Awards

2010 Awards of Excellence in Chemical Engineering

These awards provide a showcase for outstanding achievement in the field of Chemical Engineering. The Engineers Australia Chemical College, IChemE in Australia, SCENZ (now SCENZ - IChemE in New Zealand) and RACI, in partnership with corporate sponsors, have instituted these awards to encourage and recognise excellence and to highlight the contribution made by Australian and New Zealand Chemical Engineers to the community.

The Chemeca Medal
This is the most prestigious award in the chemical engineering profession in Australia and New Zealand. It is awarded to a prominent Australian or New Zealand Chemical Engineer who has made an outstanding contribution, through achievement or service, to the practice of Chemical Engineering in its widest sense and who continues to serve the profession. The recipient of the Award is invited to present a plenary lecture at the annual CHEMECA conference.

Caltex Teaching Award ($5,000 and Certificate)
Recognises outstanding achievements in the teaching of chemical engineers.

The ExxonMobil Award ($5,000 and Certificate)
Recognises significant ongoing contributions to Chemical Engineering through innovations or a series of related publications over a number of years.

The Fluor Award ($5,000 and Certificate)
Recognises exceptional management and leadership talent that has directly resulted in a sustained corporate success over a significant period. It can include both line management and project management and can apply to either private or public sectors.

The Freehills Award ($5000 and Certificate)
Recognises innovation in product design or development, or service delivery by a Chemical Engineer from Australia or New Zealand.

The Rio Tinto Award ($5,000 and Certificate)
Recognises outstanding applied Chemical Engineering.

The Uhde Shedden Medal and Prize ($4,000)
Recognises practical services to the profession and to the practice of chemical engineering in Australia or New Zealand. Achievements may be in technical, marketing or management fields. Nominations can be made either by individuals themselves or by nomination from others. A candidate must be a member of Engineers Australia, IChemE, SCENZ or RACI and must be under 40 years of age.

The WorleyParsons Award ($5,000 and Certificate)
Recognises personal commitment and leadership by a chemical engineer in the area of safety and/or the environment. Applicants will have demonstrated outstanding leadership and/or commitment to safety or the environment during design, construction or operation of process plant.

Plenary and Keynote Speakers

Five plenary lectures of a wide ranging nature will be given by speakers of international standing on highly topical subjects relevant to the field of chemical and process engineering as broadly defined. Ten or more keynote lectures of a more focused nature will also be presented by internationally recognized speakers as part of the parallel sessions. Below is the list of currently identified plenary speakers and keynote lecturers.

Plenary Speakers:

Professor Andrew Hopkins (School of Social Sciences, ANU) - Why BP Failed to Learn the Lessons: The Texas City Refinery Explosion
Professor Jinghai Li (Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences) - Real-Time Simulation of Chemical Processes - Dream or reality?
Dr David Mills (Ausra) - Concentrating Solar Thermal Power
Professor Hans Müller-Steinhagen (Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center, Stuttgart, Germany) - Fuel Cells with Wings
Mr Andrew Stock (Origin Energy) - The role of technology and policy in increasing the competitiveness of Australia’s renewable and low emission energy resources
Dr Ziggy Switkowski (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) - Climate Change and Nuclear Energy

Keynote Speakers:

Professor Rose Amal (School of Chemical Sciences & Engineering, UNSW) - Harnessing Solar Energy: From Clean Water, Fresh Air, Super Surfaces to Renewable Energy
Dr Tom Beer (CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research) - Biofuels: Hope, Hype or Happiness
Professor Suresh Bhargava (Applied Sciences, RMIT University) - The Way Forward for Australia's Uranium Industry: Gaining an Improved Understanding of the Science of Uranium Extraction
A/Professor Sankar Bhattacharya (Monash University) - Cleaner Coal Technologies: Developments and Challenges for Scientific and Engineering Communities
Professor Barry Brook (Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide) - Sustainable Energy Solutions for Successful Climate Change Mitigation
Professor Xiao Dong Chen (Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University) - Food Fantasies from Chemical Engineers
Dr Paul Cleary (CSIRO Mathematical & Information Sciences) - Application of particle methods for modelling particulate and fluid flows in industrial processes
Che Cocktatoo-Collins (Santos - Industry Best Practice and Innovation) - Valuing Indigenous Influence, Valuing My Company
Professor Justin Cooper-White (Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland) - Biomicrofluidics: From Measuring the Elasticity of Biofluids to the Creation of Microenvironments for Stem Cell Expansion, Artificial Vessel Generation and Controlled Tissue Genesis
Professor Peter T. Cummings (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, USA) - Computational Nanoscience and the Interplay Between Experiment and Theory
Dr Geoff Dumsday (CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering) - White Biotechnology: The Next Industrial Revolution?
Professor Paul Lant (University of Queensland) - Life Cycle Assessment of the Gold Coast Urban Water System – Lessons Learned
Professor Milton Hearn (ARC Special Research Centre for Green Chemistry, Monash University) - Green Chemistry and Molecular Sustainability: It's Time to Get Serious
Dr Anita Hill (CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering) - Pore design in membranes
Mr Barry Hooper (CO2 CRC) - CO2 Reduction - The CCS Story
Associate Professor Tong Lin (Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation Institute for Technology Research and Innovation - Deakin University) - Towards Intelligent" Miniature Reactor using Magnetic Liquid Marbles
Professor David Lowe (Faculty of Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney) - Remote labs: improved learning, greater flexibility, higher quality, and lower cost - achieving it all!
Professor Mehmet Sarikaya (Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Washington) - Molecular Biomimetics: Genetically Design Peptide-based Molecular Materials and Systems for Technology and Medicine
Dr Jerome Werkmeister (CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies) - New Designed Materials and Technologies for Tissue Repair
Professor Brent Young (The University of Auckland) - Modelling and Simulation: Putting the Process back into Control
Professor Dongke Zhang (University of Western Australia) - How far and how fast can bioenergy go?
Professor Ganapati D. Yadav (Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai (formerly UDCT/UICT) - Selectivity Engineering in Development of Green and Benign Catalytic Processes
Stephen Grano - (Institute for Minerals and Energy Resources, The University of Adelaide) - Future trends in flotation research: Opportunities and pitfalls

Engineering Sciences and Fundamentals

Below are just a few examples of the areas that fall under this sub-theme; this list is not meant to be exhaustive. If you have any queries at all about the suitability of a paper for Chemeca 2010 or this sub-theme in particular, please do not hesitate to contact the Chair of the Technical Program Committee.

Transport processes and properties;
Multiphase, non-Newtonian, complex and turbulent flows
Thermodynamics, thermodynamic properties and phase behaviour
Statistical mechanics
Molecular, meso and multiscale simulation
Computational fluid dynamics
Population balance modelling
Kinetics and catalysis
Seperations (e.g. Distillation, extractions, adsorption, ion exchange, membranes) and mixing;
Crystallization
Colloidal and interfacial systems and phenomena
Processing at extreme conditions
Supercritical processing
Electrochemistry
Thermodynamics
Kinetics
Unit operations

Material and Mineral Sciences and Engineering

Polymers
Composites
Biomaterials
Porous materials
Coatings and thin films
Multiscale materials and associated processes
Materials characterization
Non-destructive testing
Corrosion
Biomaterials
Materials selection
Mineral Processing
Extractive Metallurgy

Process Design, Control and Safety

Development and implementation of plant risk management processes
Current and future regulatory requirements
Current status of various PSM/plant integrity management benchmarking
Status of relevant leading and lagging KPIs for facility integrity monitoring
Design of novel processes
Systems approaches to design
Integrated product and process design
Process synthesis
Process optimization
Developments in process design software
Process dynamics
Process instrumentation, monitoring and control
Fault detection and isolation
Learning from accidents

Environment and Sustainability

Wind power
Bioremediation
Recycling of plastics
Carbon capture and storage
Water treatment
Desalination
Transport of contaminants in the environment
Remediation
Sustainable processes
End-of-pipe solutions
Green chemistry and processes
Life cycle analysis
Environment-related legislation and regulation
Materials/waste recovery

Micro and Nanotechnology

MEMS
Microfluidics
Nanofluidics
Nanofluids
Nanoparticles
Nanotubes
Nanowires
Nanoporous materials
Nanocomposites
Bottom-up Nanofabrication
Top-down Nanofabrication
Sensors
Controlled release

Particle Technology

Comminution
Agglomeration, aggregation and granulation
Particle formation in the gas or liquid phase
Particle separations, segregation and mixing
Fluidization beds
Transport in granular systems
Solids handling
Particle characterization
Modelling of particulate processes and materials

Energy and Fuels

Wind power
Geothermal heat
Coal to liquids technological developments
Fuels from coal, oil shale and oil sands
Natural gas
Methane gas hydrates
Hydrogen fuels
Energy from waste
Batteries and fuel cells
Advanced thermal cycles
Biofuels
Clean coal
Waste fuels
Hybrid energy generation
Energy conservation
Solar energy

Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering

Wine industry
Brewing
Regulatory requirements in the pharmaceutical industry
Sunscreen technology
Food safety
Food processing
Crystallization of pharmaceutical molecules
Cell cultures
Bioseperations
Biocatalysis
Stem cells
Drug delivery
Controlled release
Systems biology

Education

Novel curricula at all levels
Novel courses
Novel delivery methods
Accreditation
Technology in education
Professional development

Industrial Best Practice and Innovation

Knowledge-based economy
Innovation management
IP protection and exploitation
Project management
Professional development

Professor Hans Müller-Steinhagen

Presentation Title:
Fuel Cells with Wings

Abstract:
Fuel cell systems are highly efficient converters from chemical to electrical energy, which will play a significant role in a future, sustainable energy technology mix. Depending on the type of fuel cell, they can be operated with hydrogen, methanol, ethanol or natural as fuel - or with reformates from liquid hydrocarbons. First applications of fuel cell systems were in the US Apollo space program, and today this is still the technology of choice for space applications. For the past 20 years, fuel cell systems have been investigated and demonstrated for a wide range of stationary and mobile applications, such as automotive, submarines, combined heat and power, portable power and many others. More recently, both AIRBUS and BOEING have initiated substantial R&D programs to qualify fuel cell systems for commercial air transport. Here, the main application is the generation of on-board electricity rather than propulsion. The technological and economic benefits of fuel systems are that they can provide a range of duties in addition to electricity on-ground and in-air. They can serve as emergency power systems replacing the presently used ram air turbine, provide water by condensation of the exhaust vapor, inert gas for an tank inerting, heat for air-conditioning and power for taxiing on-ground. Thus, a completely new on-board energy architecture can be envisaged, with increased safety and comfort, and reduced emissions, fuel consumption and weight.

The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) has joined with AIRBUS in the development and qualification of multi-functional fuel cell systems for aircraft applications. During the past 5 years, this consortium has developed and successfully tested a fuel cell based emergency power system in the DLR´s experimental aircraft ATRA A320. Preliminary to this, numerous tests have been performed in a specifically designed laboratory infrastructure to qualify the systems for the demanding conditions in flight, i.e. vibration, acceleration down to zero gravity, low ambient temperatures and pressure, and all this with extremely high reliability. For the first time, all legal and statutory requirements have been completed to transport hydrogen and oxygen at pressures up to 400 bar in commercial aircraft. The fuel cell systems have operated beyond expectation and are now further developed to demonstrate other applications as well. In the spring of 2010, the DLR airbus A320 will be able to taxi on an airport powered by a fuel cell system in conjunction with a novel in-wheel electrical motor. Replacing the conventional auxiliary gas turbine by a fuel cell system will avoid up to 25% of NOx and SOx emissions at airports and significantly reduce noise.

In parallel to the work on multifunctional fuel cell systems for on-board electricity generation, DLR and its partners Lange Aviation, BASF Fuel Cells and SERENERGY have designed and constructed the world's first piloted aircraft capable of starting, flying and landing with fuel cell power only. The ANTARES DLR-H2 is a motor glider capable of covering a distance of 750 km in up to 4000 m height. Using the BASF high temperature (180°C) polymer electrolyte fuel cell, this aircraft has successfully completed several world record flights since mid 2009. While its main purpose is to serve as a flyable test bed for new fuel cell concepts and components, it will now be further developed to realize the first trans- Atlantic flight of a fuel cell powered aircraft, in about 2012.

