Fix this text
UNIKEN
Fix this textTHE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Fix this textNo. 180 (No. 20 of 1983)
Fix this textPublished fortnightly by the Public Affairs Unit
Fix this textRegistered by Australia Post - Publication No. NBF 4388
Fix this text9 December 1983
Fix this textFuels of the future researched at UNSW
Fix this textPromising projects to produce alternative
Fix this textfuels, one to get methanol from coal a better
Fix this textway and the other to recover useful hydro-
Fix this textcarbons now wasted in natural gas drilling, are
Fix this textunderway in the School of Chemical Engineer-
Fix this texting and Industrial Chemistry.
Fix this textThe projects have recently been awarded grants
Fix this textby the National Energy Research, Development and
Fix this textDemonstration Council (see list in UNIKEN 19/1983).
Fix this textThe research teams involved are well-tried in industry-
Fix this textrelated work. Both have extensive experience in their
Fix this textfields and have made discoveries in earlier work that
Fix this texthave been patented by Unisearch, the University's
Fix this textresearch and development company.
Fix this textAssociate Professor Mark Wainwright is working
Fix this texton improving the production of the chemical alterna-
Fix this texttive fuel, methanol, from coal so that the process is
Fix this textmore efficient and economical, and is ready to be
Fix this textscaled up into larger plants when the need arises.
Fix this textProfessor Chris Fell has a new grant to develop
Fix this texta special sort of plastic membrane that will be able
Fix this textto separate the different components of natural gas.
Fix this textThe aim is to 'filter' out valuable condensates like
Fix this textethane and butane that can be used as fuels or petro-
Fix this textchemical feedstocks but are now generally wasted
Fix this textbecause recovery is expensive.
Fix this textA third project, involving Associate Professor
Fix this textDavid Young, is looking at the effects the alkali in a
Fix this textblast furnace has on the breakdown of coke, a matter
Fix this textof great interest to steel makers and coal exporters.
Fix this textIts industrial value has also been recognized with a
Fix this textNERDDC grant.
Fix this textMETHANOL - THE CHEMICAL FUEL OF
Fix this textTHE FUTURE?
Fix this textMethanol is a chemically-produced fuel whose
Fix this textgreat potential will be realized as oil stocks run out,
Fix this textaccording to Professor Wainwright. It is already pro-
Fix this textduced in plants overseas for use as a chemical so the
Fix this texttechnology is there and operating, unlike the coal-to-
Fix this textoil process which is still in the experimental stage.
Fix this textWhat are needed, though, says Professor Wainwright,
Fix this textare more efficient and economical methods of pro-
Fix this textduction because plants making fuel methanol will
Fix this texthave to be much bigger than the present ones.
Fix this textProfessor Wainwright and colleagues, Professor
Fix this textYoung and Dr Alan Bridgewater, have succeeded in
Fix this textimproving the process by the development of a better
Fix this textcatalyst which can be used in existing plants.
Fix this textIn methanol production, coal is converted to
Fix this textsynthesis gas by steam. The synthesis gas (carbon
Fix this textmonoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen) is then
Fix this textpassed over a copper catalyst to produce methanol.
Fix this textThe UNSW team's catalyst is made of a special alloy
Fix this textrather than metal oxide. They are now refining its
Fix this textproduction and will test it early next year in a pilot
Fix this textplant overseas. The catalyst has been patented by
Fix this textUnisearch and a company set up in Canada to look
Fix this textafter world-wide licensing agreements.
Fix this textProfessor Wainwright says there are no methanol
Fix this textplants in Australia at present our needs for chemi-
Fix this textcal methanol are met by imports but one came on
Fix this textline in New Zealand recently, and several more are
Fix this textplanned, to convert methanol to gasoline. 'NZ has no
Fix this textoil but they intend to become 60 per cent self-
Fix this textsufficient in gasoline using the Mobil methanol-to-
Fix this textgasoline process, the first time it has been used
Fix this textcommercially in the world. The fact that methanol
Fix this textcan be converted to gasoline accounts for much of
Fix this textthe interest in better catalysts', says Professor
Fix this textWainwright.
Fix this textGAS STRIPPING - HOTTEST NEW
Fix this textTECHNOLOGY IN US
Fix this textThe separation of gases using a thin plastic
Fix this textmembrane is one of the hottest new technologies in
Fix this textthe US at present, says Professor Chris Fell. A new
Fix this textgrant to him and to Associate Professor Tony Fane
Fix this textwill allow them to carry out pioneering work in this
Fix this textfield, which, like all membrane technology, is about
Fix this textsaving useful by-products now largely wasted.
Fix this textProfessor Fell says the new membrane will
Fix this textprobably be coated with something like a hydrocar-
Fix this textbon to do the separation. 'Chemically, what we are
Fix this textafter is selectivity', he says.
