potential measurement,
polymer adsorption, particle deposition,
rheology and atomic force microscopy
imaging indicated that hetero-aggregation
between sericite and chalcocite was
ascribed to unexpected particle attractions
due to chalcocite oxidation and leaching.
Anionic polymers were found effective in
mitigating hetero-aggregation by establishing
electrostatic and/or electrosteric repulsions.
Graduate Position: Research Fellow,
Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre
(JKMRC), University of Queensland
Graduates
43
44
Seminar Program
Visiting Speakers
Dr Rob Atkin
Faculty of Science and Information Technology,
University of Newcastle, Australia
Bulk and interfacial nanostructure in ionic liquids
Prof Juergen Backhaus
Mannheim University of Applied Sciences,
Germany
Infrared spectroscopy in clinical diagnostics
Dr Steven Carnie
Department of Mathematics and Statistics,
University of Melbourne, Australia
From mercury drops to bubbles
Prof Kevin Galvin
Centre for Advanced Particle Processing,
University of Newcastle, Australia
How to elutriate particles according to their density
Prof Murray Gray
Department of Chemical and Materials
Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada
Technology for sustainable development of Alberta Oil Sands
Dr Richard Greene
The Fenner School of Environment and Society,
Australian National University, Canberra
Colloidal properties of clays: Their role in environmental processes
Mr Greg Lance
Hysitron Inc, USA
Nanoindentation and Atomic Force Microscopy for biological materials
A/Prof Desmond Lun
School of Mathematics and Statistics, UniSA
Model-based engineering of microorganisms
Prof Kazimierz Malysa
Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Velocity of rising bubbles as a simple method for monitoring organic contaminants in water reservoirs
Dr David Robinson
CSIRO Process Science and Engineering, Australia
Processing nickel laterites – problems and opportunities for the new CSIRO MDU Flagship Cluster
Prof John Vickerman
School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical
Science, Manchester University, United Kingdom
Polyatomic primary ion beams - a new SIMS paradigm!
Dr Gleb Yakubov
Unilever Corporate Research, United Kingdom
Surface architecture, lubrication and nanorheological properties of mucins and mucosal bio fluids
Staff Seminars
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah
Challenges in high level nuclear waste processing
Dr Tim Barnes
Can we identify denatured proteins from their adsorption behaviour at an interface?
Dr David Beattie
Musings on polymer depression
Dr Artem Borysenko
Monitoring of fluid saturation and distribution in clay-rich rocks using NMR and dielectric spectroscopy
45
Dr Jason Connor (co-author Dr David Druskovich)
Two disks are better than one? A new device for studying flow accelerated corrosion
Dr Naba Dutta
Rec1 resilin: A novel biomimetic polymer with adaptive properties
Dr Rick Fabretto
Conducting polymers: Fundamental science makes business sense
Dr Renate Fetzer
Contact angle relaxation in various systems
A/Prof Daniel Fornasiero
Stability of boehmite particle dispersions
Prof Stephen Grano
Successful technology transfer from the P260 project - Case studies on plant implementation of generic flotation research
Dr Sabina Gredelj
Evidence of surface cleaning of sulphide minerals by attritioning in stirred mills
Prof Hans Griesser
Some recent adventures at bio-interfaces
Prof Roger Horn
The complexities of bubble interactions
Dr Marta Krasowska
Probing the interaction between bubble and particle
A/Prof Sunil Kumar
Plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition for complete three-dimensional chemical modification of robocast alumina scaffolds
Dr Vera Lockett
Interfaces with ionic liquids
Dr Dusan Losic
Engineered nanopores: Fabrication, concepts, applications and perspective
Dr Hamid Manouchehri
Triboelectric charge and electrical separation of industrial minerals
Dr Satomi Onishi
Bubble films on water: Influences of trace impurities and evaporation on film stability
Dr Mihail Popescu
Phoretic motion of catalyst decorated colloidal particles via self-generated composition gradients
Dr Craig Priest
Microfluidics: Extracting value from complex solutions
Prof John Ralston
Nanobubbles and mysteries
Prof Namita Roy Choudhury
Temperature resolved scattering study of proton-conducting polymer membranes
Dr Rossen Sedev
Electrowetting in solid-liquid-liquid systems
Dr Spomenka Simovic
Recent drug delivery investigations- An overview
Dr Hui Tan
Investigation of chlorite leaching
Dr Catherine Whitby
The effect of anionic surfactant in silica particle-stabilised emulsions
46
Visitors to the InstituteThe Vice Chancellor of the University of Mines
and Technology (UMaT) Ghana, Prof Daniel
Mireku-Gyimah, paid an official visit to UniSA
in mid June 2009. The main objective of his
visit centred around HDR student training and
education, staff and student exchanges and
reciprocal visits and collaborative research
issues of mutual interest to both universities.
These initiatives form part of a UniSA-UMaT
Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2007.
During Prof Mireku-Gyimah’s 4-day visit, he
held discussions with Prof Peter Hoj (VC), Prof
Caroline McMillen (DVCRI), Dr Anna Ciccarelli
(PVCID), Laureate Prof John Ralston (Director) and
a number of senior Wark staff including A/Prof
Jonas Addai-Mensah who assisted in organising
the Ghanaian VC’s visit.