Biography:
Professor Müller-Steinhagen is Director of the Institute of Technical Thermodynamics of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Director of the Institute for Thermodynamics and Thermal Engineering of the University of Stuttgart which collectively employ 250 staff in the areas of solar energy concentration for energy production, solar heating and cooling, fuel cells, thermal process technology, heat transfer and refrigeration, and systems analysis and technology assessment. He is also Director of the Steinbeis Transfer Centre for Solar and Thermal Technology, President of the European Committee for the Advancement of Thermal Sciences and Heat Transfer (EUROTHERM), and a member of the Councils of the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg concerned with Innovation and Sustainability. He is currently Associate Editor of Heat Transfer Engineering, and a member of the editorial board of several other international journals and committees in the field of thermal sciences. He has contributed over 520 papers to books, journals and conference proceedings in the areas of heat and mass transfer, multi-phase flow, fuel cells, solar technology and process thermodynamics, and has been the recipient of several awards and prizes including the TMS Bauxite Processing Award twice, the Light Metals Award, the UK Heat Transfer Society Mike Akrill Trophy, and the Beilby Medal and Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Professor Andrew Hopkins

Presentation Title:
Why BP Failed to Learn the Lessions: The Texas City Refinery Explosion

Abstract:
BP has been in continuously in the news for months, on account of the blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. Five years ago it suffered a similarly tragic accident at its Texas City Refinery . Fifteen people died and nearly 200 were injured. BP had failed to learn the lesson of earlier incidents, such as the Esso Longford explosion, that major hazards are quite distinct from the hazards that give rise to most occupational injuries and must be managed quite differently. The presentation explores the reasons for this failure to learn, focusing on the company’s organisational structure and its incentive systems. It is based on the author’s book, Failure to Learn.

Biography:
Andrew Hopkins is Professor of Sociology at the Australian National University in Canberra. He has a BSc and an MA from the Australian National University, a PhD from the University of Connecticut and is a Fellow of the Safety Institute of Australia. He has been involved in various government OHS reviews and has performed consultancy work for major companies in the resources sector. He speaks regularly to audiences around the world about the causes of major accidents. Professor Hopkins was an expert witness at the Royal Commission into the causes of the fire at Esso’s gas plant at Longford in Victoria in 1998, as a result of which he wrote Lessons from Longford: The Esso Gas Plant Explosion (2000). In 2001 he was the expert member of the Board of Inquiry into the exposure of Air Force maintenance workers to toxic chemicals. He was also a consultant to the US Chemical Safety Board in their investigation of the Texas City Refinery accident. His book on that accident, Failure to Learn: the BP Texas City Refinery Disaster, was published in 2008. In 2008 he was the winner of the European Process Safety Centre safety award.

Professor Mehmet Sarikaya

Presentation Title:
Molecular Biomimetics: Genetically Design Peptide-based Molecular Materials and Systems for Technology and Medicine

Abstract:
Proteins enable biology to be viable through molecular interactions. Using biology as a guide at the molecular dimensions, we biocombinatorially select, bioinformatically enhance and genetically tailor solid binding peptides and utilize them as molecular building blocks in carrying out molecular and nanomaterials science and engineering. In this emerging field of molecular biomimetics, genetically engineered peptides for inorganic materials (GEPI) are used as bionanosynthesizers in biomaterialization, heterofunctional linkers to create thermodynamically stable interfaces between dissimilar materials, and as molecular assemblers for the targeted and directed assembly of nanomaterials towards addressable ordered architectures with genetically designed functions. Here, we will give an update of the utility of various kinds of GEPIs in nanoparticle formation for hybrid probe design and for bionanosensors; biomineral formation for tissue regeneration and restoration, and in peptide-enabled nano-electronics and -photonics to demonstrate the new paradigm in technology and medicine. Primary funding is by NSF-MRSEC Program.

Biography:
Professor Sarikaya is Director of the Center for Genetically Engineered Materials Science & Engineering, a US NSF funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NSF-MRSEC), at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA. Following Mother Nature's molecular ways, he biocombinatorially selects, bioinformatically designs and engineers peptides as molecular building blocks in the synthesis, assembly and formation of inorganic functional materials and systems for nanotechnology and medicine, a fledging new field called Molecular Biomimetics. Prof. Sarikaya has held a number of Visiting Scientist and Professorships, including an Institute Professorship at the Ecotopia Science Institute at Nagoya University in Japan (2006-2009), is a member of the Editorial Boards of Micron, Metallurgical Transactions A, Journal of Medical Nanotechnology, Journal Chemical Biology and Journal of Electron Microscopy, has published over 220 articles, including in Nature Materials, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, Small, Nano Letters and Acta Biomaterialia, and has given many invited talks at national and international meetings.

Professor Rose Amal

Presentation Title:
Harnessing Solar Energy - from Clean Water, Fresh Air, Super Surfaces to Renewable Energy

Abstract:
Access to sustainable energy, a clean environment and safe drinking water are three of the top ten global challenges facing humankind over the next 50 years. Therefore, development of new technologies to overcome these problems is of crucial importance. Solar induced photocatalysis is one tool which is able to utilise more of our natural energy resources. Despite its high importance and wide implications, most research in photocatalysis has been performed in isolation. Limited studies have attempted to link photocatalyst synthesis, photoelectronic characterisation and performance.
This presentation illustrates prior and ongoing research in the development of highly efficient photocatalyst systems for water and air purification through: (i) designing new materials, including doped TiO21 and WO3, that can absorb a wider range of the solar spectrum as well as nanostructured photocatalytic materials to enhance electron transport2 and improve the surface superhydrophilicity3; (ii) understanding relationships between properties of photocatalysts and mechanisms for degrading organics 4,5 ; (iii) developing an improved "light penetration" reactor system 6,7.

Biography:
Professor Rose Amal is a UNSW Scientia Professor and an ARC Australian Professorial Fellow (APF). Prof. Amal was appointed Director of the Centre for Particle and Catalyst Technologies at UNSW in 1997 and in 2004 became the NSW/ACT Node Director of the ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials. More recently (2008), this position was superseded where she is now the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials. She is also the Inaugural Director of Centre for Energy Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA), a new UNSW Energy Research Institute.
Prof Amal's research has spanned varying fields including particle aggregation during the early stages of her career through to photocatalysis and nanoparticle fabrication in more recent years. Applications include water pollution and air quality control, self cleaning surfaces, sustainable and clean alternate energy technologies and biotechnology. Her research has produced over 200 refereed publications.
Throughout her career, Prof. Amal has procured over AUD$9 million from nationally competitive funding sources (ARC, CRC and industry grants). In 2007 she was elected as a member of the ARC College of Experts (Engineering and Environmental Sciences Panel) and in 2009 she was appointed the Chair of this panel. She was also the Chair of the 17^th International Conference on Photochemical Conversion and Storage of Solar Energy, held in Sydney, in 2008.

Professor Xiao Dong Chen

Presentation Title:
Food Fantasies from Chemical Engineers

Biography:
Born in Beijing in 1965, graduated with a BE in Engineering Mechanics from Tsinghua University (1987), then completed his PhD in chemical and process engineering at Canterbury University in New Zealand (1991). After working for Fonterra for 2.5 years, he took up a lectureship at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Over his 16-year academic career, he has published over 290 refereed journal articles and 180 conference papers, 3 books, 14 book chapters, and over 50 reports on industrial consulting projects. He was made a Personal Chair of Chemical Engineering in 2001 at Auckland. In 2006, he was appointed to the Chair of Biotechnology and Professor of Chemical Engineering at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. He has received many awards of distinction including Shedden Uhde Medal (1999), ER Cooper Medal (2002), Hood Fellow (2005), Nan-Qiang Scholar (2004), Inaugural Fonterra Award (2006), ADC Award of Excellence in Drying Research (2007), AFISA Award for Excellence in Drying R & D (2008), Monash Dean's Award for Excellence in Research (2009). He is the Deputy Head of Chemical Engineering and Associate Dean International for the Faculty of Engineering at Monash (2007-2009). He was a con-current Chair of Engineering at China Agricultural University (2005-2008). He is a Fellow of Royal Society of NZ and a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and is a Fellow of IChemE. He currently holds Adjunct Professorships at China Agricultural University, The University of Auckland and Shangdong University of Science and Technology.

Professor Brent Young

Presentation Title:
Modelling and Simulation: Putting the Process back into Control

Biography:
Brent Young is Director of the Industrial Information and Control Centre, an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Auckland, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary. Brent was previously an Associate Professor in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary (1998-2005) and a Lecturer in Chemical Technology at the University of Technology, Sydney (1991-1998). He has also held prestigious visiting positions including an NSERC at Calgary (1995), an Erskine at Canterbury (2005) and a Gledden at Western Australia (2009). He received his BE (1986) and PhD (1993) degrees in Chemical and Process Engineering from the University of Canterbury. He is a registered professional engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers United Kingdom and a Vice President of the Institute of Measurement and Control New Zealand. He has co-authored over 200 refereed publications including the book "A Real-time Approach to Process Control", published by John Wiley (2^nd Edition, 2006). He was Engineers Australia John A. Brodie Medallist for the best paper in the discipline of chemical engineering presented at CHEMECA for the last two years. In 2008 he also received the NZ Waste Water Association Conference best modelling paper award. In 2007 he was principal control consultant to MWH NZ responsible for their Association of Consulting Engineers NZ Award. Brent's teaching, research and practice centre on process modeling, simulation, control and design. He is actively involved in applied research and industrial consulting and has taught and practiced in New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

Abstract:
Automatic control, plant-wide management of production and resources, and process simulation have a major role to play in the future of globally competitive economies. The ability to compete globally will be boosted by the enhanced management of processes and resources and more efficient energy utilisation, the result of turning data into industrial information for control. Modelling and simulation are at the heart of this transformation (of data into information) as good models encapsulate process information. Consequently, high quality modelling and simulation are the key to good control, and in particular process control. It is therefore more than a truism to say that one must understand one's process to achieve good process control.
The Industrial Information and Control Centre (I2C2) was established at The University of Auckland in 2007. Its role is to address these issues and to provide a focal point for research, postgraduate study, graduate training, continuing education and industry consultation in industrial information and control. This talk will introduce the I2C2 and describe in detail the centre's real-time process simulation educational philosophy and simulation model-based research approach. These concepts and practises will be illustrated by industry relevant research project case studies carried out by the Centre in diverse areas such as aluminium smelting process fault monitoring, dairy powder process control, process steam optimisation, oil and gas process design, rotary drum mixing and agglomeration, washing machine rinse water minimisation, and wastewater treatment energy saving.

Dr Geoff Dumsday

Presentation Title:
White biotechnology - the next industrial revolution?

Abstract:
White biotechnology (also known as industrial biotechnology) is the application of biotechnology in industrial processes. This cross-disciplinary emerging area of science is well placed to play a key role in a sustainable future through (i) overcoming dependence on non-renewable feedstocks such as crude oil, (ii) new environmental remediation technologies and (iii) a greatly reduced environmental footprint from manufacturing. Broadly applicable across a range of market sectors, many large companies are seeking to develop products and processes that are inspired by biological systems and use renewable feedstocks such as terrestrial biomass to ensure their long term future. Some example applications of white biotechnology already proven at an industrial scale include production of 1,3-propandiol (DuPont), polylactic acid (NatureWorks LLC) and more recently isoprene (Genencor) to name but a few. Not only are these products derived from renewable feedstocks, but the processes typically require less energy input, less solvents and result in reduced levels of toxic by-products.

Locally, one potential renewable feedstock is oil mallees that are grown in the Western Australian wheat belt to prevent salt incursion; with the utilisation of the mallee trees as a feedstock in a biorefinery having the potential to add significant value to the harvested trees. The leaf oil from the mallee trees is rich in terpenes although application of the terpenes as a chemical feedstock has been somewhat limited due to molecular symmetry and lack of chemical functionality. Our research has enabled discovery of microorganisms capable of growth on a particular terpene and we have shown that these organisms have the ability to modify the terpene providing a "chemical handle" for further chemical derivatisation.

In addition to the production of valuable chemicals, white biotechnology can also be applied to the remediation of environmental pollutants. Our research is also directed towards developing a suite of enzyme-based products that can be used to reduce levels of pesticides in water and soil. Some of the target molecules that have been used to demonstrate the technology include organophosphates and triazine herbicides. Through the use of enzyme discovery and enzyme engineering highly efficient robust enzymes have been developed that detoxify pesticides in typical environmental applications within a few hours.

Through the application of these and other emerging technologies coupled with appropriate investment in both research and infrastructure that is further supported by a strong agricultural capability, white biotechnology could in the future underpin sustainable manufacture of biologically-derived products in Australia and other parts of the world.

Biography:
Geoff Dumsday is a Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies based in Melbourne and currently leads a team focused on development of microbial products and processes. He has a BSc and PhD (Microbiology) from Monash University and has held research positions at The University of Melbourne and CSL Limited. Dr Dumsday is an Industrial Microbiologist and his research experience ranges from biological production of biofuels to process development for therapeutic proteins used in human clinical trials. He has worked with many different academic and commercial organisations and providing consulting, research and microbial process development services to a variety of industrial sectors. His main research interests include: fermentation process development, microbial discovery, biocatalysis/biotransformation and biomass utilisation.

Professor Suresh Bhargava

Presentation Title:
The Way Forward for Australia's Uranium Industry: Gaining an Improved Understanding of the Science of Uranium Extraction

Abstract:
There have been predictions that the global demand for mined uranium will rise at least four times in the next 30 years based on the amount of electricity generated by thermal reactors being expected to grow from 380 GW to about 1550 GW by 2040, and that China has already guaranteed that nuclear power will be a central platform of its energy future. This guarantee is supported by the fact that there are at least 20 Generation 3 thermal reactors being built in China right now.
Australia has the world single largest uranium deposit and the largest percentage of any country (23%) of known recoverable resources of uranium and can become one of the biggest suppliers of the important fuel to the global demand.