Fix this text'At present, engineers look for "dry holes" of
Fix this textnatural gas that do not have too much liquid, so they
Fix this textdo not have to get into cryogenic (low temperature,
Fix this texthigh pressure) separation of methane from other
Fix this textmaterials. There is a Santos cryogenic separation
Fix this textplant but not of a type economically viable for small
Fix this textbasins, so we are wasting a lot of valuable material',
Fix this texthe says.
Fix this textWork is continuing in the School on the 'Uni-
Fix this textsearch membrane' developed by the team and
Fix this textpatented by Unisearch. A company, Memtec Ltd,
Fix this texthas been set up to exploit this discovery which makes
Fix this textmembrane technology more economically viable for
Fix this textnew applications in areas like pollution control. Uni-
Fix this textsearch owns 6.25 per cent of Memtec which is spon-
Fix this textsoring two postgraduates to work on the membrane
Fix this textnext year.
Fix this textLOCAL COKES TESTED HERE
Fix this textThe chief raw materials used in steel making,
Fix this textiron ore and coke, contain varying amounts of alkali
Fix this textwhich make the coke break down and cause problems
Fix this textin blast furnaces. In the most serious cases, coke
Fix this textbreakdown, or degradation, may lead to the whole
Fix this textcontents of the furnace packing hard so nothing
Fix this textmoves inside.
Fix this textProfessor Young is testing various cokes from
Fix this textAustralia and overseas to measure their susceptibility
Fix this textto alkali degradation. This information is not only of
Fix this textvalue to steelmakers but to coke exporters, who get
Fix this textlower prices for high alkali content coke, and to
Fix this textengineers assessing the economic viability of a new
Fix this textcoal deposit.
Fix this textIn the past, much of the testing for alkali con-
Fix this texttent in Australian cokes, and their susceptibility to
Fix this textdegradation, has been done in Japan by the buyers.
Fix this textProfessor Young intends to publish the comparative
Fix this textinformation he is collecting, which will be of benefit
Fix this textto the local coal industry and put it in a better
Fix this textbargaining position with Japanese buyers.
Fix this textMedical students
Fix this textreject 16 hour day
Fix this textMedical students surveyed at UNSW have
Fix this textrejected the image of the dedicated doctor
Fix this textworking 16 hours a day teaching, seeing
Fix this textpatients and taking work home in the evenings.
Fix this textThey have also given financial rewards, profes-
Fix this textsional ethics and public image a low priority in
Fix this textcomparison with what they see as their personal,
Fix this textclinical and social responsibilities as doctors.
Fix this textThe findings come from a survey by Dr Christine
Fix this textEwan and Dr Mick Bennett of the School of Medical
Fix this textEducation at UNSW. The survey questioned two
Fix this textconsecutive groups of first year students on their
Fix this textentry to medical school and then after three and
Fix this textfour years of training.
Fix this textIn this and other areas, the survey shows that
Fix this textclinical experience over three or four years tempers
Fix this textyouthful idealism.
Fix this text"While they value intellectual challenge highly,
Fix this textthey prefer to visualize a life-style that will allow
Fix this textthem to pursue non-medical interests and family life.
Fix this textThe students showed attitudes towards their medical
Fix this texttraining and their future profession which place
Fix this texthigher priority on community service and individual
Fix this textpatient care than on technical skills, knowledge and
Fix this textresearch ability', according to the authors.
Fix this textOn the importance of the characteristics that
Fix this textmake a good doctor, the survey revealed that the
Fix this textidealistic views of first year students about dedica-
Fix this texttion to medicine showed a marked change after three
Fix this textand four years of clinical training and medical prac-
Fix this texttice. 'Admiration for, and pride in, this stereotype of
Fix this textthe dedicated doctor falls markedly and is replaced by
Fix this textregret, doubts and disapproval of such a lifestyle.
Fix this textInterpretation of this finding will vary with the
Fix this textvalues of the interpreter', the survey says.
Fix this text'Some would lament the loss of dedication and
Fix this textincreased self-interest of today’s doctors, while
Fix this textothers would welcome the signs that the medical pro-
Fix this textfession might at last be on the brink of re-examining
Fix this texttraditional norms and developing a healthier, more
Fix this texthumane lifestyle for its members and their families.'
Fix this textThe authors say it's a sad comment on the clini-
Fix this textcal medicine to which students are exposed that fewer
Fix this textclinical (third and fourth year) students than first-
Fix this textyears believe in the necessity to deal with social and
Fix this textpsychological problems and to have an ability to get
Fix this textalong with people.
Fix this text'lt is equally sad that few students perceive a
Fix this textneed to get along with staff members of the faculty
Fix this textat the beginning of the course, and fewer still after
Fix this textsome years experience in the medical school. The
Fix this textnotions of influence, role modelling and professional
Fix this textsocialization become less compelling in the face of
Fix this textthe reality of little personal, prolonged or consistent
Fix this textcontact between students and teachers.'
