:: Synchrotron Science at The Wark gets Boost from new Australian End-station

A new Soft X-ray Synchrotron Instrument (SXSI) end-station, valued at AUS$1M and developed by the Australian Synchrotron Research Program (ASRP), has recently been commissioned at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre (NSRRC) in Taiwan. A team from the ASRP, headed by Dr. Anton Stampfl and including Prof Alan Buckley (UNSW) and A/Prof Bill Skinner (Ian Wark Research Institute, UniSA) performed commissioning tests and experiments with the end-station in November 2005 and March-April 2006.

The Director of the ASRP, Dr. Richard Garrett emphasised that the key to the design of the SXSI end-station was wide consultation with, and input from, the user community, organized by Prof. Buckley (UNSW). “This has ensured a high-performance instrument with broad application, essential for the future when the facility is moved to Beamline 6 on the Australian Synchrotron in 2007,” Dr. Garrett said.

The SXSI end-station combines X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) with Near Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (NEXAFS) techniques with a range of integrated sample preparation and modification facilities. The techniques provide essential information about chemistry, electronic structure and reaction at materials surfaces relevant to industrial minerals processing.

A/Prof Bill Skinner of The WarkTM said, “Use of the end-station will greatly assist in many research areas at The Wark. As well as providing a powerful tool for studying fundamental aspects of mineral surface chemistry, the facility will be important for studies in materials science, pharmaceuticals, metals, biomaterials and environmental interfaces.” A/Prof. Skinner is also Chair of the ASRP’s Taiwan Specialist Committee.

The first cycle of of official user experiments commenced in late-March this year and Wark researchers Dr. David Beattie and Dr. Ivan Kempson (who is also an ASRP Fellow) joined A/Prof Skinner for two weeks of measurements on mineral surface chemistry, including interactions with processing reagents.

Prof. John Ralston, Ian Wark Research Institute Director, said that while the Institute’s researchers have been routinely using synchrotron facilities, around the world, for many years, the SXSI end-station is particularly exciting. “The advent of the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne is extremely important for Australian science and The Wark is well-placed to exploit the range of techniques that will be available. The AS will facilitate important fundamental studies within the ARC Special Research Centre for Particle and Material Interfaces and the newly formed Australian Mineral Science Research Institute (AMSRI). The Wark is the headquarters for AMSRI which has been established to strengthen Australian technological and scientific leadership in particle science and engineering.”

AMSRI is made up of three ARC Special Research Centres - located at UniSA, Ian Wark Research Institute (Particle and Material Interfaces), University of Melbourne (Particulate Fluids Processing) and University of Newcastle (Multiphase Processes) along with one of the world's best engineering centres (Julius Krutschnitt Mineral Research Centre) at the University of Queensland. Led by Professor John Ralston, AMSRI will conduct research into major technical challenges facing the global mining industry over the next 25 years, it will transform the mineral industry and extend to other industries concerned with particle science and engineering.

A/Prof Bill Skinner (left) and Dr. David Beattie (right) of the Ian Wark
Research Institute with the new ASRP SXSI end-station in Taiwan

The AMSRI partners include industry giants BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Anglo Platinum, Phelps Dodge, Xstrata Technology, and Orica Mining, who have committed $7.5 million through AMIRA International. The ARC has provided $8.6 million to the five year $22.6 million research program, via the ARC Linkage program, to enable the creation of cross-disciplinary and cross-industry teams to conduct basic fundamental scientific research that will deliver economic, educational and environmental benefits to Australia. The four universities are contributing $4 million, and the South Australian State Government has provided $2.5 million for The Wark to set up headquarters for AMSRI, at the Mawson Lakes Campus of the University of SA. The latter funding provides for vital establishment costs, such as laboratory refurbishments, equipment and maintenance.