The predicted future world demands for thermal reactor fuel (uranium), has led to a significant increase in activity in the development of new uranium mines / uranium minerals processing operations in Australia in recent years. Hydrometallurgical processing of uranium minerals is very challenging as most uranium deposits are unique and in order to process such deposits cost effectively the development and implementation of a flow sheet specific to the deposit is required. This presentation will provide an overview of the most common processes used to extract uranium and some of the main challenges faced in these processes. Specific topics that will be discussed include characterisation of uranium bearing ores, the chemistry of some commercially important uranium minerals and challenges faced in leaching uranium minerals in complex matrices.
A brief overview of a new series of undergraduate lectures on uranium minerals processing that were recently introduced at RMIT University will also be discussed including the need for improved research and training opportunities for the young scientists and engineers that will be required to support future growth in Australia's uranium minerals processing industry.

Biography:
An eminent scholar and researcher in chemistry, Prof. Suresh Bhargava has won encomiums for his contribution to environmentally-friendly industry-related research in many areas of applied science and technology.

As a young student he completed his M.Sc. at the age of 19. Prof. Bhargava was the only student in chemistry in 1979 to be selected as a Commonwealth Academic Staff Scholar from all the Indian universities. The scholarship allowed him to complete out his Ph.D. in chemistry in UK. Since this time Prof. Bhargava has focused on research in the field of environment and advanced materials, and is now well-known for his innovative solutions to industrial environmental problems. His areas of specialisation are industrial chemistry, and nanoscience and technology. Prof Bhargava is presently researching gold nanoparticles, with a view to facilitate their use in medical formulations, and mercury removal in industrial waste.

Currently Prof. Bhargava is the Dean of the School of Applied Sciences at RMIT University, Melbourne. He also heads the Industrial Chemistry Group at the same institution. The group consists of ten post-doctoral fellows, 18 Ph.D. students and three honours students. Prof. Bhargava's research has resulted in a major breakthrough in alumina technology, three industry-related patents and over 140 publications, plus 151 confidential industrial reports and conference proceedings. Prof. Bhargava has over 1860 total citations in the industrial chemistry field, encompassing the areas of alumina technology, environmental chemistry, catalysis, and inorganic and materials chemistry.

Some of the important awards that have provided recognition of his work are the AGR Mathey Gold Medal for outstanding contribution in the field of applied gold chemistry, the RK Murphy Award 2008, and Fellowship of the RSC, London. In addition, Prof. Bhargava received an Honoris Causa D.Sc. in 2009 conferred by Rajasthan University, India and presented by Smt. Pratibha Patil, the President of India.

Professor Jinghai Li

Presentation Title:
Real-Time Simulation of Chemical Processes - Dream or reality?

Abstract:
Multi-scale structures are common challenges for engineering sciences, particularly in chemical engineering, multi-scale structures exist at different levels such as material, reactor and system. In studying and modelling different multi-scale structures, meso-scale phenomena in between are recognized as the road blocks either in scaling-up processes or in manipulating material structures. What happen at meso-scale and what is the mechanism behind the meso scale phenomena are believed to be important focii of future research in the field of chemical engineering. A breakthrough in this respect is likely to lead to significant progress in the field.

Focusing on the meso-scale phenomena in chemical engineering, a systematic research has been carried out at the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for the last three decades. This presentation will review this series of work from a multi-scale conceptual model to the actualization of multi-scale supercomputing and applications in different industries.

Starting with a simple idea of multi-scale analysis of particle clusters in circulating fluidized beds, a meso-scale model, the so-called EMMS (Energy-Minimization Multi-Scale) model for gas-solid fluidization was established. In applying this model to different multi-phase systems and to industrial problems, it was recognized that the EMMS model, integrated with the discrete models, presented a new paradigm of multi-scale computation to achieve structural similarity between modelling, software, hardware and the problems to be computed. This paradigm of computation was implemented by establishing a multi-scale supercomputer with a capacity of 1.0 Peta flops through the integration of CPUs and GPUs (Graphic Processing Units) which proves to be highly capable and cost efficient. Quasi-on-line simulations of some chemical progresses were achieved, indicating a promising future of virtual reality of process engineering.

Finally, this presentation will be concluded with the prospects of future research of meso-scale problems, the development of multi-scale computation and the possible realization of virtual process engineering.

Biography
Li Jinghai graduated from the Department of Thermal Engineering of the Harbin Institute of Technology in 1982. He entered a master's degree program at his alma mater in the same year, obtained his Ph.D. in 1987 from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing. He conducted his post-doctoral research at the City University of New York and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. After returning to China in 1990, he served as assistant professor, associate professor, professor, vice director and director of IPE in succession. In February 2004, he was appointed a vice president of CAS.

His research is focused on the establishment of Multi-Scale Methodology for multi-phase complex systems and application of computer simulation in scaling-up chemical reactors

Dr Jerome Werkmeister

Presentation Title:
New designed materials and technologies for tissue repair

Abstract:
Tissue engineering offers a novel route for repairing damaged or diseased tissues using a combination of cells, signals and scaffolds. Unlike the traditional use of inert medical implant materials and devices, tissue regeneration seeks to develop materials and material-cell constructs that will enable or persuade the body to heal and repair itself through recruiting, programming and localizing cells to their target tissue.

The structure and properties of the scaffold are critical to ensure controlled cell behaviour and tissue regeneration. This talk will address the critical question of tailoring the cell material interaction by designing the material to control cell and tissue function like adhesion, elasticity, stability, and degradation. The field of protein engineered biomaterials is emerging as an effective means of building modular units of mimetic extracellular like protein domains to mimic tissue. Most synthetic materials lack the intrinsic ability to interact with cells but can be modified by various means including the addition of selective peptide motifs known to control cell function. While these approaches are useful at the bench there is a question on large scale cost effectiveness and accurate display of the native 3D peptide moieties.

The talk will introduce an alternate superior approach using the natural extracellular proteins found in the body. Collagen, usually of animal origin, is one of the most widely used natural proteins that have been fabricated into biomaterials. More recently, recombinant human collagens have been produced in yeasts to circumvent issues associated with animal-derived materials. However the recombinant systems are complex requiring co-expression of enzymes necessary for protein stability, thus resulting in high cost and low yields. Recent analysis of bacterial genomes has indicated there are many putative proteins containing collagen-like structures. Furthermore, several of these proteins have been shown to form triple-helices that are stable around 37 C, without the need for additional complex post-translational stability processing events.

These bacterial collagen-like proteins offer an alternative approach for a biomedical collagen production, using high yield E. coli expression systems to facilitate large scale production. This approach allows for design and manipulation of the expressed collagen proteins to provide specific functions by engineering specific motifs associated with cell binding and other biological functions including stability and turnover. The talk will also address a new platform technology to stabilise natural and recombinant proteins for tissue engineered scaffolds using a rapid photochemical method with visible light and a ruthenium metal ligand catalyst. This technology can be used on a variety of natural and extracellular proteins including collagens, gelatins, fibrinogens, keratins and recombinant ECM proteins. Depending on the choice of protein and/or peptide, the resulting scaffold can be tailored to suit a variety of applications varying from inert materials to cell compatible materials and scaffolds with selective biological function.

Biography:
Dr Jerome Werkmeister is a Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO where he is leader of the cell and tissue laboratories in the Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Program at Molecular and Health Technologies. He has particular expertise in development of materials for wound repair including cartilage systems, and tissue sealants for dura, lung, GI and other areas. He has extensive experience in collagen-based biomaterials for applications in wound healing areas, and more recently on a new photo-crosslinking technology that can be used with various biological and matrix proteins. He currently sits on the Standards Australia Technical Committee HE/1/4 on Surgical Implants, and was on the Organising Committee and Program Chair of the 7^th World Biomaterials Congress. Dr Werkmeister serves on the editorial board of several international biomaterial journals, was a co-founder and Secretary of the Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Past President for a number of years. Dr Werkmeister has been internationally recognised for his scientific contributions to the field of biomaterials science by the award of Fellow, Biomaterials Science and Engineering.

Dr Tom Beer

Presentation Title:
Biofuels: Hope, Hype or Happiness

Abstract:
Biofuels were originally seen as a means of providing environmentally friendly transport fuels from biomass. However, the widespread use of corn to make ethanol in the United States, and rapeseed to make biodiesel in Europe led to a backlash in 2008 when the rising price of all commodities, led by oil, resulted in increased food prices and a concern that food was being diverted to make fuel.

Australian biodiesel producers also suffered in 2008. On 1 January 2008 there were ten biodiesel plants with a combined capacity of 560 ML. By 1 January 2010 this number had been reduced to seven plants with a combined capacity of 240 ML. But of these seven only four are operating to produce about 100 ML of biodiesel.

Even before the food versus fuel debate, there had been considerable debate about the sustainability credentials of biofuels. The first generation of ethanol refineries consumed more energy than was available in the final product - though the uptake of molecular sieves in distillation has reversed that situation.

Providing quantitative sustainability metrics requires consideration of many variables, one of which is the whole life cycle of the fuel. The traditional fuels industry speaks of "well to wheel" analysis. Biofuels need to conduct "paddock to pump" analyses. Such analyses indicate, for example, that biodiesel made from palm oil derived from cleared rain forest emits more greenhouse gases than the diesel that it replaces.

Thus the choice of feedstock from which to make the biofuel is crucial, as is the processing technology that is used. Second generation biofuels provide the best opportunities for sustainable transport biofuels, with ligno-cellulose as the preferred feedstock for bio-ethanol, and algae as the preferred feedstock for biodiesel.

Biography:
Tom Beer, D.Sc., Ph.D. leads the Transport Biofuels Stream of the Energy Transformed Flagship of CSIRO and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy. He founded the Risk Special Interest Group of the Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand, of which he is also a Fellow, specifically to examine issues related to atmospheric emissions and health. He is an international expert on environmental risk management, including greenhouse gas and air quality issues and particularly their application to transport and to health. He was part of the team that won the CSIRO Chairman's medal in 2000 with his component being the analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from hybrid electric vehicles. He has been a lead author, and an expert panel member for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded half of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

From 2001 to 2006 he applied life-cycle assessment and risk assessment methods to alternative transport fuels and co-ordinated a number of influential studies including a major study to quantify the health effects of ethanol in petrol . The study conducted for the Australian Greenhouse Office on fuels for heavy vehicles was used to set determinations under the Diesel and Alternative Fuels Grants Scheme, and was followed with a study on fuels for light vehicles. He has undertaken similar studies for industry - in particular Shell (Shell Aquadiesel), Caltex (2% Biodiesel) and the Australian LPG Association (LPG). Dr Beer has led various consortia of researchers: to examine the appropriateness of the Government's 350ML biofuels target; and to examine the life-cycle of greenhouse gas emissions from maize, which is a possible feedstock for ethanol.

Dr Beer is President of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) and was Leader of the Hazards Science Theme of the International Year of Planet Earth. Dr Beer chaired the meeting at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences that, in June 2002, adopted the Budapest Manifesto on Risk Science and Sustainability (http://www.iugg.org/publications/reports/budapest.pdf). During 1995 he was Science Adviser to the Environment Protection Agency in Canberra and undertook a risk review of national environmental priorities. Subsequently, Dr Beer undertook two of the preparatory studies for the National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality. He was a lead author for the Atmosphere Theme Report of the Australian 2001 and 2006 State of the Environment reports.

Dr Beer is the author of fourteen books, over 100 articles in refereed journals, a similar number of book chapters and papers in conference proceedings, and over 44 specialised consultancy reports.

Professor Milton Hearn

Presentation Title:
Green Chemistry and Molecular Sustainability: It's Time to Get Serious

Abstract:
According to CASS, more than 55 million chemicals are now known from research. Major challenges in health and the environment have arisen over the past decades from the misuse of some of the 80,000-odd industrial chemicals that have found commercial application. Currently, over 90% of these compounds have their origins in fossil fuel feedstocks, whilst more than 1,000 new chemicals are introduced into commerce each year. Global chemical production is doubling every 25 years. All commercially important chemicals and materials, one way or another come into contact with people -- in the workplace, in homes or through food, water, air or the environment. Many of these chemicals form the products and materials now taken for granted as being essential to a 'high quality' lifestyle, at least in Western consumer societies. In order for society, and importantly the chemical manufacturing industries, to move forward a new approach is needed that mobilises the intellectual as well as the financial capital to enable industry, in Australia and globally, to investment in the design and production of safer chemicals and products from the outset, before they enter commerce.

The application of Green Chemistry provides the fundamentally different approach that is needed, whereby molecules and products are no longer made by 'end-of-pipe' or 'cradle-to-grave' approaches, but rather by linking the four main phases of the chemical and product lifecycle -- design, manufacture, use and end-of-life -- into one coherent and much more sustainable industrial strategy. Competitive and economic pressures are increasingly driving the chemical and bio-manufacturing industries to implement this strategy since the new process technologies require less energy, generate less waste and lower the consumptive use of reagents and other consumables. At the same time, greater emphasis can be placed on product quality without sacrificing process economics.