Extended Visits
Dr Steven Carnie
Department of Mathematics and Statistics,
University of Melbourne, Australia
Mr Kristian Gunnelius
Department of Physical Chemistry, Abo Akademi,
Finland
Dr Marisa Monte
Centre for Mineral Technology (CETEM), Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
Dr Emamali Sabzi
Department of Chemistry, Urmia University, Iran
Short Term Visits
Dr Rob Atkin
Faculty of Science and Information Technology,
University of Newcastle, Australia
Prof Juergen Backhaus
Mannheim University of Applied Sciences,
Germany
Dr Mike Beresford
Rohm & Haas Paint Quality Institute, Camberwell,
Australia
Dr Markus Bier
Max Planck Institute for Metals Research,
Stuttgart, Germany
Mr Allen Bolaffi
Hains Norton, Adelaide, Australia
Dr Mark Bonnar
CSIRO Commercialisation, Sydney, Australia
Prof Michal Borkovec
Department of Inorganic, Analytical and Applied
Chemistry, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Mr Michael Breu
Swiss National Public Television, Zurich,
Switzerland
Mr Joe Cucuzza, Dr Paul Greenhill and Dr Doug
Magoon
AMIRA International, Melbourne, Australia
Mr Dieter Engelhardt
Newcrest Mining Ltd, Cadia, Australia
Prof Gerard Fleer
Laboratory for Physical Chemistry and Colloid
Science, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Left to right: A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah, Prof Daniel Mireku-Gyimah and Laureate Prof John Ralston
47Dr Bart Follink and Mr Steve Morton
CSIRO Process Science and Engineering, Clayton,
Australia
Prof Kevin Galvin
Centre for Advanced Particle Processing,
University of Newcastle, Australia
Mr Aidan Giblett
Newmont Mining Corporation, Subiaco, Australia
Prof Murray Gray
Centre for Oil Sands Innovation, Department of
Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of
Alberta, Canada
Dr Richard Greene
The Fenner School of Environment and Society,
Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Mrs Rosie Hicks
Australian National Fabrication Facility, Clayton,
Australia
Mr Ryo Ishibashi, Prof Takehiko Kitamori, Dr
Kazuma Mawatari, Mr Kyojiro Morikawa,
Mr Takuya Murao, Prof Yasuhiko Sugii, Mr
Katsuyoshi Takahashi, Dr Takehiko Tsukahara and
Dr Xu Yan
University of Tokyo, Japan
Dr Bill Johnson
Mineralurgy Pty Ltd, Australia
A/Prof Akira Kakugo
Laboratories of Transdisciplinary Biological
Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University,
Japan
Dr Ronel Kappes
Newmont Mining Corporation, Colorado, USA
Dr Kazue Kurihara
Tohoku University, Japan
Mr Greg Lance
Hysitron Inc, USA
Mr Sam Lazzaro
Huntsman Corporation, Melbourne, Australia
Prof David Lewis
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Flinders
University, Adelaide, Australia
Prof Kazimierz Malysa
Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Dr Sue Meek
Australian Academy of Science, Canberra,
Australia
Prof Daniel Mireku-Gyimah
Vice Chancellor, University of Mines and
Technology, Ghana
Dr Neville Plint
Research & Development, Anglo Platinum Ltd,
South Africa
Mr Andrew Reeves
Hillgrove Resources Ltd, Callington, Australia
Mr Cliff Robertson and Mr David Yaxley
Downer EDI Mining, Carrara, Australia
Dr David Robinson
CSIRO Process Science and Engineering,
Waterford, Australia
Prof Alfonso Carvajal Rojas and Dario Valenzuela
La Serena University, Chile
Mr Laksh Vaaman Sehgal
The Samvardhana Motherson Group, Adelaide,
Australia
Dr Jim Sieman
Nyrstar Technology, Melbourne, Australia
Dr Tibby Stoian
Flinders Mines Ltd, Adelaide, Australia
Dr Matthew Taylor and Dr Alan Wagner
Cytec Industries, Stamford, USA
Prof John Vickerman
School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical
Science, Manchester University, United Kingdom
Prof Richard Williams
Institute of Particle Science and Engineering,
University of Leeds, United Kingdom
Mr Bevin Wong
Xstrata Copper Ltd, Brisbane, Australia
Dr Gleb Yakubov
Unilever Corporate Research, United Kingdom
48 Prof Takeshi Yamauchi, Mr Satoshi Takahashi and
Miss Miki Saito
Graduate School of Science and Technology,
Niigata University, Japan
Overseas Student Visits
Mr Jussi-Petteri Autere
Tampere University of Technology, Finland
Ms Jessica Avendano Juarez
Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Tamaulipas,
Mexico
Ms Marina Cecconello Correa, Mr Ricardo
Ferreira Massabki and Mr Manoel Nogueira de
Abreu Filho
University of São Paulo, Brazil
Mr Holger Fielder
Freiberg Technical College, Germany
Ms Franziska Elisabeth Fischer
Dresden University of Technology, Germany
Ms Manoela Gaetti Franco
Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil
Mr Roman Pascal Germann
University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil,
Switzerland
Ms Carmen Gomez Gimenez
University of Zaragoza, Spain
Ms Margarita Gonzalez-Ferraz
National University of St Augustin of Arequipa,
Peru
Ms Yulia Ievskaya
Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule
Aachen, Germany
Mr Krishna Kant, Mr Dhiraj Kumar and Mr Vasu
Sah
Amity University, India
Mr Albert Daniel Komlos
Budapest University of Technology and
Economics, Hungary
Ms Eunji Lee
Hongik University, Korea
Ms Caroline Marlot and Mr Matthieu Oberdorff
Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Recherche en
Matériaux de Dijon, France
Ms Amanda Martin
University of Western Ontario, Canada
Ms Zlata Palkovicova
Instituto Superior Técnico, Czech Republic
Mr Michael Joshua Pastoll
University of Reading, United Kingdom
Mr Zihan Poh
International Student from Flinders University,
originally from Singapore
Mr Johannes Quintero
University of Applied Sciences, Austria
Mr Robert Roskamp
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research,
Germany
Ms Vittoria Roiati
Politecnico de Milano, Italy
Ms Anke Schimmer
Mannheim University of Applied Sciences,
Germany
Mr Gurvinder Singh
Aarhus University, Denmark
Ms Jinxia Sun
École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de
Montpellier, France
Ms Roya Talari
Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Health
Services, Iran
Ms Klaudia Wilk
Politechnika Rzeszowska, Lukasiewicza, Poland
49
Conference Attendance and Invited Lectures*Oral / +Poster
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah
SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit and CMA
111th National Western Mining Conference,
Denver, USA, 22-25 February 2009
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah
Paydirt’s 2009 Uranium Conference, Adelaide,
Australia, 16-17 March 2009
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah
Alta Copper Uranium Conference, Perth,
Australia, 27-30 May 2009
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah
9th International Conference on Agglomeration,
Sheffield, UK, 23-30 June 2009
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah (invited speaker)
Australian Nickel Conference, Perth, Australia,
14-15 October 2009
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah, *Dr Tim Barnes,
