Innovation in the minerals industry: Australia in a global context

The pattern of innovation in the global minerals industry is changing as the industry becomes increasingly globalised. In this paper, we look at the structure of innovation in the industry and the drivers of change. We first consider the broad international trends and then examine these more closely with special reference to the Australian industry. Issues addressed include the apparent decline in corporate research and development spending, changing patterns in research collaboration and outsourcing, and the uptake of information and communication technologies in the industry. We also look at the potential implications of these trends for step-change technological developments and at the role of technological innovation in the future development of the industry.     

天然黏土材料附着纳米TiO2对 电解锰渣中锰的吸附固定

采用机械球磨法对膨润土、硅藻土、高岭土3种天然黏土材料进行预处理,通过超声法将纳米TiO_2附着于其上制得复合材料,考察了不同复合材料加入量及养护时间条件下复合材料对电解锰渣中Mn的吸附固定效果。3种天然黏土材料中,硅藻土的平均粒径最小,比表面积和总孔隙度最大,对水中Mn的吸附量也最大。黏土材料附着纳米TiO_2后对电解锰渣中Mn的吸附固定效果较单纯黏土材料有明显改善。在养护时间为12 d、硅藻土附着纳米Ti O_2复合材料加入量为10%(w)的最佳条件下,Mn的TCLP浸出量较原电解锰渣下降了83.04%。     

WATER QUALITY PREDICTION WITHIN AN INTERBASIN TRANSFER SYSTEM1

ABSTRACT A methodology for predicting the spatial and temporal levels of conservative water quality constituents within a multibasin water resource system is presented. Dissolved solids, sulfates, and chlorides are the constituents used during this investigation; however, any other conservative ion or mineral can be incorporated into the simulation model. The methodology is tested on the proposed Texas Water System. The water quality model, QNET-I, utilizes monthly canal and river flows and reservoir storage levels calculated by the Texas Water Development Board's systems simulation model. Discharge-concentration relationships are developed for each source of water in the system, including significant waste-water discharges. Reservoirs in the system are assumed to be completely mixed with respect to conservative constituents. A mass balance analysis is performed for each node and each month during the simulation period. The output from the water quality simulation is a table of the concentrations of the conservative water quality constituents at each demand point in the system and in each reservoir and canal for every month the system is in operation. The desired quality of the water at the demand locations is used to determine the economic utility of transporting and mixing water from various sources.     

高喷灌浆加固抛石填海软基

高压旋喷灌浆法是本世纪７０ 年代发展起来的地基处理新技术,在砂性土和粘性土等软弱地层加固工程中已得到广泛应用,但在含有碎石的淤泥质土及穿过它对其下淤泥的加固尚少见,笔者简要介绍了采用钻灌分开两大工序的新双管法及其成功完成加固任务的事例。     

南京粉质粘土与粉砂互层土及粉细砂的抗液化性能试验研究

南京粉质粘土与粉砂互层土为粉质粘土与粉细砂交互沉积,呈现“千层饼”状外貌;南京粉细砂是一种以片状颗粒成分为主的粉细砂,与通常的圆形颗粒石英砂有一定区别,片状颗粒成分使得南京粉细砂具有各向异性的性质。通过南京粉质粘土与粉砂互层土及粉细砂对比液化试验,对其试验成果进行分析,从中发现:无论是偏压固结还是均压团结,当固结压力α_2=100 kPa时,南京粉质粘土与粉砂互层土的液化剪应力比比南京粉细砂的大得多;而当固结压力α_2=200kPa时,两种土的液化剪应力比相当接近。因而,对于重大工程应该慎重考虑它们的液化可能性。     

3种填料A.ferrooxidans挂膜效果及对模拟酸性矿山废水中Fe2+生物矿化能力比较

氧化亚铁硫杆菌（A.ferrooxidans）介导的生物矿化方法可促使酸性矿山废水（Acid Mine Drainage,AMD）中Fe离子向次生铁矿物转变. 采用固定化的方式来提高A.ferrooxidans密度有助于强化Fe²⁺的生物矿化能力.选取流化床19孔填料、弹性填料、悬浮球填料作为挂膜对象, 通过多批次的连续培养来考察3种填料的A.ferrooxidans挂膜能力及稳定挂膜所需周期,继而比较3种挂膜填料对模拟AMD中Fe²⁺的生物矿化能力,并估算A.ferrooxidans有效生物量.结果表明,3种填料（5.00 g）的A.ferrooxidans挂膜能力依次为弹性填料（1.76 g）＞流化床19孔填料（0.90 g）＞悬浮球填料（0.78 g）（干重）,且挂膜启动至稳定状态至少需要4批次.X射线衍射分析（X-ray diffraction,XRD）表明,3种填料表面 含矿生物膜均为施氏矿物和黄钾铁矾的混合物.以游离态A.ferrooxidans的Fe²⁺氧化速率作为参比,估算出流化床19孔填料、弹性填料、悬浮球填料生物膜中A.ferrooxidans有效生物量依次为1.67×10⁸、8.52×10⁸、1.92×10⁸ cells·g^-1 （干基）.研究还发现,等同Fe²⁺生物氧化速率下, A.ferrooxidans挂膜填料比游离态A.ferrooxidans具有更强的AMD矿化驱动能力.     