However, this journey is far from complete. New knowledge and skills are urgently required if we seriously intend to deploy more sustainable approaches, including renewable resource manufacturing procedures, for the delivery of the ever expanding range of chemical or biological products that the public require. To achieve these outcomes, log jams need to be overcome, permitting the introduction of innovative new processing technologies, which concomitantly and more efficiently address issues of scale, productivity and waste minimisation. Moreover, due to increasing public awareness of the impact of climate change and OH&S policies, further changes to existing practices will be mandated, on the one hand, through new legislation, regulation and compliance requirements and on the other hand by the desire of industry to deploy new technologies that have "wealth generating and badging" impact, i.e. technologies that simultaneously deliver preset targets of economic viability, environmental sustainability and social responsibility. The need for new science and engineering to meet these challenges and overcome work-place cultural tensions and constraints, particularly in a world of diminishing petro-chemical resources, is self evident.
One of the drivers for this change is Green Chemistry -- a paradigm shift in the way we think about, practice and deploy fundamental knowledge of chemical processes and products with the intended goal of hazard-free, waste-free, energy efficient production of non-toxic chemicals and materials without sacrificing efficacy of their function. Although the concepts, science and engineering behind this revolution have only been deployed within some sectors of the chemicals/biologics manufacturing industries for a little over ten years, within G8 countries, and to a lesser extent in Australia, they already have had major impact.
In this presentation, several case studies, including recent work from this Centre, will be described where the considerable scope for deployment of green chemistry and engineering breakthroughs has been realized within the chemicals, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food and energy sectors. These examples will highlight how research has led to industry-ready solutions related to the development of high value-added chemical compounds and polymeric materials, designed and made by biologically-inspired procedures and involving the transition from batch to continuous process methods. Finally, some of the supply chain considerations that relate to the production of high value proteins will be examined in the context of the current status of affinity separation methods for the capture and purification of recombinantly derived biopharmaceuticals.

Biography:
MILTON T W HEARN B.Sc.(Hons), Ph.D., D.Sc. FTSE, FAICD, FRACI, is currently Professor of Chemistry and Director, ARC Special Research Centre for Green Chemistry, Monash University, Australia. He has authored 535 scientific publications and several books, and named inventor on over 20 patents related to developments in chemistry and biotechnology. He is the recipient of numerous Awards, including the Centennial Medal of the Commonwealth of Australia for his contributions to the chemical sciences and biotechnology. Professor Hearn has actively interacted with the chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and scientific instrument industries, in Australia and overseas, for more than 25 years, associated with the development and commercialization of new products, some of which have arisen from the discoveries made by Professor Hearn and his research team.

Chem-E-Car Rules

Saxa Salt

1. OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this competition is to design and construct a car that uses a chemical reaction or reactions to power it and to control the distance it travels carrying a specified load. The goal of the competition is to have your car stop closest to a specified finish line (not being out of bounds) while carrying a specified load. The competition is about demonstrating ability to control a chemical reaction.

2. COMPETITIONS:
During the early part of 2010 it is proposed to have competitions within Chemical Engineering Departments in Australia and New Zealand. The winners of these competitions will play off in a Grand Final at the CHEMECA in Adelaide, Australia, 26 - 29 September 2010.
There are two parts to each level of the Chem-E-Car Competition; a poster competition and a car performance competition.

3. RULES AND REQUIREMENTS:
3.1 Poster Competition:
(a) A poster board must be displayed with the autonomous vehicle on the day of the competition. This poster should describe how the car is powered using the chemical reaction, the unique features of the car, weight of the complete car without the prescribed water load, and environmental and safety features in the design. Entries will also be judged on creativity. If obvious safety violations have occurred the judges have the discretion to disqualify the entry.
(b) The poster competition display and judging will occur prior to the Chem-E-Car performance Competition. Team members should be present during judging to answer questions from the judges.
(c) Winners of the poster competition will be announced at the start of the performance competition.
3.2 Chem-E-Car Performance Competition:
3.2.1 Team Formation and Ethical Conduct
(a) Only undergraduate students enrolled in Chemical Engineering and related degree courses for 2008 are eligible for entry.
(b) The competition will be conducted on the honor system. Academic staff and postgraduate students can only act as sounding boards to the student queries. The academic staff cannot be idea generators for the project.
(c) The students working on the project must also sign a statement saying they have abided by the rules.
(d) This is a team competition. The minimum team size is 2 participants.
3.2.2: Rules and requirements
(a) Each car will be given two opportunities to traverse a specified distance carrying a certain additional load. The required load and distance will be announced to the teams one-hour prior to the start of the performance competition. The distance will be between 10 and 30 m ± 0.005 m and the load will be between 0 and 500 ml water. Teams may not add or remove any water (or other items) to adjust their vehicle weight once the poster session has concluded. Figure 1: Chem-E-Car course layout 10 – 30 m 30 degrees Course boundaries Start line Designated finish line
(b) The car will start with its front end just touching the designated starting point. There will be a designated finish line. The distance will be measured with respect to the front end of the car. The goal of the competition is to have your car stop closest to the specified finish line (not being out of bounds) while carrying the specified load. When measuring the distance from the prescribed distance it does not matter if the car goes longer or shorter than the prescribed distance. The course will be wedge shaped with a starting point and the prescribed distance clearly marked in an arc of constant distance from the starting point (Figure 1). The physical site will dictate the exact course layout. A vehicle that goes outside the course will be disqualified from that round of competition.
(c) The Chem-E-Car Competition judges will announce each team just prior to the start of their run. The team then has 2 minutes to get to the starting line, introduce their entry to the audience (team name and briefly mention your propulsion system) and start their car. Each car will have 2 attempts. The best score of these two attempts will be used in the judging. In the first round of attempts the order of the teams will be by random drawing. At the completion of the first round of attempts there will be a 5-minute break before the second round begins. The competition order in the second round of attempts will be determined by the 1^st round standings, beginning with the entry that had the entry furthest from the prescribed distance and ending with the team that was closest.
(d) An objective of this contest is a demonstration of the ability to control a chemical reaction. The only energy source for the propulsion of the car is a chemical reaction. The distance travelled by the car must be controlled by a chemical reaction and no other means.
(e) All components of the car must fit into a shoebox with dimensions equal to or smaller than 32 x 20 x 12 cm. The car may be disassembled to meet this requirement. If the judges are uncertain whether the car will fit inside the box when dissembled they may request that the team demonstrate they can do this.
(f) The car must carry a container that holds up to 500 mL of water without spilling. An example container is a 500 ml Low-Density Polyethylene bottle (Selby Biolab catalogue number: NAL2003-0016 or equivalent). At the competition, only the water will be supplied, thus each car must already have its own container.
(g) The cost of the contents of the "shoe box" and the chemicals must be less than AU$500.
(h) A car that uses a pressurized device must have evidence of proper design and pressure testing.
(i) Any car using or producing corrosive chemicals must have these chemicals contained to prevent leakage – even in the event of the car overturning.
(j) Students are responsible for providing a hazard assessment on their cars, safety data and disposal information on the chemicals used. For the Department Competitions provision of chemicals will be arranged by the Department Competition Coordinator and the Department Safety Officer or equivalent. (Other arrangements will be put in place for the Grand Final). Hazardous chemical protocols must be followed and reported on the poster. If obvious safety violations have occurred the judges have the discretion to disqualify the entry. If there is an uncertainty on an issue of safety contact the Competition Coordinator: Matt Hardin (matt.t.hardin@gmail.com).
(k) All cars must safely operate inside a building. If a car is deemed unsafe, then the judges may disqualify it. If there is an uncertainty on an issue of safety or other judging criteria contact Matt Hardin.
(l) Appropriate personal protection must be worn when handling chemicals and working with the car. Such protection must be provided by the entrants.
(m) Chemicals must not be stored or used in hotel rooms.
3.2.3: Things that are specifically disallowed
(a) The car must be an autonomous vehicle and must not be controlled remotely.
(b) Pushing the car to start it is not allowed.
(c) Starting the car using a mechanical device is not allowed.
(d) Commercial batteries (for example, AA batteries) are not allowed at all on the car.
(e) The car must be designed to avoid any liquid discharge. Any liquid on the car must be contained and not allowed to discharge from the car. Vehicles that intentionally spray liquids will be disqualified. (Given the general public’s lack of understanding of general chemistry, anything that is visibly left behind by the car may well be construed as chemical pollution or even a hazardous material.)
(f) A car which uses a naked flame or ignition source (e.g. spark) is not allowed.
(g) A car which emits smoke is not allowed.
(h) The use of anything resembling a fuse, either commercially available or home made, is not allowed. Simple “rocket” cars which discharge gas and liquid (acid and baking soda producing CO2, for example) as a means of propulsion are not allowed.
(i) No mechanical force can be applied to the wheel or ground to slow or stop the car (e.g. no brakes).
(j) There can be no mechanical or electronic device may be used to stop the chemical reaction or to stop the car.
If in doubt whether your idea is legal, consult you’re the coordinators Matt Hardin (matt.t.hardin@gmail.com).

Team Talledega Knights

4. PRIZES
Winners of the Grand Final competition at CHEMECA will be recognised with the following prizes:
Poster Competition
1^st 2^nd and 3^rd Places: Certificates
Performance Competition
1^st Place: Trophy and certificates
2^nd Place: Certificates
3^rd Place: Certificates

5. DESIGN TIPS
Many cars in recent competitions have failed because of poor mechanical design.
So take particular care to:

Ensure that your car will travel in a straight line.
Ensure that you car is able to travel on different surfaces. We cannot guarantee that the surface for the Grand Final Competition is as level or as smooth as the one you used for the Department Competition or your test work.

6. WHERE TO FROM HERE?
(a) To enter the competition, make up a team and contact your Department Competition Coordinator.
(b) Before proceeding with any practical trials, each team must receive the go-ahead in writing from your Department Competition Coordinator.
(c) To obtain the go-ahead, each team must submit to the Department Competition Coordinator a written description of the concept for the car. This must include a risk assessment (see Safety section below) and details of chemicals to be used and their associated hazards.

7. SAFETY
Before commencing any practical trials, each team must receive the written approval to proceed from their Department Competition Coordinator. The approval to proceed will be given in response to submission to the Department Competition Coordinator of a satisfactory thorough written risk assessment. The risk assessment will have two components: (a) the handling and disposal of the chemicals involved and (b) the car design. The risk assessment must demonstrate how the risks involved in handling chemicals and in operating the car have been minimized to a low level through appropriate design features and operating and handling procedures.
The component of the risk assessment on the handling and disposal of the chemicals will include safe work instructions, which ensure that the risks involved are minimized. These instructions must include details of how the chemicals used, together with any reaction products, are safely disposed of.
As an example of the component of the risk assessment on the car design, in the case of a design where a gas is generated under pressure, the assessment would involve calculating the maximum pressure to be achieved in the vessel under normal operation, demonstrating by calculation that the vessel and associated piping is of sufficient strength to contain the pressure, identification of possible abnormal operation scenarios leading to overpressure and selection of a suitable relief valve to vent pressure.

8. DEPARTMENT COMPETITION DATE:
Your Department Competition should take place towards the end of semester one or in early semester two. The exact date will be announced by your Department Chem-E-Car Competition Coordinator.

These rules are also available to download in PDF format.

Journal Special Issues

The Organizing Committee is very pleased to be able to announce that a number of international journals have agreed to publish special issues of papers derived from those presented at Chemeca 2010. Contributions to these special issues will be by invitation only based on the quality of the contribution to Chemeca 2010.

To date, the following top-rated international journals have all agreed to host special issues:

We are also in discussions with the editors of other highly-rated international journals in the nanotechnology, and engineering education fields and hope to be able to announce further partnerships soon.

Professor Dongke Zhang

Presentation Title:
How far and how fast can bioenergy go?

Abstract:
Australia is well endowed with fossil, nuclear and renewable energy resources but our current energy consumption is dominated by burning readily accessible, cheap and polluting coal, petroleum and natural gas, making us Aussies the worst polluters per capita in the world. Can we replace the fossil energy entirely with renewable energy and if so, how quickly can we make the transition are two of many obvious questions in any sustainable energy development debates.

In an effort to design an economically feasible, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable strategy to develop and deploy bioenergy in Australia, this keynote presentation begins with a survey of how we Australians currently consume energy, in the forms of food, electricity and transport fuels. The possible roles of renewable bioenergy in our future sustainable energy mix are then examined, considering the total potentially available resources and the current as well as future technologies to convert them. A number of current bioenergy technologies, including biomass, biogas, bioethanol and biodiesel, are discussed in terms of their potential, advantages and disadvantages. This is followed by an examination of future bioenergy technology options, including algae, biogas, pyrolysis for synthetic natural gas, biodiesel and biochar, methanol-based synthetic fuel conversion, and slurry fuels for internal combustion engines. The presentation concludes with several theoretical case studies to illustrate how we can readily and profitably deploy some of the bioenergy technologies, integrated with our current mining, agriculture and waste management activities.