Dr David Beattie, +Ms Candace Chan, +Mr Terry
Dermis, *Dr Satomi Onishi, +Dr Dennis Palms,
*+Dr Mihail Popescu, *Prof Clive Prestidge, *+Dr
Craig Priest, Ms Lee San Puah, Dr Rossen Sedev, +Ms Sin Ying Tan, Dr Su Nee Tan, *Ms Diana Tran,
*Dr Catherine Whitby and Ms Kai Ying Yeap
4th Biennial Australian Colloid and Interface
Science Symposium (ACIS), Adelaide, Australia,
1-5 February 2009
A/Prof Jonas Addai-Mensah, *+Mr Terry Dermis,
Ms Wendy Harrington, Mr Ataollah Nosrati, *Dr
Akira Otsuki, *+Mr Keith Quast, Mr Yunyu Shi, Dr
Hui Tan, *Ms Sin Ying Tan, Mr Wenbo Wang, Ms
Danfeng Xu, Ms Kai Ying Yeap, *Mr Yang Yu and
Mr Lin Zhou
CHEMECA 2009, Perth, Australia, 27-30
September 2009
Ms Moom-Sim Aw and Prof Clive Prestidge
The Australian and New Zealand Chapters of the
Controlled Release Society, Brisbane, Australia,
30 November - 1 December 2009
*Dr Tim Barnes, Ms Kara Holloway, Ms Christine
Lim, *Prof Clive Prestidge, *Dr Spomenka Simovic
and Mr Mohanraj Vellore Janarthanan
Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association
(APSA) Conference, Hobart, Australia, 9-11
December 2009
Dr David Beattie
5th International Conference on Advanced
Vibrational Spectroscopy (incorporating the
8th Australian Conference on Vibrational
Spectroscopy), Melbourne, Australia, 12-17 July
2009
Dr David Beattie, *Dr Sarah Harmer-Bassell, *Prof
Roger Horn, Dr Agnieszka Mierczynska-Vasilev,
*Dr Satomi Onishi, *Dr Mihail Popescu and *Ms
Diana Tran
13th IACIS International Conference on Surface
and Colloid Science & 83rd ACS Colloid and
Surface Science Symposium, New York, USA,
14-19 June 2009
Dr David Beattie, Dr Sabina Gredelj and Dr
Agnieszka Mierczynska-Vasilev
Flotation 09, Cape Town, South Africa,
9-12 November 2009
*Ms Candace Chan
The International Conference and Exhibition on
Materials and AustCeram 2009, Gold Coast,
Australia, 1-3 July 2009
+Ms Candace Chan and Mr Gurvinder Singh
1st Nano Today Conference 2009, Singapore,
2-5 August 2009
Dr Jason Connor, *Dr Satomi Onishi, Dr Craig
Priest, Laureate Prof John Ralston, Dr Rossen
Sedev and Dr Catherine Whitby
The 2nd Indo-Australian Workshop, IISc,
Bangalore, India, 23-25 November 2009
50
Dr John Denman, Prof Hans Griesser and Mr
Philip Moore
3rd Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis
Research Facility (AMMRF) Strategic Planning
Workshop, Fremantle, Australia, 10-11 June
2009
*A/Prof Naba Dutta, *Mr Colin Hall, *Mr Lachlan
Hyde, *Prof Namita Roy Choudhury and *Ms
My-Yung Truong
The 11th Pacific Polymer Conference, Cairns,
Australia, 6-11 December 2009
Dr Rick Fabretto and Dr Dennis Palms
Bio-Systems & Electronics Workshop,
Wollongong, Australia, 2-5 December 2009
*Dr Saeed Farrokhpay
49th SCAA Annual Conference, Glenelg,
Australia, August 2009
*Dr Renate Fetzer, Dr Marta Krasowska, Dr
Rossen Sedev and *Dr Catherine Whitby
International Workshop on Bubble and
Drop Interfaces, Thessaloniki, Greece, 23-25
September 2009
A/Prof Daniel Fornasiero (invited lecture)
Australian-Chile Mining Workshop, University of
Adelaide, Australia, 11 November 2009
Prof Stephen Grano and Mr Ray Newell
10th Mill Operators Conference, Adelaide,
Australia, 12-14 October 2009
Dr Sabina Gredelj
Crushing and Grinding Conference, Brisbane,
Australia, 29-30 April 2009
Prof Hans Griesser
ICMAT and IUMRS-ICA 2009 Conference,
Singapore, 28 June - 3 July 2009
Prof Hans Griesser
22nd European Conference on Biomaterials,
Lausanne, Switzerland, 7-11 September 2009
Mr Colin Hall
ACES 2009 Electromaterials Symposium for
Nanostructured Electromaterials, Wollongong,
Australia, 4-6 February 2009
Dr Sarah Harmer and Dr Eric Tavenner
AMAS X – The Tenth Biennial Symposium,
Adelaide, Australia, 11-13 February 2009
Mr Lachlan Hyde
AVS 56th International Symposium and
Exhibition, San Jose, USA, 8-13 November 2009
Dr Ivan Kempson (invited lecture)
Australian Micro-Analysis Symposium, Adelaide,
Australia,11-13 February 2009
Dr Ivan Kempson (invited lecture)
National Light Source Users Meeting Workshop,
Brookhaven National Laboratories, USA, 18 May
2009
Dr Ivan Kempson
Joint International Conference of Biophysics
and 14th Annual Conference of the Biophysical
Society of ROC, National Cheng Kung University,
Tainan, Taiwan, 24–27 June 2009
Dr Ivan Kempson
The 7th Cross-Strait Workshop on Nanoscience
and Nanotechnology, Guiyang, China, 25 July -
2 August 2009
*Dr Ivan Kempson
Bioavailability of lead in peri-urban environments,
CleanUp09, Adelaide, Australia, 24-30
September 2009
+Dr Ivan Kempson
Taiwan Nano Expo, Taipei, Taiwan, 7-9 October
2009
Dr Marta Krasowska, Dr Mihail Popescu, Ms Sin
Ying Tan and Ms Die (Daisy) Yang
Advanced Materials for Australia’s Future
International Workshop, Melbourne, Australia,
18-19 May 2009
*+Dr Sunil Kumar
3rd Indo-Australian Conference on Biomaterials,
Implants, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative
Medicine, held in conjunction with the 19th
Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue
Engineering Conference, Sydney, Australia,
21-23 January 2009
51
*Dr Sunil Kumar
International Conference on Metallurgical
Coating and Thin Films, San Diego, USA, 27 April
- 1 May 2009
Dr Mahaveer Kurkuri
Nanophotonics Down Under 2009 – Devices and
Application, Melbourne, Australia, 21-24 June
2009
Ms Christine Lim, Prof Clive Prestidge, Mr
Mohanraj Vellore Janarthanan and Mr Feng
(Frank) Wang
Australian Controlled Release Society Peptide
Workshop, Brisbane, Australia, 30 November -
1 December 2009
Dr Vera Lockett and Dr Rossen Sedev
3rd Congress on Ionic Liquids, Cairns, Australia,
31 May - 4 June 2009
*Dr Dusan Losic
11th Annual ATN Conference, Brisbane,
Australia, 4-6 February 2009
*Dr Dusan Losic and Mr Krishna Kant
International Conference on Nanomaterials and
Nanotechnology (ICANN 2009), Guwahati, India,
9-11 December 2009
Dr Satomi Onishi (invited lecture)
Division of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science,
Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan, 16 May
2009
*Dr Satomi Onishi
JAST International Tribology Conference, Tokyo,
Japan, 20 May 2009
Dr Satomi Onishi (invited lecture)
RIKEN Forum, RIKEN Institute, Saitama, Japan,
22 May 2009
Dr Dennis Palms
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials
and Nanotechnology (AMN4), Dunedin, New
Zealand, 8-12 February 2009
Mr Zihan Poh and +Mr Yang Yu
16th AINSE Conference on Nuclear and
Complementary Techniques of Analysis, Sydney,
Australia, 25-27 November 2009
Dr Craig Priest
International Nanotechnology Exhibition and
Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 18-20 February 2009
+Dr Craig Priest
13th International Conference on Miniaturized
Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (µTAS
2009), Jeju Island, Korea, 1-5 November 2009
*Prof Clive Prestidge
Pharm Sci Fair Conference, Nice, France, 7-12
June 2009
Prof Clive Prestidge (invited lecture)
