DrAnthony Somers

Initially working on lubrication and corrosion, expertise in surface interactions was developed, so that the skills learned were then transferred to studies on battery electrode materials and minerals processing. Across these areas, the requirements vary, however the practical knowledge and methods are transferrable. In corrosion the aim is to shutdown, or at least significantly reduce reactions that cause corrosion degradation, for battery electrodes the surface needs to be perfectly controlled to enable repeated charge/discharge cycles with negligible loss of capacity and for minerals processing, such as re-processing mine tailings, there is a need to efficiently and selectively separate out the valuable materials. To add to the challenge, there is rightly a drive to ensure new materials and processes are safe, efficient and consistent with circular economy principles. 

Through such work the aim is to extend costly infrastructure life by reducing corrosion damage, enable alternate, cheap and safe battery systems and recover valuable materials from toxic mine tailings, which will also rehabilitate abandoned mine sites that are prevalent across Australia.