Biography:
Professor Dongke Zhang FTSE is a Winthrop Professor, Foundation Professor of Chemical Engineering and Inaugural Director of Centre for Energy at The University of Western Australia, and a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) and John Curtin Distinguished Professor.

His research interests spread over combustion science and fuel technology; ignition and flames; coal and biomass pyrolysis, combustion and gasification; natural gas combustion and reforming; gas to liquid, coal to liquid and biomass to liquid (XtL); conversion and utilisation of biomass and organic wastes; bioenergy; homogeneous combustion catalysts for internal combustion engines; applied catalysis and surface science; mining and minerals processing; industrial explosives; spontaneous combustion; CO2 capture technologies and abatement and strategies, including integrated biofuel production and carbon biosequentration; and energy options and sustainable energy development. He has successfully raised and managed funding for research, valued more than A$26 millions over his 16 years academic career, from the Commonwealth and States Governments, and Australian and overseas industries.
A contemporary scientist and a "can-do" engineer, Professor Zhang has conceptualised, trialed, and succeeded in his theories and practice in developing a modern University - industry relationship. He believes that the true value of academic research is best measured by its practical use. Knowledge belongs to the society and technology belongs to the industry. He works closely with the industry to rapidly disseminate his knowledge to the society and industry. He has repeatedly demonstrated his ability and the "dare to push the limits" attitude in successfully transforming his scientific imaginations into commercial realities through persistent strategic fundamental research, tactical applied research and technological innovations.

Professor David Lowe

Presentation Title:
Remote labs: improved learning, greater flexibility, higher quality, and lower cost - achieving it all!

Abstract:
University laboratories can represent a very significant component of overly stretched budgets and are a valuable infrastructure resource, and yet are typically highly under-utilised. Despite this, there is almost no sharing of either facilities or design expertise either between institutions or across sectors. Further, the current inflexible operation of, and constrained access to, physical laboratories is misaligned with the increasingly complex lifestyle of students and the demands of their time. Remote laboratories provide a potential solution, allowing students to access physical laboratory equipment across the Internet, thereby improving access and supporting the sharing of laboratories across geographically-dispersed institutions. UTS has been a pioneer in this field, having been developing large scale remote laboratory systems and undertaking pedagogic research in their use for around a decade. In 2009 work began on a project, funded by the Australian Federal Government, to establish a national approach to using remote laboratories for supporting the sharing of laboratory infrastructure between Universities, vocational education institutions, and high schools. In this talk I will discuss the three primary threads of this project: technical development of supporting infrastructure and new remote laboratories; pedagogic evaluation of laboratory needs and development of resource kits; and organisational models for supporting ongoing lab sharing. The presentation will finish with a brief summary of the range of research projects that are supporting our remote laboratory activities, and a brief demonstration of one of the existing remote laboratories.

Biography:
Prof Lowe is the Director of the Centre for Real-Time Information Networks in the Faculty of Engineering and IT at the University of Technology, Sydney. This research centre is a designated UTS Research Strength focused on blending embedded systems and telecommunications in addressing real-world problems. He is also the Project Director for the LabShare project: a national initiative focused on sharing of teaching laboratory infrastructure through the use of remote access technologies. Prior to his current role he spent 6 years (2002-2008) as the Associate Dean (T&L) for the Faculty of Engineering, UTS, in which role he had overall strategic and operational responsibility for all teaching programs offered by the Faculty.He has active research interests in the areas of real-time information management, web systems, and software engineering. Two key areas of current focus are on real-time control of embedded systems in the web environment, and remote access to, and control of, physical laboratory systems . He has published widely, including three texts (most recently Web Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach, McGraw-Hill, co-authored with Roger Pressman). He is also on numerous Web conference committees and journal editorial boards (including as Editor-in-Chief of the ICST Transactions on the Real-World Web, and Managing Editor of the Journal of Web Engineering). He has undertaken numerous consultancies related to software evaluation, Web development (especially project planning and evaluation) and Web technologies.He has an outstanding teaching record, including teaching and course development in software engineering, engineering design and Web technologies. He also has considerable consulting experience in the areas of web systems and software engineering, as well as running industry short courses in these areas. He also serves as a Higher Education Generalist on DET Assessment panels

Dr David Mills

Presentation Title:
Concentrating Solar Thermal Power

Abstract:
The CST (Concentrating Solar Thermal) industry is a rapidly growing segment of the solar electricity industry with unique aspects including the largest energy resource, wide geographical distirbution, 24 hour storage, and high temperature thermal output capability for both electrical and thermal energy applications. Large plants up to 280 MW, operating 24 hours a day, are currently planned and the industry has the resource capability to power large sections of the future energy economy in major greenhouse emitting regions such as the USA, China, India.

Europe has sufficient resource in Spain, Sicily, and North Africa, In sunny regions like Africa and Australia the economy can be almost entirely solar-supplied. The talk will decribe the main techhnology avenues and developments in each. The author has been working with others on a CST/Wind scenario to power the energy economy in the USA, and believes that this is feasible; recent modelling outcomes will be shown. CST is also suitable for high temperature chemical processes and some of the early activity in this area will be described.

Biography:
Mills is known worldwide for pioneering Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) technology and for his work in non-imaging optics, solar thermal energy, and PV systems over 32 years. Mills originated and ran the research program that in 1991, with colleague Dr. Q-C. Zhang, developed the most advanced sputtered double cermet selective absorber coating, which is now used in evacuated tube receivers by China's largest solar company, Himin. He developed or co-developed other commercial systems including the Prism solar concentrator and the "S" evacuated tube reflecting system (Solahart). He is a former president of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) and served as inaugural chair of the International Solar Cities Initiative (ISCI). In 2002 he co-founded Solar Heat and Power which built the Liddell solar power station. In 2009 Mills became the first VESKI Entrepreneur in Residence for the State of Victoria, and gave the Deakin Lecture in September. In February of this year, Ausra, the startup company he co-founded in the USA in 2007, was sold to the huge AREVA conglomerate as the new solar division after three years of operation. He has recently submitted patents, among others, on advanced collector systems and thermal storage as Ausra's CSO.

Professor Justin Cooper-White

Presentation Title:
Biomicrofluidics: From Measuring the Elasticity of Biofluids to the Creation of Microenvironments for Stem Cell Expansion, Artificial Vessel Generation and Controlled Tissue Genesis

Biography:
Professor Cooper-White currently holds positions of Professor within the School of Chemical Engineering (University of Queensland), Group Leader within the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (University of Queensland), Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and IT (University of Queensland), and Director of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (Queensland Node). Current research interests include the development of novel biomaterials and engineered surfaces for tissue engineered cartilage, cardiac muscle and vascular systems, stem cell expansion and differentiation and biomicrofluidic devices for fluid property measurement, cell-based diagnostics and the manufacture of microparticle delivery systems. He has authored or co-authored over 200 research publications and presentations and is often asked to present plenary, keynote and invited lectures at national and international conferences. He is the past President of both The Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering and The Australian Society of Rheology, a consultant for a number of national and international companies, associate editor of the Korean-Australian Rheology Journal, on the editorial boards of Soft Materials and Rheologica Acta, and a reviewer for major international journals in his fields of expertise. He holds 7 Int. patents in the areas of formulation design for agriproducts, microbioreactors, particle synthesis using microfluidic devices and tissue engineering scaffolds.

A/Professor Sankar Bhattacharya

Presentation Title:
Cleaner Coal Technologies: Developments and Challenges for Scientific and Engineering Communities

Biography
Dr Sankar Bhattacharya has over twenty years research and engineering experience in coal-fired power generation. He currently leads a group of ten Research Fellows and postgraduate students on coal based advanced combustion, gasification, and liquid fuels research projects at Monash University. Prior to his return to Australia last year, he was with the International Energy Agency in Paris leading their Cleaner Fossil Fuels programme for the G8 countries. In that role, he was responsible for IEA's work on coal-fired power stations and co-authored several publications including their flagship publications - World Energy Outlook, Energy Technology Perspectives, Carbon Capture and Storage, and several country reviews. He has previously worked in India on design and commissioning of coal-fired power stations, in Thailand on biomass carbonization, and in Australia with the Lignite CRC as a Principal Research Engineer and with Anglo Coal (Australia) as Principal Process Engineer. He led first pilot plant trials in Australia on circulating fluidized bed combustion, and pressurized oxygen-blown gasification using Australian and North American lignites at facilities in Australia and the USA.

Dr Bhattacharya is the co-author of one patent, four book chapters, over ten research reports, and over fifty journal and conference publications in coal research and technology. He has also presented widely in these areas in Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Poland, Russia, Thailand, and the USA. These included presentation as panel speaker at Powergen Europe, ASEAN Secretariat, and keynote speeches at the International Coal Science and Technology conference, Chemical Society of Japan, and Novel Carbon Resources Symposium in Japan. He also advises coal-fired power industries in Japan and Thailand.

Mr Barry Hooper

Presentation Title:
CO2 Reduction - The CCS Story

Abstract:
The most significant issue surrounding global energy usage is the issue of carbon dioxide emissions. This will continue to remain so while fossil fuels remain a dominant component of the worlds energy mix. Despite both the global financial crisis and recent commentary regarding the veracity of climate change science creating uncertainty in the political and economic debate, the pressure to identify and deliver low carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting energy sources remains strong.

Recognising this issue the International Energy Agency (IEA), in their 2010 update on energy forecasts for the coming decades, continues to reinforce the need for a range of low emissions technologies.

The challenge to reduce emissions is so large that the broadest suite of options must be accessed to provide the lowest cost outcome for our economies. Given the diversity of energy endowments (or lack thereof) around the world no one technology will provide the single answer. The future low emissions energy mix will come from a range of alternatives such as;

Fuel switching to lower carbon emitting fuels, such as natural gas
Energy efficiency, both on the demand and supply sides
Renewables
Nuclear
Biosequestration
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Carbon capture and storage is a necessity if, in a carbon constrained world, fossil fuels are continued to be used. CCS offers the significant prospect of providing the low emission fuel to power the transition to a carbon neutral future. It can provide deep cuts to existing emission sources and hence offer low emission pathways for currently high emitting legacy assets across the world's developed and emerging economies.

The eventual low emissions mix will be determined as much by policy and economics than technology. Community acceptance of the various technology options is an absolute necessity.

The Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) researches the logistic, technical, financial and environmental issues of storing industrial CO2 emissions in deep geological formations. It was setup to focus on storage, capture, and demonstration issues facing potential carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects.
This paper will discuss the technology, the key drivers for CCS research (namely cost and security of storage) and the progress being made in both core research and demonstration projects here and around the world.

There is strong evidence that the technology can play a role in a competitive low emissions future. However there is increasing need to accelerate the deployment schedule for CCS in order to support that vision. The transition to such a future will require significant leadership and policy formulation from governments; one of which will be a carbon pricing mechanism.

Biography:
Barry Hooper is a chemical engineer with over 25 years of experience in a diverse range of processing industries in capacities from research through engineering design to commissioning and manufacturing.

This experience began in the oil refining sector monitoring and improving operations of plant units, specifically acid gas treating units, and planning and scheduling the operations of an entire refinery. He then worked for seven years in process design roles for leading international engineering design and construction companies including commissioning of the major gas processing facilities in the high CO2 gas fields in central Australia. In the latter years of this period Barry took on management responsibilities for process design within these organisations delivering profitable process engineering designs in a range of chemical processing sectors. He continued his career with more than a decade in a manufacturing company dealing with process design and technical safety in the areas of petrochemicals, pigments and chemicals.

Barry spent three years on secondment in the UK managing a Research and Technology group in the Titanium Dioxide industry dealing with the complete range of technology issues from R&D, engineering through to manufacturing support for their global assets.

His most recent corporate role was in a global chemical company employing 8500 people with annual sales of $4 billion where, as the Corporate Engineering and Manufacturing Manager, he was responsible for developing and implementing the global engineering and manufacturing strategy for assets worth in excess of $2.5 billion, and providing engineering and manufacturing leadership across the entire organisation.

Since 2003 he has been Program Manager for the CO2 capture activities of the Cooperative Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies ($110m total budget, cash/in-kind over 7 years) responsible for the R&D into cost effective technologies at five universities across Australia.

Dr Anita Hill

Presentation Title:
Pore design in membranes

Abstract:
Our research into gas separation membranes and barrier polymers has led us to be able to control the selective transport of small molecules through materials. This molecular transport is significantly influenced by the distribution of pore sizes not only at the surface but also throughout the bulk of the material.

In the past few years, we have focussed on the development of methods of pore size manipulation, methods to measure porosity, and methods to model and predict pore size distribution.

Underpinning our work are advanced characterisation tools for measuring internal and external porosity from 0.1 to 10 nm (positron spectroscopy), 1 nm and above (small angle X-ray scattering) and from 10 to 100 nm (phase contrast X-ray imaging). This talk will cover examples of our work on tailoring pore size distribution, a description of our characterisation tools, and an overview of our research program.