School of Pharmacy, University of Aston, UK
6 July 2009
Prof Clive Prestidge (invited lecture)
School of Pharmacy, University of Strathclyde, UK
8 July 2009
*Prof Clive Prestidge and *Dr Benjamin Thierry
Particles 2009 Conference, Berlin, Germany, 9-14
July 2009
*Prof Clive Prestidge and Ms Angel Tan
Controlled Release Society Conference,
Copenhagen, Denmark, 18-23 July 2009
Laureate Prof John Ralston (invited lecture)
University of Cape Town and Anglo Platinum,
Cape Town, South Africa, 13-30 October 2009
Laureate Prof John Ralston
AusIMM Award Luncheon, Adelaide, Australia,
2-3 December 2009
Laureate Prof John Ralston
Micro and Nanofluidics Workshop, Adelaide,
Australia, 14-15 December 2009
Prof Namita Roy Choudhury (invited speaker)
238th ACS National Meeting and Exposition,
Washington, USA, 16-20 August 2009
Dr Massimiliano Zanin
The South Australia Mining Industry and
Investment Environment, Adelaide, Australia, 9
November 2009
*Dr Jingfang Zhou
ASME 2009 2nd Micro/Nanoscale Heat & Mass
Transfer International Conference, Shanghai,
China, 18-22 December 2009
52
Publications
Book Chapter
Jasieniak, M, Graham, D, Kingshott, P, Gamble,
L & Griesser, H, (2009), ‘Surface Analysis of
Biomaterials’, Handbook of Surface and Interface Analysis, CRC Press, USA, (9-7808-4937-5583),
(John C Rivire, Sverre MyhraEds), 2009
Refereed Journal Articles
Aguilar-Frutis, M, Kumar, S & Falcony, C, (2009),
‘Spray-pyrolyzed hydroxyapatite thin-film
coatings’, Surface and Coatings Technology, 204,
1116-1120, (0257-8972), 2009
Al-Ejeh, F, Darby, J M, Thierry, B & Brown, M P,
(2009), ‘A simplified suite of methods to evaluate
chelator conjugation of antibodies: effects
on hydrodynamic radius and biodistribution’,
Nuclear Medicine and Biology, 36, (4), 395-402,
(0969-8051), 2009
Beattie, D, Kempson, I, Fan, L J & Skinner, W,
(2009), ‘Synchrotron XPS studies of collector
adsorption and co-adsorption on gold and gold:
silver alloy surfaces’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 92, (3-4), 162-168, (0301-
7516), 2009
Beaussart, A, Mierczynska-Vasilev, A & Beattie, D,
(2009), ‘Adsorption of Dextrin on Hydrophobic
Minerals’, Langmuir, 25, (17), 9913-9921, (0743-
7463), 2009
Beaussart, A, Parkinson, L A, Mierczynska-
Vasilev, A, Ralston, J & Beattie, D, (2009), ‘Effect
of Adsorbed Polymers on Bubble - Particle
Attachment’, Langmuir, 25, (23), 13290-13294,
(0743-7463), 2009
Bliznakov, S, Liu, Y, Dimitrov, N, Garnica
Rodriguez, J I & Sedev, R, (2009), ‘Double-
Scale Roughness and Superhydrophobicity on
Metalized Toray Carbon Fiber Paper’, Langmuir, 25, (8), 4760-4766, (0743-7463), 2009
Borysenko, A, Clennell, B, Dewhurst, D, Burgar, I,
Sedev, R & Ralston, J, (2009), ‘Application of low
field and solid-state NMR spectroscopy to study
the liquid/liquid interface in porous space of clay
minerals and shales’, Diffusion Fundamentals, 10,
(Special), 1-4, (1862-4138), 2009
Borysenko, A, Clennell, B, Sedev, R, Burgar,
I, Ralston, J, Raven, M, Dewhurst, D & Liu, K,
(2009), ‘Experimental investigations of the
wettability of clays and shales’, Journal of Geophysical Research, 114, 7202, (0148-0227),
2009
Buckley, A, Goh, S, Skinner, W, Woods, R & Fan,
L J, (2009), ‘Interaction of cuprite with dialkyl
dithiophosphates’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 33, (1), 155-164, (0301-
7516), 2009
Buckley, A, Skinner, W, Harmer-Bassell, S, Pring,
A & Fan, L J, (2009), ‘Electronic environments
in carrollite, CuCo2S
4, determined by soft x-ray
photoelectron and adsorption spectroscopy’,
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 73, 4452-
4467, (0016-7037), 2009
Cole, M A, Voelcker, N H, Thissen, H & Griesser,
H, (2009), ‘Stimuli-responsive interfaces and
systems for the control of protein-surface and
cell-surface interactions’, Biomaterials, 30, (9),
1827-1850, (0142-9612), 2009
Cole, M, Jasieniak, M, Thissen, H, Voelcker, N H
& Griesser, H, (2009), ‘Time-of-Flight-Secondary
Ion Mass Spectrometry Study of the Temperature
Dependence of Protein Adsorption onto Poly(N-
isopropylacrylamide) Graft Coatings’, Analytical Chemistry, 81, (16), 6905-6912, (0003-2700),
2009
Cook, N J, Ciobanu, C L, Pring, A, Skinner, W,
Shimizu, M, Danyushevsky, L, Saini-Eidukat, B &
Melcher, F, (2009), ‘Trace and minor elements in
sphalerite: A LA-ICPMS study’, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 73, (16), 4761-4791, (0016-
7037), 2009
Heading
H
Coumbaros, J, Kirkbride, K, Klass, G & Skinner,
W, (2009), ‘Application of time of flight
secondary ion mass spectrometry to the in situ
analysis of ballpoint pen inks on paper’, Forensic Science International, 193, 42-46, (0379-0738),
2009
Deslandes, A, Jasieniak, M, Lonescu, M, Shapter,
J, Fairman, C, Gooding, J J, Hibbert, D B &
Quinton, J, (2009), ‘ToF-SIMS characterisation
of methane- and hydrogen-plasma-modified
graphite using principal component analysis’,
Surface and Interface Analysis, 41, (3), 1-9,
(1096-9918), 2009
Ding, L, (2009), ‘Investigation of Bituminous Coal
hydrophobicity and its influecne on Flotation’,
Energy & Fuels, 23, (6), 5536-5543, (0887-0624),
2009
Djordjevic, I, Choudhury, N, Dutta, N & Kumar, S,
(2009), ‘Synthesis and characterization of novel
citric acid-based polyester elastomers’, Polymer, 1682, (1691), 1682-1691, (0032-3861), 2009
Donnelley, M, Morgan, K, Fouras, A, Skinner, W,
Uesugi, K, Yagi, N, Siu, K & Parsons, D, (2009),
‘Real-time non-invasive detection of inhalable
particulates delivered into live mouse airways’,
Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 16, 553-561,
(0909-0495), 2009
Du, J, Pushkarova, R & Smart, R, (2009), ‘A
Cryo-SEM study of aggregate and floc structure
changes during clay settling and raking
processes’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 93, 66-72, (0301-7516), 2009
Dutta, N, Choudhury, N, Truong, M Y, Kim, M,
Elvin, C & Hill, A J, (2009), ‘Physical approaches
for fabrication of organized nanostructure
of resilin-mimetic elastic protein rec1-resilin’,
Biomaterials, 30, 4868-4876, (0142-9612), 2009
Englert, A H, Krasowska, M, Fornasiero, D,
Ralston, J & Rubio, J, (2009), ‘Interaction force
between an air bubble and a hydrophilic spherical
particle in water, measured by the colloid probe
technique’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 91, 121-127, (0301-7516), 2009
Ms Maria Provatas using QEMSCAN® QEMSCAN provides new capabilities for rapid characterisation of minerals and non-crystalline phases with distinct elemental composition. The system is able to measure thousands of points on a sample within seconds and display compositional images. The final result is a colour coded mineral map which presents details from about 0.2 µm in size. The mineral map is processed to extract quantitative information such as mineral proportion, particle size and shape, porosity, occurrence and association of the identified phases.
