Associate ProfessorWill Gates

Associate Professor Will P Gates is an internationally recognised clay mineralogist with 30+ years’ experience and expertise in developing functional materials from clay minerals and other poorly crystalline materials. He has recognised national (e.g. Vic EPA, Environmental Protection Australia) and international (e.g., South Africa, U.S.A.) expertise in landfill barrier function and design for handling new and emerging contaminants. Recent research he leads undertakes scholarly assessments (using physical-chemical, chemiical and geotechnical approaches) of emerging pollutants in urban environments where recycled plastics are used as aggregate replacements in concrete, for example the fate (binding, breakdown or migration) of phthalate esters or per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). 

Since 2020, his leadership in the field of low embodied carbon cement formulation at the Institute for Frontier Materials has focused on the mineral chemistry, reactions, formulations and performance of cement formulations using supplementary cementitious materials, primarily calcined clays, in concrete. His  research team holds two patents for cement formulations using alternative calcined clay mineral enriched materials. Bulding on that research, his team has continued engagement with industry and government for the efficient utilisation of carbon-capture additives in cement formulations that reduce net emissions, enhance carbon budgets and maintain strength and performance attributes of the concrete industry.

Other research activities within IFM depend on his expertise in mineralogy, physical chemistry, geochemistry and industry-scale mineral processing targeting recovery of value and critical metals from legacy tailings in SE Australia. This research builds on a holistic framework to include tailings stabilisation and alternative uses for tailings in remediation and construction.  He also continues strong international collaborations on the study of clay-pore-water dynamics, organoclay and other clay mineral composits as sorbetns, catalysts or bariers for improved industrial, environmental or consumer outcomes.  He routinely applies X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, thermal gravimetric analysis, as well as neutron scattering and X-ray spectroscopy at National facilities.