Biography:
Dr Anita Hill is recognised for her research achievements and expertise in separation technologies for the Australian mining industry and the international membrane and packaging industries. She is a fellow of ATSE, Chief Research Scientist and OCE Science Leader at CSIRO. Within CSIRO Dr Hill has built and leads a multidisciplinary team of physicists, chemists, materials scientists, mechanical, electrical, chemical and materials engineers, mathematicians, metallurgists, and formulation scientists to tackle significant problems in the energy, environment and sustainable manufacturing sectors. In membrane research, she has generated new knowledge about the processes that control ion and small molecule transport and has pinpointed the internal nanostructure necessary to accelerate both productivity and selectivity. This research has been featured twice in Science as well as in Scientific American, the ABC, and The Australian.

Professor Peter T. Cummings

Presentation Title:
Computational Nanoscience and the Interplay Between Experiment and Theory

Abstract:
Theory and simulation have played, and continue to play, a central role in nanoscience. In fact, it can be argued that theory and simulation play a greater role in nanoscience than in the traditional, macroscopic materials and chemical sciences for at least three reasons: first, many experiments performed at the nanoscale can only be interpreted through theory; second, theory and simulation can provide a convenient framework to isolate effects and phenomena in a way that may be difficult or impossible to achieve in an experiment (i.e., in theory and/or simulation, the boundary and initial conditions are under complete control, which may be impossible to achieve in an experiment), thus making theory and simulation a crucial tool in understanding emergent phenomena in nanoscale systems; and, finally, theory and simulation can be used to design new nanostructured materials, as well as systems based on nanoscale phenomena.

In this presentation, these roles of theory and simulation will be illustrated through examples from the published literature, from the speaker's own research program, from user research projects at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), and from the CNMS internal scientific research program. The latter has three major themes: imaging nanoscale functionality, synthesis and dynamics of nanostructured polymeric and hybrid materials, and emergent behavior in nanoscale systems. Theory and simulation play prominent roles in all three themes, in addition to leading the emergent behavior theme.

Biography:
Professor Peter T. Cummings is the John R. Hall Professor of Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University. He also holds the position of Principal Scientist in the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, as well as founding director of the Nanomaterials Theory Institute, the theory program within the CNMS. His research interests include statistical mechanics, molecular simulation, computational materials science, computational and theoretical nanoscience, and computational biology. He is the author of over 300 refereed journal publications and the recipient of many awards, including the 1998 Alpha Chi Sigma award given annually to the member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) with the most outstanding research contributions over the previous decade and the 2007 AIChE Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum Award. He has been elected fellow of the American Physical Society, of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Mr Andrew Stock

Presentation Title:
The role of technology and policy in increasing the competitiveness of Australia’s renewable and low emission energy resources

Abstract:
Australia has an abundance of non-renewable and renewable energy resources, with our black and brown coal reserves providing the nation with some of the lowest cost wholesale electricity in the world. Consequently, relatively higher cost renewable energy resources make up only a small percentage of Australia's energy mix. In the absence of price signals for renewable energy and carbon, and with international fuel prices having relatively little historical bearing on the cost of power, can we expect the technology mix to be any different?

While the Federal Government's Renewable Energy Target (RET) provides the primary short to medium term price signal for renewable energy deployment, it requires a corresponding carbon price signal to ensure projects remain competitive in the long term. And while the RET and carbon policy should address the competitiveness 'gap' between generation cost and market price, significant advances in the science and technology of renewables is essential in order to prove to policy makers and tax payers that their financial support is well directed.

In many respects, Australia has fallen well short of taking a coordinated approach towards both the development of technology and its subsequent commercialisation. In this context, we've seen several of our most promising technologies taken off-shore. The importance of taking a global approach to science and technology development cannot be overstated: for renewable technology to come down the cost curve, markets with sufficient demand need to be created, and the creation of these markets requires efficient policy frameworks. These policy frameworks need to be flexible and open enough to drive innovation, which in turn drives the organic and structural changes required to improve a given technology's competitiveness.

This presentation seeks to highlight the historical context that has seen improvements in the technology and cost of both wind and solar photovoltaic technologies, and highlight key areas in the commercialisation pathway that developers, utilities and policy makers are focussed on. Origin's own activities in this space, being Australia's leading fuel integrated generator retailer, will provide working examples of the connection between technology development, markets and policy frameworks.

Biography:
Andrew Stock is the Executive General Manager, Major Development Projects for Origin Energy, where he is responsible for Origin’s major capital investments in upstream petroleum, power generation, and low emissions technology businesses.

With over 30 years of experience, he previously held senior management positions in energy marketing, oil and gas and petrochemical industries in Australia and overseas. He is a Director of Geodynamics Limited, Australia Pacific LNG Limited, Transform Solar Pty Limited and The Climate Group, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Adelaide. He has a Chemical Engineering degree (Honours) from the University of Adelaide, is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Chem-E-Car

The Challenge!? …
… to design and build a small car (it must fit within a shoebox) that is powered by a chemical reaction. You car must be able to carry a certain load of water and then stop closest to a specified distance. Closest car is the winner! So what’s the catch? You will only find out one hour before the competition the size of the load and the distance to be travelled.

Why?
An important part of chemical engineering is the ability to control a chemical reaction. Another key skill for chemical engineers is to design a chemical process which is safe, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective and which can be delivered on time and on budget. If you can conquer Chem-E-Car then you are well on your way to Chemical Engineering greatness!

Chem-E-Car is a fun, interactive and open-ended learning experience for undergraduate chemical engineering students and, new in 2010, for high-school science students. The competition is about working as a team to design a relatively complex chemical process to a tight schedule and with a fixed budget. The effectiveness of the car is strongly dependent on its mechanical robustness and so success relies on more than theory. The competition will test your ability to design a working chemical reactor that must operate under real conditions, and which often requiring contestants to be flexible and fast-thinking. Do you have what it takes??

Where and when?
The 2010 Chem-E-Car competition is to be held as part of the 2010 Chemeca conference, 26-29 September 2010 at the Hilton Adelaide.

Where can I find out more?
See the competition rules, which include some previous examples of cars that have worked quite well. Otherwise, check out these tips and ideas.

How do I participate?
For High School students: talk to your science teacher and ask them to contact A/Prof Peter Ashman at the University of Adelaide.
For undergraduate students: talk to your Head of Department, Course Lecturer or Department Competition Coordinator and ask them to contact Dr Matt Hardin at the University of Western Australia.

Professor Ganapati D. Yadav

Presentation Title:
Selectivity Engineering in Development of Green and Benign Catalytic Processes

Abstract:
Sustainable development hinges on the trinity of economic success, ecological balance and social acceptance. The role of green chemistry and engineering will be more evident when renewable resources are used as feedstock since defunctionalisation of biomass may not be atom economical and newer approaches will be required in these areas. Catalysis will play a major role in waste minimization. Alkylations, acylations, nitrations, hydrogenations and oxidation of organic molecules containing many moieties and attackable centres and directing groups can lead to a gamut of products. Separation and purification of the desired products becomes extremely costly and it is the impurity rather than the purity which dictates terms in an export oriented controlled-market. In the realm of Green Chemistry, catalysis is the most important and central in the so-called dozen principles. Design of catalysts from first principles and their synthesis to achieve tailor-made properties is a herculean task. The activity, selectivity and stability under reaction conditions over economically viable periods of time or ease of regeneration of the catalyst governs its ultimate entry into the market. The retrofitting of catalyst in the existing plant which is operated continuously is fraught with several other issues which do not allow a new catalyst to be a replacement of an existing time-tested catalyst. Therefore, not all that is reported or patented as the best catalyst is commercialized. In the case of batch or semi-batch processes involving smaller but expensive products, it is possible to use a new catalyst as a replacement but must truly reduce costs associated with the separation and purification of the final product and effluent treatment.

The development of novel solid acids, bases, hydrogenation and oxidation catalysts will be discussed with examples. Some examples of phase transfer catalysis will also be covered. Oxidation reactions are ubiquitous in chemical process industry and the most challenging due to the fact that there is a very narrow window of operation for enhancing both rates of reactions and selectivity of the desired product, whether these are catalytic or non-catalytic. Although a great of work in oxidation catalysis has been reported in the bulk chemical industry , for instance, for manufacturing ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, phthalic anhydride, for which cleaner catalytic procedures are in operation for ages, the selectivity issues and reactor design and operation is formidable. In the case of bulk chemicals heterogeneously catalyzed processes have been developed employing air or molecular oxygen. The same cannot be attributed to the fine and intermediate chemicals produced by oxidation since these industries still use highly polluting processes based on traditional stoichiometric oxidations. Also, in recent years increasingly stringent environmental policies have led to a great interest in the application of new catalytic oxidation methods for synthesizing fine and intermediate chemicals. Stoichiometric oxidizing agents such as dichromate/sulfuric acid, chromium oxides, permanganates, periodates, osmium oxide, or chlorine are employed causing high pollution load and heavy metal-containing solutions which cannot be recycled. Some relatively expensive hydroperoxides, alkylperoxides, and peroxycarbonic acids are also used. Due to their thermal instability fine chemicals often must be produced in the liquid phase at moderate temperatures and they must have impurities at a level acceptable to the end user, which may be a few ppm or ppb. They are generally complex and multifunctional complex reactions in which chemo-, regio- and stereoselectivity play an important role. The reactor systems of choice are batch or semi batchwise operated multipurpose units. For fine chemicals and specialties, molecular oxygen is not used but in this case the replacement of stoichiometric oxidants by "mister clean" H2O2, in liquid-phase oxidations is a cheap and realistic alternative. The heterogeneous catalysts applied thereby can be oxometal or peroxometal species, supported noble metals, heteropolyacids, noble metal pyrochlore oxides, metal containing layered double hydroxides, immobilized complexes (ship-in-the-bottle concept) and, last but not least, metal-substituted molecular sieves. Recently we have developed new oxidation catalysts and have dealt with the selectivity engineering of fine chemicals.

Biography
Professor G.D. Yadav is the Director (Vice Chancellor) and R.T. Mody Distinguished Professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) (formerly UDCT/UICT, Mumbai), and honoured concurrently with the prestigious Jagdish Chandra Bose National Fellowship by the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. He has served as the Chief Coordinator of the Centre for Nanosciences and Nanotechnology and Centre for Green Technology of the University of Mumbai. He has made exceptional scientific and industrial contributions and provided innovative professional leadership and yeomen services to the profession of Chemical Engineering. He has made seminal and extensive contributions to Green Chemistry and Technology, Catalytic Science and Engineering, Nanomaterials, Nanocatalysis and Biocatalysis. He has published 230 original research papers in 43 different international peer reviewed journals with high impact factors, which find over 3200 citations in international papers, book/ monographs (27) and international company brochures (3), currently having an h-index of 29, which is exceptional for an engineer-scientist. Besides, he has made over 250 conference presentations and given over 200 invited lectures/seminars. He is an active consultant to a number of industries and his research is commercialized and has obtained 39 patents and developed the UDCaT series of novel catalytic materials. He has guided 56 Ph. D. (Chemical Engineering, Technology, Biotechnology and Chemistry ) and 51 Masters theses, as a single guide, written 2 books. His scroll of awards includes: Eminent Engineer Award, Institution of Engineers (India) (2009), Hercules Padma Vibhuhan Professor C.N.R. Rao Medal and Chemcon Distinguished Speaker Award (2009), Jacob Engineering's Dr. H.L. Roy Memorial Lecture (2008) of IIChE, IPCL Award of ISTE for Guidance of Best M. Tech. Thesis (2002; 2008; 2009), Fellowship IChemE (UK) (2007); President, Maharashtra Academy of Sciences (2007-09), Chairman, Catalysis Society of India, Mumbai Chapter (2006-09). The Govt. of Maharashtra's Republic Day Best Teacher's Award (2007), Chemtech Foundations Award for Outstanding Contributions to R and D (2007), Director of Asia Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineers (2003-), Johansen Crosby Visiting Professor of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, (2001-02), Distinguished Asian Visiting Scholar, Purdue University (2007), Distinguished Visiting Professor Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, Prof S.K. Bhattacharya Eminent Scientist Award of Catalysis Society of India (2007), Fellow, Indian National Science Academy (INSA) (2006), K.G. Naik Gold Medal MS University Baroda (2002), K. Anji Reddy Innovator of the Year Award, I.I.Ch.E. (2006), Distinguished Alumnus Award, UICT (2006), Anna University National Award for the Most Outstanding Academic, ISTE (2005); D.O.S.T. Professor S.K. Sharma Medal and Chemcon Distinguished Award by I.I.Ch.E (2005), Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, India (2003), Fellow, Maharashtra Academy of Sciences (2003), VASVIK Foundation Award for Excellence in Research in Chemical Sciences and Technology (1995), Herdillia Award for Excellence in Basic Research in Chemical Engineering by I.I.Ch.E (1999), Hindustan Lever Biennial Award for the Most Outstanding Chemical Engineer of the Year by I.I.Ch.E. (1994), Best Engineering College Teacher by the ISTE (1994), Indian Institute of Environment and Ecology Award for development of eco-friendly technologies ( 1997), He is listed in the WhosWho in Science by the Marquis WhosWho in the World, New York, since 2002.