53
Er, Y, Barnes, T, Fornasiero, D & Prestidge,
C, (2009), ‘The encapsulation and release of
guanosine from PEGylated liposomes’, Journal of Liposome Research, 19, (1), 29-36, (0898-2104),
2009
Evans, H M, Surenjav, E, Priest, C, Herminghaus,
S, Seemann, R & Pfohl, T, (2009), ‘In situ
formation, manipulation, and imaging of droplet-
encapsulated fibrin networks’, Lab On a Chip, 9,
1933-1941, (1473-0197), 2009
Fabretto, R, Muller, M, Zuber, K & Murphy, P,
(2009), ‘Influence of PEG-ran-PPG Surfactant on
Vapour Phase Polymerised PEDOT Thin Films’,
Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 30,
1846-1851, (1022-1336), 2009
Fabretto, R, Zuber, K, Hall, C, Murphy, P &
Griesser, H, (2009), ‘The role of water in the
synthesis and performance of vapour phase
polymerised PEDOT electrochromic devices’,
Journal of Materials Chemistry, 19, 7871-7878,
(0959-9428), 2009
Farrokhpay, S, (2009), ‘A review of polymeric
dispersant stabilisation of titania pigment’,
Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 151,
(1-2), 24-32, (0001-8686), 2009
Fetzer, R & Ralston, J, (2009), ‘Dynamic
Dewetting Regimes Explored’, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part C: Nanomaterials and Interfaces, 113, (20), 8888-8894, (1932-7447),
2009
Fetzer, R, Ramiasa, M N & Ralston, J, (2009),
‘Dynamics of Liquid-Liquid Displacement’,
Langmuir, 25, (14), 8069-8074, (0743-7463),
2009
Ghouchi Eskandar, N, Simovic, S & Prestidge,
C, (2009), ‘Chemical stability and phase
distribution of all-trans-retinol in nanoparticle-
coated emulsions’, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 376, (1-2), 186-194, (0378-
5173), 2009
Ghouchi Eskandar, N, Simovic, S & Prestidge,
C, (2009), ‘Mechanistic insight into the dermal
delivery from nanoparticle-coated submicron
O/W emulsions’, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 9999, 1-15, (0022-3549), 2009
Ghouchi Eskandar, N, Simovic, S & Prestidge,
C, (2009), ‘Nanoparticle Coated Submicron
Emulsions: Sustained In-vitro Release and
Improved Dermal Delivery of all trans-retinol’,
Pharmaceutical Research, 26, (7), 1764-1775,
(0724-8741), 2009
Ghouchi Eskandar, N, Simovic, S & Prestidge, C,
(2009), ‘Nanoparticle Coated Emulsions as Novel
Dermal Delivery Vehicles’, Current Drug Delivery,
6, (4), 367-373, (1567-2018), 2009
Gordon, R, Losic, D, Tiffany, M, Nagy,
S S & Sterrenburg, F, (2009), ‘The Glass
Menagerie: diatoms for novel applications in
nanotechnology’, Trends in Biotechnology, 27,
(2), 117-127, (0167-7799), 2009
Grano, S, (2009), ‘The critical importance of the
grinding environment on fine particle recovery
in flotation’, Minerals Engineering, 22, (4), 386-
394, (0892-6875), 2009
Gredelj, S, Zanin, M & Grano, S, (2009), ‘Selective
flotation of carbon in Pb-Zn carbonaceous
sulphide ores of Century Mines, Zinifex’, Minerals Engineering, 22, 279-288, (0892-6875), 2009
Hamilton-Brown, P, Gengenbach, T, Griesser, H &
Meagher, L, (2009), ‘End Terminal, Poly(ethylene
oxide) Graft Layers: Surface Forces and Protein
Adsorption’, Langmuir, 25, (16), 9149-9156,
(0743-7463), 2009
Harmer-Bassell, S, Skinner, W, Buckley, A & Fan,
L J, (2009), ‘Species formed at cuprite fracture
surfaces: observation of the O 1s surface shift’,
Surface Science, 603, 537-545, (0039-6028),
2009
He, M, Addai-Mensah, J & Beattie, D, (2009),
‘Sericite-chalcocite mineral particle interactions
and hetero-aggregation (sliming) mechanism in
aqueous media’, Chemical Engineering Science,
64, 3083-3093, (0009-2509), 2009
He, M, Addai-Mensah, J & Beattie, D, (2009),
‘The influence of polymeric dispersants on
sericite-chalcocite particle interactions in aqueous
media’, Chemical Engineering Journal, 152, 471-
479, (1385-8947), 2009
Jani, A M, Anglin, E, McInnes, S, Losic, D,
Shapter, J & Voelcker, N H, (2009), ‘Nanoporous
anodic aluminium oxide membranes with layered
surface chemistry’, Chemical Communications, 21, 3062-3064, (1359-7345), 2009
54
Jasieniak, M & Smart, R, (2009), ‘Collectorless
flotation of pyroxene in Merensky ore: Residual
layer identification using statistical ToF-SIMS
analysis’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 92, 169-176, (0301-7516), 2009
Jasieniak, M, Suzuki, S, Monteiro, M, Wentrup-
Byrne, E, Griesser, H & Grondahl, L, (2009),
‘Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion mass Spectrometry
Study of the Orientation of a Bifunctional Diblock
Copolymer Attached to a Solid Substrate’,
Langmuir, 25, 1011-1019, (0743-7463), 2009
Kannan, A G, Choudhury, N & Dutta, N, (2009),
‘Fluoro-silsesquioxane-urethane Hybrid for Thin
Film Applications’, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 1, (2), 336-347, (1944-8244), 2009
Kannan, A G, Choudhury, N & Dutta, N, (2009),
‘In situ modificaiton of Nafion membranes with
phospho-silicate for improved water retention
and proton conduction’, Journal of Membrane Science, 333, 50-58, (0376-7388), 2009
Kant, K & Losic, D, (2009), ‘A simple approach
for synthesis of TiO2 nanotubes with through-
hole morphology’, Physica Status Solidi. Rapid Research Letters, 3, (5), 139-141, (1862-6254),
2009
Kempson, I, Henry, D & Francis, J, (2009),
‘Characterizing arsenic in preserved hair for
assessing exposure potential and discriminating
poisoning’, Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 16,
(3), 422-427, (0909-0495), 2009
Krasowska, M, Zawala, J & Malysa, K, (2009), ‘Air
at Hydrophobic Surfaces and Kinetics of Three
Phase Contact Formation’, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 147, (148), 155-169,
(0001-8686), 2009
Lillo, M & Losic, D, (2009), ‘Ion-beam pore
opening of porous anodic alumina: The
formation of single nanopore and nanopore
arrays’, Materials Letters, 63, (3), 457-460,
(0167-577X), 2009
Lillo, M & Losic, D, (2009), ‘Pore opening
detection for controlled dissolution of barrier
oxide layer and fabrication of nanoporous
alumina with through-hole morphology’, Journal of Membrane Science, 327, 11-17, (0376-7388),
2009
Losic, D & Losic Jnr., D, (2009), ‘Preparation
of Porous Anodic Alumina with Periodically
Perforated Pores’, Langmuir, 25, (10), 5426-