纳米零价铁耦合黏土修复污染土壤的研究进展

黏土负载型nZVI具有低成本、易制备、环境相容性好、综合性能优越的特点.本文在归纳nZVI改性策略的基础上,比较了黏土种类对nZVI形貌和性能的影响,提出了理想黏土载体的优选顺序,分析了复合材料的铁含量、比表面积、nZVI尺寸等与去除性能之间的关系,对nZVI耦合黏土在修复土壤重金属、卤代有机物、硝酸盐、新型污染物等方面的研究进行了总结,并概述了nZVI技术在土壤修复中的负面效应,最后对nZVI耦合黏土修复污染土壤的未来方向进行了展望.     

Sorption of Pesticides on Kaolinite and Montmorillonite as a Function of Hydrophilicity

Pesticides and other organic species are adsorbed by soil via different mechanisms, with bond strengths that depend on the properties of both the soil and the pesticide. Since the clay fraction in soil is a preferential sorbent for organic matter, reference kaolinite and montmorillonite are useful models for studying the mechanism and the strength of sorption. This paper presents the results of batch experiments to investigate the interactions of kaolinite KGa-1 and montmorillonite SWy-1 with the following pesticides and organic species resulting from the natural degradation of pesticides in the environment: atrazine (1-chloro-3-ethylamino-5-isopropylamino-2,4,6-triazine), simazine (1-chloro-3,5-bisethylamino-2,4,6-triazine), diuron [1,1-dimethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)urea], aniline, 4-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. Each of these chemicals has different hydrophilicity. Systems containing 2.0 g of clay were put in contact with 100.0 mL of solutions of the pesticides at known concentration ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 mg/L, and the amount of solute adsorbed was evaluated through RP-HPLC analysis of the pesticide still present in the aqueous suspension. To test for electrostatic interactions between the clay surface and the pesticides, potentiometric titration was used to determine the permanent surface charge of clays. Experiments were performed at different pH values. The results indicate that, for the chemicals studied, neutral molecules are preferentially retained relative to ionized ones, and that montmorillonite is a more effective sorbent than kaolinite.     

生态减污袋去除模拟污水中氨氮及磷的效果试验

研究利用砂土与粘土混合制成的生态减污袋对于模拟污水中氨氮及磷的去除效果。研究发现砂土与粘土比例为1∶1的减污袋对于高浓度模拟污水中氨氮和磷的去除率分别达到73%和63%;而砂土与粘土比例为10∶1的减污袋对于低浓度模拟污水中磷的去除率最高达到49%。对于高浓度污水,采用砂土与粘土比例为1∶1的生态减污袋能取得最好的除磷去氮效果;而对于低浓度污水,采用砂土与粘土比例为10∶1的生态减污袋除磷去氮效果较好并且成本相对较低。     

铜胁迫对黄芪幼苗的生理学毒性与凹凸棒黏土的缓解作用

为探究黄芪幼苗对铜离子（Cu²⁺）胁迫的耐性机理以及凹凸棒黏土对Cu²⁺污染的缓解作用,研究了不同浓度CuSO₄（2~20mmol/L）胁迫对黄芪幼苗的生理学毒性与凹凸棒黏土的缓解作用.结果表明,2mmol/L CuSO₄胁迫使得根系Cu²⁺含量、H₂O₂（过氧化氢）含量、MDA（丙二醛）含量分别较对照显著上升1.82倍、1.04倍、2.14倍.CuSO₄胁迫浓度达8mmol/L时,根系SOD（超氧化物歧化酶）活性、根尖膜损伤程度和叶片Cu²⁺含量分别较对照显著上升1.13倍、1.12倍和2.62倍;同时,叶片PS Ⅱ（光系统II）实际光化学效率[Y（II）]、光化学淬灭系数（qP）、PSⅡ电子传递速率（ETR）和叶绿素含量较对照分别显著降低22.88%、24.44%、21.49%和28.31%,而NPQ和qN（非光化学荧光猝灭系数）则较对照分别显著上升2.35倍和1.58倍.根系POD（过氧化物酶）和CAT（过氧化氢酶）活性、可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白含量在8mmol/L CuSO₄处理下达到最高值后呈下降趋势.CuSO₄浓度为15~20mmol/L时,根系APX活性和叶片光适应下PS II潜在最大光化学效率（F_v'/F_m'）,以及幼苗全株鲜重、全株干重、地下部鲜重、地下部干重较对照显著下降.在非CuSO₄胁迫条件下,基质中凹凸棒黏土的存在使得幼苗根系MDA含量较对照显著降低15.93%,但未对其它所测生理学指标产生显著影响;在20mmol/L CuSO₄胁迫条件下,基质中凹凸棒黏土的存在使得幼苗根系和叶片中Cu²⁺含量分别显著下降30.78%和23.12%;同时显著缓解了20mmol/L CuSO₄胁迫对根系活性氧水平、抗氧化酶活性、膜脂质过氧化程度、根尖膜损伤程度、可溶性蛋白和可溶性糖含量,叶片PS II光化学活性和叶绿素含量的不良影响,以及对幼苗生长的抑制作用.研究结果表明,培养基质中凹凸棒黏土的存在能够显著降低幼苗组织中Cu²⁺的生物有效性,继而缓解CuSO₄胁迫对黄芪幼苗的生理学毒性作用.