Professor Barry Brook

Presentation Title:
Sustainable energy solutions for successful climate change mitigation

Abstract:
Given current and future impacts of climate change, oil shortages, health effects of coal burning and the growing need for future energy for electricity, to create energy carriers, and for desalination, society desperately needs a clear vision for our short- and long-term low-carbon energy future. In this talk he will briefly review the twin climate and energy crises, and critically assess the relative prospects for renewable energy and nuclear power, from a global and national perspective.

Biography:
Professor Barry Brook holds the Foundation Sir Hubert Wilkins Chair of Climate Change at the University of Adelaide. He has published two books and over 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and regularly writes opinion pieces and popular articles for the media. He has received a number of distinguished awards in recognition of his research excellence (including the Australian Academy of Science Fenner Medal). His focus is on climate change, computational and statistical modelling, systems analysis for sustainable energy, and the synergies between human impacts on Earth systems. He is currently writing a popular book on nuclear power as a sustainable energy source.

Dr Ziggy Switkowski

Presentation Title:
Climate change and nuclear energy

Abstract:
With climate change continuing as a critical global issue, and energy security becoming a global priority, there has been renewed interest in the use of nuclear reactors for the production of electricity with near zero greenhouse gas emissions. The civilian nuclear power industry is more than 50 years old and 440 reactors now provide some electricity to two thirds of the global population in 31 countries. Several other countries are considering introducing nuclear power and outside of hydroelectricity and the burning of fossil fuels, no other technology can deliver baseload electricity reliably and cost effectively. For the time being, Australia has rejected deployment of nuclear energy. Community attitudes remain polarized with concerns about reactor location, spent fuel management and the creation of longlived radioactive waste. The government’s long term energy strategy requires success with carbon capture and storage, supercharged growth in renewables, and moderating demand through conservation – a risky set of expectations. This presentation will trace the growing importance of nuclear technology around the world, examine the concerns with its use, and conclude that nuclear power cannot be excluded if Australia is to meet its energy and climate change targets.

Biography:
Dr Ziggy Switkowski is the Chair of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, Chair of Opera Australia and non-executive director of Suncorp, Tabcorp and Healthscope. He is a former chief executive of Telstra, Optus and Kodak (Australia). In 2006, he chaired the Prime Minister’s Review of Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy which returned nuclear power to the country’s strategic debate. He has a PhD in nuclear physics from the University of Melbourne, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Associate Professor Tong Lin

Presentation Title:
Towards "Intelligent" Miniature Reactor using Magnetic Liquid Marbles

Abstract:
Miniaturized chemical and analysis processes have many advantages, such as in reduced use of chemical reagents and solvents, precisely controlled reaction condition, much shortened reaction time and the ability to integrate into a digital device. The existing technique to manipulate small volumes of liquid, which is essential to the miniaturized processes, is mainly based on channel-based microfluidics. Channel microfluidics indeed has many advantages, but it is hard to handle just a single liquid droplet. In contrast with the channel-based fluidics, the manipulation of discrete droplets without using microfluidic channels is a new field. A liquid droplet here is not confined to a closed channel and there is no risk of being adsorbed on a channel wall. A liquid marble, a liquid encapsulated by non-wetting powder, is especially useful for handling single liquid droplet. Challenges for using liquid marbles as miniature reactors include the communication between the liquid droplet and the external devices/materials, and the ability to encapsulate various organic fluids.

In our recent work, we have found that a "field-responsive smart liquid" marble could be potentially used as a miniature reactor. When hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles are used as the encapsulating agent, not only aqueous liquids but also many organic fluids (the surface tension larger than 20 dyne/cm) can be encapsulated into liquid marbles. Such magnetic liquid marbles have a remarkable ability to be opened and closed reversibly under the action of a magnetic field. Liquid can be either extracted from, or added to, the opened liquid marble simply with a capillary needle. The magnetic liquid marbles can be maneuvered in both two- and three-dimensions, and two opened-liquid marbles can be coalesced into a larger one. Chemical reactions can be carried out either within a single liquid marble or between two liquid marbles through a magnetic coalescence. The liquid marbles can be interacted with an external analysis or purification device simply by opening and closing the powdery shell under a magnetic field. These features may lead to a new universal miniature chemical reactor with excellent ability to incorporate the sample fabrication, purification, analysis and actuation into a single 'lab-on-chip' device.

Biography:
Associate Professor Tong Lin is a physical chemist at Deakin University. His main research interests include functional fibres and nanomaterials, controlling fluid-transfer through porous media, electrospinning and electrospun nanofibres. He has published more than 90 refereed articles in high impact-factor journals, four patents and over 50 conference proceedings, and won many research grants from National Competitive Funding sources. Dr. Lin is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC, UK).

Dr Paul Cleary

Presentation Title:
Application of particle methods for modelling particulate and fluid flows in industrial processes

Abstract:
Development and optimisation of industrial processes involving particulates and fluids requires a detailed understanding of the flow of the material within and through process equipment. This is typically geometrically complicated and has moving components. Traditional experimental processes are increasingly expensive, provide limited output information, have increasing health and safety restrictions and do not provide direct access to the details of the flow fundamentals (except for limited and very idealised versions of cold processes). Grid based CFD methods are now a broadly adopted alternative that have been increasingly used to provide additional insight into processes and to reduce the cost of process development, optimisation and trouble shooting. However, they are not well suited to modelling particulate flows, where the dominant physics is inter-particle collision, or viscous fluid with free surfaces or history dependent aspect to their behaviour, nor in dealing with moving machinery. Particle based computational methods have strong advantages for analysing these types of flow. The DEM method is highly suited to predicting flow of particulate solids and the SPH method is highly suited to predicting fluid flow in circumstances where there is complex free surface behaviour, non-trivial motion of geometrically complex equipment or when there is a need to predict the history dependence of the fluid (such as composition, structure, rheology or phase change). In this talk I will give an introduction to both methods and explore their relative advantages for industrial applications with these types of attributes. These will be demonstrated using a series of case studies including particulate and viscous fluid mixing, wet and dry screening of particulates, material forming processes (such as casting, extrusion and forging), and grinding, transport and storage applications for particulates and gas-particulate processes such as fluidised beds and pneumatic conveying. They will show how such modelling can be used as part of a design process and how it can assist in understanding process scale up.

Biography:
Paul Cleary is the leader of the Computational Modelling Group within the CSIRO division of Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics. He specializes in the development and application of particle based computational methods, specifically DEM and SPH, for industrial, biomechanical/biomedical and geophysical/geotechnical flow problems involving combinations of particulates and fluids. His application interests include: understanding of particulate based industrial and mineral processing unit operations, such as grinding, transport, storage, sampling and mixing; and complex fluid flows such as found in material forming processes, digital content generation, swimming of humans and animals and of geophysical flows such as dam collapses, tsunamis and volcanic lava flow.

Professor Paul Lant

Presentation Title:
Energy and Greenhouse Footprints of Wastewater Treatment Plants – Establishing a Benchmark

Abstract:
Wastewater treatment plants worldwide are now facing the challenge of reporting greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. This is a new challenge to most organisations responsible for these facilities, requiring new data collection activities, reporting requirements and legal obligations. The task is made even more difficult by the vast array of published methods, vastly conflicting Government guidelines, and array of uncertainties related to fugitive emissions like methane and nitrous oxide.

This presentation will present the results from two recent studies of full-scale wastewater treatment systems in Australia. In the first study, an inventory of operational data was collected from 35 wastewater treatment plants in South-East Queensland (Australia), and greenhouse gas calculations were performed from first principles using a mass balance approach. Potential fugitive emissions of nitrous oxide and methane were taken into account to the limit of current knowledge. In the second study, a rigorous mass balance approach was employed to provide comprehensive N2O emission and formation results from seven full-scale BNR wastewater treatment plants across Australia. It is hoped that these studies will help to provide useful benchmarks for others who are required to report on GHG emissions from biological nutrient removal activated sludge plants, and assist by presenting a rigorous methodology.

Biography:
Professor Paul Lant is Head of the School of Chemical Engineering at The University of Queensland. He has an international reputation for his research in the field of wastewater treatment. He was a co-founder of the Advanced Water Management Centre in 1996, which is widely acknowledged as the leading R&D group in wastewater treatment in Australia, and one of the leading groups in the world. Paul has made major contributions in the fields of biological nutrient removal modeling and control, activated sludge floc modeling and understanding, mixed culture PHA production and industrial wastewater treatment. Paul was awarded a prestigious Leverhulme Visiting Professorship in 2005 to further develop collaboration with UK researchers.

Paul is now establishing a reputation as a leading figure in greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment systems, and his current research work is informing international research as well as Australian industry. He is involved as an LCA advisor and collaborator in the European Union Framework 6 NEPTUNE Project, and was recently commissioned by the Water Services Association of Australia to co-author (with PhD student Mr Jeff Foley) the recent report ‘Fugitive Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wastewater Systems’. Paul is also establishing a reputation as a leading chemical engineering educator, receiving awards for undergraduate teaching and postgraduate supervision innovations. He was a member of teams winning national Carrick Awards for both undergraduate and postgraduate education in 2005 and 2006.

Nanoparticle Safety

Proudly Sponsored by

Professor Brian Priestly

Presentation Title:
Health and safety issues in the nanotechnologies - if we are at the crossroads, which direction to take?

Abstract:
The nanotechnologies are rapidly developing a range of innovative products and applications that some believe presage the dawn of a new industrial revolution. Intense, research efforts (that are hopefully co-ordinated) are now being directed internationally to assess potential health and safety issues of nanotechnologies relevant to the manufacturing workforce and to the general community.

The rapid developments in nanotechnology pose urgent challenges to scientists trying to define and manage the health risks, in both proponent industries and in government regulatory agencies. Community awareness of the uncertainties around potential health risks is growing, and there are already some calls for the pace of developments to be slowed so that any health risks can be properly managed.

Concerns about health and safety aspects of nanotechnology are being primarily driven by knowledge of the health effects of ultrafine particulates, such as air pollutants and asbestos-like fibres. The key issue is: to what extent does nanoscaling alter the toxic properties of chemicals used in nanotechnology products, and do current risk assessment paradigms allow for assessment of potential health risks?

This session will outline some of the approaches being made to assess the potential hazards of nanoscale materials, including issues around interpretation of conventional toxicity testing methodologies, assessment of exposure routes and whether current regulatory approaches adequately identify and manage these risks.

Biography:
Brian Priestly is a Professorial Fellow (now part-time) in the School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine at Monash University and Director of the Australian Centre for Human Health Risk Assessment (ACHHRA). His primary area of expertise is in toxicology.

ACHHRA's core objective is to provide a national focus for human health risk assessment in the area of food and environment pollutants, and to contribute to workforce development by mounting training programs in health risk assessment.

Prior to leading ACHHRA, Brian was Director of the Laboratories Branch in the Therapeutic Goods Administration. He also previously led the chemicals toxicology and chemicals risk management programs of the Commonwealth Health portfolio, with overall responsibility for toxicological assessment of pesticides and other toxic chemicals, including input into various national and international chemicals management programs.

Brian has been active on many government technical committees and working groups over the past thirty years covering aspects of chemical safety assessment. He Chaired the NHMRC Advisory Committee on Health & Nanotechnology, and he is a current member of the NICNAS Nanotechnology Advisory Group. He has been an advisor on nanotechnology issues to FSANZ & the APVMA, in his capacity as a Science Fellow of those agencies.

Dr Amanda Barnard

Presentation Title: Structure/Property Maps for Sustainable Nanotechnology

Abstract:
For the move from nanoscience to nanotechnology to be sustainable, it is important that both the properties and the instabilities associated with nanomaterials be addressed before commercialization. The most sustainable nanotechnology is one that consumers actually want, and one they trust to perform in the way they expect. Therefore, this maturing process includes developing a completely undertanding of how the fundamental properties of nanomaterials relate to their size, shape and structure; a field known as structure/property mapping. Unfortunately, in the case of nanomaterials, the structure of may vary in response to changes in the chemical and thermal environment surrounding them, so it becomes necessary to generate sets of structure/property maps for all possible permutations (for all the different nanoparticles in production). Traditionally the approach as been experimental, using high throughput synthesis and characterization, based on a system of trial and error. But how do we do this when errors can be costly, irreversible or even dangerous? Making all possible combinations guarentees that the most hazardous variations will be produced, if only for the purposes of testing.
Fortunately, much of the important information required to characterise the structure for each nanoparticle/environment combination can be obtained by separately mapping the morphology in a multi]dimensional parameter space of the relevent physical/environmental influences. This process is known as thermodynamic cartography, and provides a basis upon which reliable structure/property maps may be constructed. In this talk methods for performing the thermodynamic cartogrphy of nanoparticles will be briefly presented, based on a size] and shape]dependent thermodynamic model and material parameters obtained from density functional theory calculations. Results for titanium dioxide nanoparticles will also be discussed, to demonstrate how the solid]solid transformations occurring in this system depend on the size, temperature and surface chemistry, and the effect this has upon the reactivity. To show how this forms part of a complete predictive strategy, results of a recent case study will be presented, mapping the efficacy, transparency and free radical production of titania nanoparticles as they pertain to modern sunscreen.