5431, (0743-7463), 2009
Losic, D & Simovic, S, (2009), ‘Self-ordered
nanopore and nanotube platforms for drug
delivery applications’, Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 6, (12), 1363-1381, (1742-5247), 2009
Losic, D, Lillo, M & Losic Jnr., D, (2009), ‘Porous
Alumina with Shaped Pore Geometries and
Complex Pore Architectures Fabricated by Cyclic
Anodization’, Small, 5, (12), 1392-1397, (1613-
6810), 2009
Losic, D, Mitchell, J G & Voelcker, N H, (2009),
‘Diatomaceous Lessons in Nanotechnology and
Advanced Materials’, Advanced Materials, 21,
1-12, (0935-9648), 2009
McInnes, S, Thissen, H, Choudhury, N & Voelcker,
N H, (2009), ‘New biodegradable materials
produced by ring opening polymerisation of
poly(l-lactide) on porous silicon substrates’,
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 332, (2),
336-344, (0021-9797), 2009
Mistry, M K, Subianto, S, Choudhury, N &
Dutta, N, (2009), ‘Interfacial Interactions in
Aprotic Liquid Based Protonic Membrane and Its
Correlation with High Temperature Conductivity
and Thermal Properties’, Langmuir, 25, (16),
9240-9251, (0743-7463), 2009
Morrant, D, Schumann, R & Petit, T, (2009), ‘Field
methods for sampling and storing nectar from
flowers with low nectar volumes’, Annals of Botany, 103, (3), 533-542, (0305-7364), 2009
Morris, G & Zbik, M, (2009), ‘Smectite
suspension structural behaviour’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 93, (1), 20-25,
(0301-7516), 2009
Nosrati, A, Addai-Mensah, J & Skinner, W,
(2009), ‘pH mediated interfacial chemistry
and particle interactions in aqueous muscovite
dispersions’, Chemical Engineering Journal, 152,
406-414, (1385-8947), 2009
Onishi, S, (2009), ‘Adsorption, Capillary
Condensation and Friction’, Journal of the Surface Science Society of Japan, 30, (10), 575-
579, (0388-5321), 2009
Onishi, S, (2009), ‘Friction and Capillary Forces
at the Nanometer Scale’, E-Journal of Surface Science and Nanotechnology, 7, 137-140, (1348-
0391), 2009
55
Patra, A, Ralston, J, Sedev, R & Zhou, J, (2009),
‘Design of Pyrimidine-Based Photoresponsive
Surfaces and Light-Regulated Wettability’,
Langmuir, 25, (19), 11486-11494, (0743-7463),
2009
Popescu, M, Dietrich, S & Oshanin, G, (2009),
‘Confinement effects on diffusiophoretic self-
propellers’, Journal of Chemical Physics, 130,
1-16, (0021-9606), 2009
Priest, C, Albrecht, T W, Sedev, R & Ralston,
J, (2009), ‘Asymmetric Wetting Hysteresis
on Hydrophobic Microstructured Surfaces’,
Langmuir, 25, (10), 5655-5660, (0743-7463),
2009
Sedeva, I G, Fornasiero, D, Ralston, J & Beattie, D,
(2009), ‘The Influence of Surface Hydrophobicity
on Polyacrylamide Adsorption’, Langmuir, 25, (8),
4514-4521, (0743-7463), 2009
Simovic, S, Heard, P, He, H, Song, M, Peddie,
F, Davey, A, Lewis, A, Rades, T & Prestidge, C,
(2009), ‘Dry Hybrid Lipid-Silica Microcapsules
Engineered from Submicron Lipid Droplets and
Nanoparticles as a Novel Delivery System for
Poorly Soluble Drugs’, Molecular Pharmaceutics, 6, (3), 861-872, (1543-8384), 2009
Siow, K S, Britcher, L, Kumar, S & Griesser, H,
(2009), ‘Sulfonated Surfaces by Sulfur Dioxide
Plasma Surface Treatment of Plasma Polymer
Films’, Plasma Processes and Polymers, 6, 583-
592, (1612-8850), 2009
Smith, E, Kempson, I, Juhasz, A, Weber, J,
Skinner, W & Grafe, M, (2009), ‘Localization and
speciation of arsenic and trace elements in rice
tissues’, Chemosphere, 76, (4), 529-535, (0045-
6535), 2009
Smith, E, Kempson, I, Juhasz, A, Weber, J,
Skinner, W & Grafe, M, (2009), ‘Uptake,
speciation and distribution of arsenic and trace
elements in rice tissues’, Chemosphere, 76, 529-
535, (0045-6535), 2009
56
Dr John Denman attaches the sample holder to the stage of the Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (PHI TRIFT V nanoToF)
57
Stevens, N, Ralston, J & Sedev, R, (2009), ‘The
uniform capillary model for packed beds and
particle wettability’, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 337, (1), 162-169, (0021-
9797), 2009
Subianto, S, Mistry, M K, Choudhury, N,
Dutta, N & Knott, R, (2009), ‘Composite
Polymer Electrolyte Containing Ionic Liquid
and Functionalized Polyhedral Oligometric
Silsesquioxanes for Anhydrous PEM Applications’,
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 1, (6),
1173-1182, (1944-8244), 2009
Sung, D, Brugger, J, Ciobanu, C L, Pring, A,
Skinner, W & Nugus, M, (2009), ‘Invisible gold
in arsenian pyrite and arsenopyrite from a
multistage Archaean gold deposit: Sunrise Dam,
Eastern Goldfields Province, Western Australia’,
Mineralium Deposita, 44, (7), 765-791, (0026-
4598), 2009
Surenjav, E, Herminghaus, S, Priest, C &
Seemann, R, (2009), ‘Discrete microfluidics:
Reorganizing droplet arrays at a bend’, Applied Physics Letters, 95, 154104, (0003-6951), 2009
Szili, E, Kumar, S, Smart, R & Voelcker, N
H, (2009), ‘Generation of a stable surface
concentration of amino groups on silica coated
onto titanium substrates by the plasma enhanced
chemical vapour deposition method’, Applied Surface Science, 255, 6846-6850, (0169-4332),
2009
Tan, A, Simovic, S, Davey, A, Rades, T &
Prestidge, C, (2009), ‘Silica-lipid hybrid (SLH)
microcapsules: a novel oral delivery system for
poorly soluble drugs’, Journal of Controlled Release, 134, 62-70, (0168-3659), 2009
Tan, S Y, Whitby, C, Ralston, J & Fornasiero, D,
(2009), ‘Brownian diffusion of ultrafine particles
to an air-water interface’, Advanced Powder Technology, 20, (3), 262-266, (0921-8831), 2009
Tan, S, Jiang, A, Liau, J, Grano, S & Horn, R,
(2009), ‘The surface dilational viscosity of
polypropylene glycol solutions and its influence
on water flow and foam behavior’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 93, 194-203,
(0301-7516), 2009
Thierry, B, (2009), ‘Drug Nanocarriers and
Functional Nanoparticles: Applications in Cancer
Therapy’, Current Drug Delivery, 6, (4), 391-403,
(1567-2018), 2009
Thierry, B, Al-Ejeh, F, Brown, M P, Majewski,
P & Griesser, H, (2009), ‘Immunotargeting of
Functional Nanoparticles for MRI detection of
Apoptotic Tumor Cells’, Advanced Materials, 21,
