A PhD scholarship, funded by the Alumina Quality Workshop (AQW), is available to conduct research on a project that investigates the “Composition and leaching of aluminosilicates formed in caustic solutions”. The objectives of the project are to:
- Determine the reaction pathways in the formation of aluminosilicates from caustic soda solutions under conditions of industrial relevance
- Determine the factors that control the nature (crystalline vs amorphous) and composition (proportions of Na, Si and Al) of the silicates formed
- Examine ways of controlling aluminosilicate formation to achieve the best environmental outcomes for bauxite residues
Upon PhD graduation, the scholar would be ideally placed to commence a career in the field of hydrometallurgy/mining having been supervised by, and received training from, a project team that comprises a mix of researchers and experienced plant personnel in the field of bauxite refining.
The research methods to be deployed in the project include NMR, solids characterisation methods and vibrational spectroscopy.
Student type
Faculty
Course type
Gender
Non-gender specific
Nationality
- Australian Permanent Resident
- Australian Citizen
Scholarship base
Maximum number awarded
1
Value
The successful candidate will receive a stipend of $30,000 per annum for the duration of the award. This scholarship shall be for three years.
Eligibility criteria
Candidates for this PhD scholarship are expected to:
- Hold a laboratory-based undergraduate degree in a technical field (e.g. Chemistry, Physics, Engineering) at a high level (honours) of academic achievement;
- Demonstrate an aptitude for research through their analytical skills and creative thinking;
- Be able to work in a team setting and take responsibility for their individual tasks;
- Be experienced in the use of digital technology and software packages;
- Possess excellent spoken and written communications skills that may be evidenced, for example, through their undergraduate thesis/project work and presentations given; and
- Practise well-developed time- and self-management skills with strong personal discipline and drive in their work.
- Desirable: have some previous experience in NMR, XRD or vibrational spectroscopy
Status: Open
Applications accepted at any time