Biography:
Dr. Amanda Barnard is an Australian Research Council Queen Elizabeth II Fellow and the leader of the Virtual Nanoscience Laboratory at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Using thermodynamic theory and first principles computer simulations, her current research involves the development a detailed understanding of nanomorphology (the size, shape and phase of nanostructures), and the role it plays in determining fundamental properties at the nanoscale. She is a pioneer in the mapping the environmental stability of nanomaterials (a field known as thermodynamic cartography) and using this construct robust structure/property relationships for predicting the reliability of nanoparticles in high performance applications. She also has an interest in linking the environmental stability of nanoparticles to their interactions with natural environments, with the aim of identifying potential nanohazards as they relate to environmental impacts. In the past 8 years, Dr Barnard as published over 90 peer reviewed journal publications and 8 book chapters, 80% of which are as first author. For her work she has recently been awarded (among others) the 2009 Young Scientist Prize in Computational Physics from the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, the 2009 Mercedes Benz Australian Environmental Research Award, the 2009 Malcolm McIntosh Prize from the Prime Minister of Australia for the Physical Scientist of the Year, the 2010 Frederick White Prize from the Australian Academy of Science, and the 2010 Distinguished Lecturer Award from the IEEE South Australia.

Che Cocktatoo-Collins

Presentation Title:
Valuing Indigenous Influence, Valuing My Company

Abstract:
Successful companies thrive on successful relationships within and externally. The ability to manage conflict saves valuable time and resources and also allows projects to meet strict deadlines. With many stakeholders involved, innovation in the important field of relationships comes to the fore and requires real leadership to deliver outcomes. When it comes to Indigenous relationships, many companies have failed and continue to do so simply because of perceptions based on false beliefs. This becomes accepted as a part of separate cultures with a company which in turn creates barriers for sustainable employment outcomes in non-traditional professions. Che will present on how SANTOS values Indigenous engagement and will present his vision for SANTOS in this area.

Biography:
Che is an Aboriginal man from the Yupangahti people of Far North Queensland and is currently the Aboriginal Employment and Training Adviser for SANTOS. Che comes from a professional sports background where he played 160 games for the Essendon and Port Adelaide Football Clubs in the Australian Football League. During his career Che was instrumental in the development of the AFL’s Code Of Conduct into Racial Discrimination. Post AFL career, Che has worked in Adviser roles to the Premier Hon. Mike Rann and former Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Hon. Jay Weatherill. Before his current role, Che was the Director of the Indigenous Sports Academy at Rostrevor College where he designed the program that saw over 80 per cent completion rate for Indigenous students from all over Australia. Che has an Advanced Diploma in Community Sector Management and is a Graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program.

Professor Chunying Chen

Presentation Title:
Interactions of Engineered Nanoparticles with biological systems: Novel Functions and Nanosafety Issues

Abstract:
It is expected that engineered nanomaterials will increasingly be used as drug delivery systems, in consumer products as well as mechanical and electrical devices. It is important to better understand the uptake, trafficking, pharmacokinetics and roles of nanomaterials in biological systems so that their possible undesirable effects can be avoided. Challenges for nanotoxicology study include using an in vivo/in vitro approach to identify the target organs of nanoparticle toxicity, the molecular mechanism of the toxicity and routes relevant for human exposure, i.e., inhalation and oral intake.
Many complex properties can also substantially influence the materials behaviors in living system, i.e. the composition, size, architecture, surface charge of the nanoparticles, surface chemistry, thickness and stability of the surface coating under physiological conditions. This talk will cover examples of our work on the influence of physicochemical characteristics of NPs highlighted as determinants of biological activity during in vivo/in vitro experiments.

Biography:
Prof. Chen received her Bachelor's degree in chemistry (1991) and obtained her PhD degree in Biomedical engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology of China in 1996. She worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Key Laboratory of Nuclear Analytical Techniques, Institute of High Energy Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences (1996-1998) and at the Medical Nobel Institute for Biochemistry of Karolinska Institute, Sweden (2001-2002). She is one of the earliest researchers in the emerging nanosafety field in China. Prof. Chen currently is a principal investigator at Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety in National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China. She is the principle investigator of several domestic and international projects, such as China MOST 973 Program (2006-2010) and projects from Natural Science Foundation of China, the EU-FP6 funded project PHIME (2006-2010), and IAEA Coordinated Research Projects (2005-2009, 2009-2012). She has authored/co-authored over 90 peer-reviewed papers, 2 books, 8 book chapters and four patents.

Current research interests include the potential toxicity of nanoparticles used for nanotechnology applications, investigating the mechanism of toxicity and the key properties of the nanoparticles that make them toxic; therapy for malignant tumor using nanoparticles, for their immunomodulatory effects, drug delivery and tumor targeting and improving the HIV vaccine treatment by novel nanotechnology using nanomaterials as potential non-viral vectors.

Stephen Grano

Presentation Title:
Future trends in flotation research: Opportunities and pitfalls

Biography:
Professor Stephen Grano is the Director of the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources at the University of Adelaide since March 2010. Stephen is an experienced and internationally recognized Metallurgical Engineer with nearly 30 years of postgraduate experience. After graduation, Stephen gained extensive industrial experience in the field of mineral processing whilst employed at Mount Isa Mines Limited, working in both the copper and lead/zinc streams. Stephen then joined the nascent Ian Wark Research Institute at the University of South Australia as a staff member, also undertaking his MSc and PhD in mineral flotation. Stephen's final position at the Ian Wark Research Institute was as Research Professor of Minerals Processing.

Whilst employed at the Ian Wark Research Institute at the University of South Australia, Stephen, in collaboration with the Wark team, attracted funding of approximately $8.5M from industry and government organisations since 2005. Further, approximately $2.2M was competitively won from the ARC since 2001 with Stephen involved as Project Leader and/or a Chief Investigator. Stephen plans to continue research in mineral processing in different, but allied, fields at the University of Adelaide.
Stephen has extensive industrial experience in flotation plant practice in a diverse range of operations which include as examples; in Australia: Cadia, Century, Earnest Henry, Elura, Golden Grove, Hellyer, Kambalda, Kanowna Belle, Leinster, Mount Isa, McArthur River, Mt. Keith, North Parkes, Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill, Renison, Rosebery, Woodlawn; in Asia: Ok Tedi, Freeport Indonesia, Sepon, Jinfeng; in North America: Kennecott, Bagdad, Clarabelle, Kidd Creek, Red Dog, Strathcona, Thompson; in South America: Alumbrera, Escondida, Cerro Verde, Rio Paracatu, Taquari Vassouras; in Africa: Bafokeng Rasimone, Vaal River; Europe: Neves Corvo.

Stephen works closely with the minerals and energy industries and has an excellent track record in successful technology transfer to industry as reflected by his being awarded a Government of South Australia Science Excellence Award (Excellence in Research - Commercialisation) in 2009. A recent independent review of a major project (RMD STEM Report titled "Evaluation of the AMIRA Project over the period 1988-2006"), of which Stephen was the Project Leader and/or Chief Investigator, demonstrated a total value to industry of $436M from delivered and expected gains. These gains were made in collaboration with the Wark team.

A/Prof Darren Martin

Presentation Title:
Applications, Biological Interactions and Safety of NanoClays

Abstract:
Natural and synthetic clay nanoparticles are employed in a broad range of current and developing applications such as cosmetics and personal care products, catalysts, composites and surface coatings, biomaterials and drug and gene delivery systems. 9000 tonnes were produced in 2007, with a total market value of $132M USD. With a growing number of biological uses for these nanomaterials, new approaches need to be developed in order to understand biological interactions at the molecular level, and to enable the sensitive measurement of biodistribution and accumulation. In this paper we present our work on synthetic hectorite (HECT) and layered double hydroxide (LDH) clays, where we have successfully developed size (aspect ratio) fractionation, (dual isotopic) radio labelling and fluorescent labelling methods, which importantly do not interfere with the native physicochemical and biological properties of the nanoparticles. We have also begun work which utilises these labelled particles for nanoparticle chemical stability, cell uptake, and protein adsorption assays. HECT particles are internalised by human macrophages (differentiated THP-1 cells), while LDH particles are internalised by various human cell types. Profoundly different protein adsorption profiles are observed for oppositely-charged LDH and HECT when incubated with human serum. These interactions have been shown to dictate the biological fate of nanoclays, such as cellular uptake. We are now working on calibrating measurements of typical workplace exposure to these nanoclays with proposed animal studies, with the ultimate goal of producing the most comprehensive body of work on the "nanosafety" of nanoclays, drawing from a broad pool of expertise ranging from biomaterials and radio chemistry and molecular biology through to chemical engineering and occupational hygiene.

Biography:
A/Prof Darren Martin BSc Materials (hons) UTS, PhD UTS

Group Leader
The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN)
The University of Queensland
Brisbane, Australia

Research Interests
A/Prof Martin has an excellent track record of research and innovation in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) systems, biomaterials, nanomaterials, polymer nanocomposites and nanotoxicology. He has published over 60 journal papers and several book chapters, over 80 conference abstracts, two patents and one provisional patent in these areas. Darren is a CI in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials, and an active member of The Centre for High Performance Polymers, and is a Group Leader in The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN). Most recently, he has been appointed Chief Scientific Officer for the TensasiTech Pty Ltd startup, who obtained the iLab prize in the 2007 Enterprise Competition. He is currently actively involved in commercialising this nanocomposite rubber technology.

Dr Megan Osmond

Presentation Title:
Nanosafety in Australia: A Cooperative Approach

Abstract:
Over the past five years literature surrounding the possible health and safety issues of various nanoparticles has increased dramatically, yet given the sheer variety of nanoparticles, and biological and environmental systems to which they might be exposed, a large number of independent experiments may not yield a consistent message by which these new materials might be regulated. Consequently, the need for a coordinated approach, comprising multi-disciplinary input from research organisations, as well as active communication with government agencies, industry, and other stakeholders has been recognised and implemented at the national and international levels. This talk will outline the cooperative and coordinated participation of Australian research groups in the OECD's Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials, and will also describe some key experiments currently underway under the CSIRO's Nanosafety research program.

Biography:
Dr Megan Osmond has been an OCE Postdoctoral Fellow working in the CSIRO's Nanosafety research program since 2008. Her major research projects have involved using in vitro and in vivo approaches to investigate the biological impact of metal oxide nanoparticles used in modern sunscreens, including dermal penetration. In addition, she was commissioned by Safe Work Australia under its Nanotechnology Work Health and Safety Program to work collaboratively with a particle toxicology research group at the University of Edinburgh and the Institute of Occupational Medicine, also in Edinburgh, on a project investigating the biodurability and potential lung inflammation of carbon nanotubes in vitro and in vivo, respectively.

Prior to her postdoctoral position at the CSIRO Dr Osmond completed her PhD at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia, her thesis being on the influence of age on the expression of DNA damage processing genes in response to DNA damaging agents in the plant, Arabidopsis, and in mice.

Roger Drew

Presentation Title:
The toxicology of engineered nanoparticles – a quick overview

Chemeca 2010

26–29 September 2010

Hilton Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia

Awards

Awards

Plenary and Keynote Speakers

Engineering Sciences and Fundamentals

Material and Mineral Sciences and Engineering

Process Design, Control and Safety

Environment and Sustainability

Micro and Nanotechnology

Particle Technology

Energy and Fuels

Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering

Education

Industrial Best Practice and Innovation

Professor Hans Müller-Steinhagen

Professor Andrew Hopkins

Professor Mehmet Sarikaya

Professor Rose Amal

Professor Xiao Dong Chen

Professor Brent Young

Dr Geoff Dumsday

Professor Suresh Bhargava

Professor Jinghai Li

Dr Jerome Werkmeister

Dr Tom Beer

Professor Milton Hearn

Chem-E-Car Rules

Journal Special Issues

Professor Dongke Zhang

Professor David Lowe

Dr David Mills

Professor Justin Cooper-White

A/Professor Sankar Bhattacharya

Mr Barry Hooper

Dr Anita Hill

Professor Peter T. Cummings

Mr Andrew Stock

Chem-E-Car

Professor Ganapati D. Yadav

Professor Barry Brook

Dr Ziggy Switkowski

Associate Professor Tong Lin

Dr Paul Cleary

Professor Paul Lant

Nanoparticle Safety

Professor Brian Priestly

Dr Amanda Barnard

Che Cocktatoo-Collins

Professor Chunying Chen

Stephen Grano

A/Prof Darren Martin

Dr Megan Osmond

Roger Drew