541-545, (0935-9648), 2009
Thierry, B, Al-Ejeh, F, Khatria, A, Yuan, Z, Russell,
P, Ping, S, Brown, M P & Majewski, P, (2009),
‘Multifuctional core-shell magnetic cisplatin
nanocarriers’, Chemical Communications, 7348-
7350, (1359-7345), 2009
Thierry, B, Ng, J, Krieg, T & Griesser, H, (2009),
‘A robust procedure for the functionalization of
gold nanorods and noble metal nanoparticles’,
Chemical Communications, 13, 1724-1726,
(1359-7345), 2009
Truong, M Y, Mayavan, S, Dutta, N, Choudhury,
N, Elvin, C & Hill, A J, (2009), ‘Environmental-
Responsive Biomimetic Rec1-Resilin Hydrogel and
its Application in the Construction of Functional
Hybrids’, Polymer Preprints, 50, (2), 86-87,
(00032-3934), 2009
Vasilev, K, Casanal, A S, Challougui, H & Griesser,
H, (2009), ‘Template-Assisted Generation of
Nanocavities within Plasma Polymer Films’, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part B: Condensed Matter, Materials, Surfaces, Interfaces & Biophy,
113, (20), 7059-7063, (1520-6106), 2009
Vasilev, K, Cook, J & Griesser, H, (2009),
‘Antibacterial surfaces for biomedical devices’,
Expert Review of Medical Devices, 6, (5), 553-
567, (1743-4440), 2009
Vasilev, K, Michelmore, A, Griesser, H & Short, R,
(2009), ‘Substrate influence on the initial growth
phase of plasma-deposited polymer films’,
Chemical Communications, 24, 3600-3602,
(1359-7345), 2009
58 Velleman, L, Shapter, J & Losic, D, (2009),
‘Gold nanotube membranes functionalised
with fluorinated thiols for selective molecular
transport’, Journal of Membrane Science, 328,
121-126, (0376-7388), 2009
Velleman, L, Triani, G, Evans, P, Shapter, J & Losic,
D, (2009), ‘Structural and chemical modification
of porous alumina membranes’, Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 126, 87-94, (1387-1811),
2009
Whitby, C, Fornasiero, D & Ralston, J, (2009),
‘Effect of adding surfactant on the stability of
pickering emulsions’, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 329, 173-181, (0021-9797),
2009
Wijenayaka, A K, Colby, C B, Atkins, G &
Majewski, P, (2009), ‘Biomimetic hydroxyapatite
coating on glass coverslips for the assay of
osteoclast activity in vitro’, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, 20, (7), 1467-
1473, (0957-4530), 2009
Zanin, M, Ametov, I, Grano, S, Zhou, L &
Skinner, W, (2009), ‘A study of mechanisms
affecting molybdenite recovery in a bulk copper/
molybdenum flotation circuit’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 93, 256-266,
(0301-7516), 2009
Zanin, M, Wightman, E M, Grano, S & Franzidis,
J-P, (2009), ‘Quantifying contributions to froth
stability in porphyry copper plants’, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 91, 17-27, (0301-
7516), 2009
Zbik, M, Du, J, Pushkarova, R & Smart, R, (2009),
‘Observation of gaseous films at solid-liquids:
Removal by ultrasonic action’, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 336, 616-623, (0021-
9797), 2009
Zhou, J, Ralston, J, Sedev, R & Beattie, D, (2009),
‘Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles: Synthesis,
Structure and Colloid Stability’, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 331, (2), 251-262, (0021-
9797), 2009
Refereed Conference Papers
Ciccarelli, J M, Weber, P A, Stewart, W, Li, J,
Schumann, R, Miller, S D & Smart, R, (2009),
‘Estimation of Long-term Silicate Neutralisation of
Acid Rock Drainage’, Securing the Future Mining, Metals & the Environment in a Sustainable Society, ICARD, 1-11, Sweden, 8th ICARD
International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage,
(Lars LovgrenEds), 2009
Dermis, T, Addai-Mensah, J & Skinner, W, (2009),
‘A mineralogical, structural and surface chemical
investigation of muscovite in aqueous media’,
Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-10,
Perth, Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Dermis, T, Addai-Mensah, J & Skinner, W, (2009),
‘Kinetic behaviour of an aluminosilicate clay
mineral during isothermal leaching’, Chemeca:
Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-10, Perth,
Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Grano, S, Ralston, J, Skinner, W & Fornasiero, D,
(2009), ‘Successful technology transfer outcomes
in the P260 project - case studies on plant
implementation of generic flotation research’,
Tenth Mill Operators’ Conference 2009, AUSIMN,
199-210, Adelaide, South Australia, Tenth Mill
Operators’ Conference, (Dean DavidEds), 2009
Miller, S D, Schumann, R, Smart, R & Rusdinar,
Y, (2009), ‘ARD Control by Limestone Induced
Armouring and Passivation of Pyrite Minerals
Surfaces’, Securing the Future Mining, Metals & the Environment in a Sustainable Society,
ICARD, 1-11, Sweden, 8th ICARD International
Conference on Acid Rock Drainage, (Lars
LovgrenEds), 2009
Nosrati, A, Addai-Mensah, J & Skinner, W,
(2009), ‘The role of pulp chemistry and particle
interaction forces in aqueous muscovite
dispersions’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia,
1-11, Perth, Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009,
(Thys HeynsEds), 2009
Nosrati, A, Addai-Mensah, J & Skinner, W, (2009),
‘Viscoelastic properties of aging concentrated
muscovite clay mineral suspensions’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-10, Perth,
Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Otsuki, A, Dodbiba, G & Fujita, T, (2009), ‘Particle
Size Measurement of Silica Nano-Particles by
Interactive Force Apparatus Under the Electric
Field’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-9,
Perth, Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Quast, K & Popescu, M, (2009), ‘Kinetics of
Copper Leaching from Two South Australian
Ores’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-10,
Perth, Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Quast, K & Quast, B, (2009), ‘Ash Rejection
Processes for Leigh Creek Coal’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-11, Perth,
Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Schumann, R, Kawashima, N, Li, J, Miller, S D,
Smart, R & Stewart, W, (2009), ‘Passivating
surface layer formation on pyrite in neutral rock
drainage’, Securing the Future Mining, Metals & the Environment in a Sustainable Society,
ICARD, 1-10, Sweden, 8th ICARD International
Conference on Acid Rock Drainage, (Lars
LovgrenEds), 2009
Schumann, R, Levay, G & Ametov, I, (2009), ‘The
Impact of Recycling on Process Water Quality
in Mineral Processing’, Water Mining in 2009,
Australian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy, 79-
86, Perth, Western Australia, Water Mining in
2009, (Chris MoranEds), 2009
Shi, Y & Fornasiero, D, (2009), ‘Effects of particle
size and density, and turbulence on flotation
recovery’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-9,
Perth, Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Stewart, W, Schumann, R, Miller, S D & Smart,
R, (2009), ‘Development of Prediction Methods
for ARD Assessment of Coal Process Wastes’,
Securing the Future Mining, Metals & the Environment in a Sustainable Society, ICARD, 1-
14, Sweden, 8th ICARD International Conference
on Acid Rock Drainage, (Lars LovgrenEds), 2009
Tan, H, Addai-Mensah, J & Skinner, W, (2009),
‘Interfacial Chemistry Mediated Behaviour of
Aqueous Chlorite Dispersions’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 11, Perth,
Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Tan, H, Addai-Mensah, J & Skinner, W, (2009),
‘Leaching and Rheological Behaviour of Chlorite
with Fluorite in Sulphuric Acid’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-10, Perth,
Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Tan, S Y, Whitby, C, Ralston, J & Fornasiero, D,
(2009), ‘Interaction of fine and ultrafine particles
with gas bubbles’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers
Australia, 1-10, Perth, Western Australia,
CHEMECA 2009, (Thys HeynsEds), 2009
Wang, W & Fornasiero, D, (2009),
‘Hydrophobicity of Composite Particles’,
Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-9,
Perth, Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Xu, D, Ametov, I & Grano, S, (2009), ‘A study
of detachment of model coarse particles from
bubbles using a novel electro-acoustic technique’,
Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-10,
Perth, Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
Yeap, K Y, Addai-Mensah, J & Beattie, D,
‘The influence of polyethylene oxide (PEO)
and orthokinetic flocculation on dewatering
behaviour of talc suspensions’, Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, Perth, Western
Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys HeynsEds),
2009
Zhou, J, Priest, C, Sedev, R, Ralston, J, Aota, A,
Mawatari, K & Kitamori, T, (2009), ‘Microfluidic
Solvent Extraction of Copper for Mineral
Processing’, Proceedings of MNHMT2009: ASME 2009 2nd Micro/Nanoscale Heat & Mass Transfer International Conference, ASME, 1-3, Shanghai,
China, ASME 2009 2nd Micro/Nanoscale Heat
& Mass Transfer International Conference,
(ASMEEds), 2009
Zhou, L, Fornasiero, D, Ametov, I & Skinner,
W, (2009), ‘Effect of self-aggregation on
collectorless fine molybdenite flotation’,
Chemeca: Engineering our Future: Are we up to the Challenge, Engineers Australia, 1-11,
Perth, Western Australia, CHEMECA 2009, (Thys
HeynsEds), 2009
59
International Collaborators
USA Freeport McMoRan Mining CompanyLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CaliforniaNewcrest Resources IncRio Tinto Kennecott Utah Copper
United Kingdom University of Bristol
Portugal Lundin Mining Corporation
GhanaUniversity of Mines and Technology
France AREVACPE Lyon
Canada COREM
Simon Fraser University Teck Ltd
University of MontrealUniversity of Western Ontario
Vale Inco Ltd
Brazil Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul University of Sao Paulo
Belgium University of Mons-Hainaut
South Australia Advanced Scientific CommunicationsBHP Billiton (Olympic Dam Corporation) Pty Ltd BioInnovation SA Department of Further Education, Employment, Science & TechnologyDepartment of Primary Industries & ResourcesEnergy Exploration LtdFlinders UniversityInstitute of Medical and Veterinary ScienceITEK Pty LtdLevay & Co Environmental ServicesPremier’s Science & Research Fund Research Laboratories of AustraliaRoyal Adelaide HospitalSA Health
UkraineInstitute of Colloid and Water Chemistry
Switzerland ETH Zurich RMS Foundation
Sweden Boliden Minerals AB Lulea University of Technology
South Africa AngloGold Ashanti LimitedAnglo Platinum Ltd University of Cape Town
PR China Nanjing University of Aeronautics and AstronauticsTianjin University
Papua New Guinea Ok Tedi Mining Ltd
PakistanNED University
New ZealandUniversity of Otago
Japan University of Tokyo
India Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Germany Max-Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self Organization, GoettingenMax-Planck Institute for Metals Research, Stuttgart
Finland Abo Akademi UniversityCP Kelco OyOutotec
BulgariaBulgarian Academy of Sciences
SMR Automotive Australia Pty LimitedSoniclean Pty LtdSouth Australian MuseumUniversity of AdelaideWomen’s and Children’s Hospital
New South Wales Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Prostate Cancer Foundation of AustraliaUniversity of NewcastleUniversity of New South WalesUniversity of Wollongong
Victoria AMIRA International LtdAustralian Synchrotron Company Ltd
CRC for Advanced Automotive TechnologyCRC for Polymers CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering CSIRO Process Science and Engineering MMG CenturyMonash UniversityOrica Australia Pty LtdOZ Minerals LtdRio Tinto Ltd Silver City Mining Company LtdUniversity of Melbourne
Western Australia Magotteaux Australia Pty Ltd Penford Australia LtdpSivida LtdTiwest Joint VentureZBB Technologies Ltd
ACT Australia-India Strategic Research FundAustralian Academy of ScienceAustralian Research Council Cancer AustraliaCSIRO Flagship Collaboration FundMount Sylvia Diatomite Pty LtdNational Collaborative Research Infrastructure StrategyNational Health and Medical Research Council
Queensland CSIRO Livestock Industries University of QueenslandXstrata Qld LtdXstrata Technology