Fix this textThe survey concludes in part that, just as medi-
Fix this textcal students in the UNSW medical school exhibit
Fix this textindependence in their study habits, it appears that
Fix this textthey also exhibit some independence in the devel-
Fix this textopment of their attitudes. The authors comment 'it
Fix this textis possible that they are part of a new generation of
Fix this textmedical students arising out of an era of increased
Fix this textpublic comment and criticism of the profession, and
Fix this textthat the development of their attitudes is determined
Fix this textmore by their social environment than their medical
Fix this textschool environment.'
Fix this textUnisearch grants announced
Fix this textIn a new initiative for 1984, Unisearch Limited,
Fix this textUNSW's research and development company, ear-
Fix this textmarked $lOO,OOO for the University to allocate across
Fix this textthe faculties in the form of applied research grants.
Fix this textThis money Is in addition to the $107,115 already
Fix this textgiven to the University throughout 1982/83 by Uni-
Fix this textsearch Limited for equipment and other purposes.
Fix this textThe University invited applications and received a
Fix this texttotal of 98. A small committee under the chairman-
Fix this textship of Professor R.M. Golding made recommenda-
Fix this texttions to the Vice-Chancellor who approved the
Fix this textfollowing 11 grant recipients:
Fix this textDr G.R. Taylor (Applied Geology) - Development
Fix this textof fluid inclusion studies as an exploration tool for
Fix this textmetallic ore deposits. $6,400
Fix this textDr G.H. Fleet & Ms G. Heard (Food Technology) -
Fix this textA rapid method for the identification of yeasts
Fix this textimportant to the food and beverage industriesst,soo
Fix this textDrW.R. Lawson (Industrial Arts) - The Production
Fix this textand Testing of Improved Solid Fuel Cooking Stoves
Fix this textfor Use in Developing Countries. $16,000
Fix this textProf B.V. Milborrow (Biochemistry) - Preparation
Fix this textof a tablet to prolong the life of cut flowers. $7,500
Fix this textDr K. Schindelhm & Dr B.K. Milthorpe (Centre for
Fix this textBiomedical Engineering) - Implantable Glucose
Fix this textSensors for Insulin-dependent Diabetics. $12,300
Fix this textAssoc Prof W.H. Holmes (Electrical Engineering &
Fix this textComputer Science), Assoc Prof L.V. Hawkins, Mr
Fix this textRJ. Whiteley & Hon Assoc S. Webster (Applied
Fix this textGeology) Development of Techniques for Seismic
Fix this textData Acquisition and Processing of Continuous
Fix this textUnderway Marine and Land Seismic Reflection and
Fix this textRefraction Data. $12,500
Fix this textAssoc Prof H. Goodwin & Dr DJ. Phillips (Chemis-
Fix this texttry) - Applications of metal complexes as photo-
Fix this textsensitizers and in trapping small molecules. $ll,OOO
Fix this textProf K.N.R. Taylor & Dr J.W.V. Storey (Physics) -
Fix this textThe Development of Fire Front Imaging Systems.
Fix this text$20,000
Fix this textProf HJ. Goldsmid & Dr V.R. Howes (Physics)
Fix this textElectrical Contact Resistance and its Relationship to
Fix this textHardness. $6,100
Fix this textDr Y. Barnet & Mr P. Catt (Microbiology) - Study
Fix this textof strains of the bacterium Rhizobium able to fix
Fix this textnitrogen in association with Australian Acacia species
Fix this textunder different environmental conditions. $2,500
Fix this textProf H. Hora (Physics) - Development of a new type
Fix this textof free-electron laser. $4,200
Fix this textUnisearch Annual Report
Fix this textUnisearch's Annual Report for the year
Fix this textto the end of March 1983, recently released,
Fix this textshows the company continued its successful
Fix this textexploitation of patents, profits from which
Fix this textmore than doubled over the previous year to
Fix this text$104,251.
Fix this textUnisearch Ltd was involved in a wide
Fix this textrange of activities during the year including
Fix this textthe provision of specialized technical service
Fix this textand advice to outside organizations, the run-
Fix this textning of courses and seminars and administra-
Fix this texttion of inventions developed by members of
Fix this textthe University.
Fix this textAt 31 March 1983, 102 inventions were
Fix this textincluded in Unisearch's portfolio and the
Fix this textcompany continued to seek commercial
Fix this textexploitation of these, both in Australia and
Fix this textoverseas. At the end of the year under review,
Fix this text24 inventions were the subject of licensing
Fix this textagreements and options had been granted on
Fix this texta further seven.
Fix this textDuring the year, 1,692 research and in-
Fix this textvestigational projects were undertaken at the
Fix this textrequest of industrial firms, commercial and
Fix this textprofessional organizations and government
Fix this textinstrumentalities, 18 down on the previous
Fix this textyear. Among them were:
Fix this text• sterility testing to screen medical recep-
Fix this texttacles;
Fix this text• testing of heat and flame resistance of
Fix this textmotorcycle racing trousers;
Fix this text• evaluation of a number of commercial
Fix this textsolar collectors;
Fix this text• giving of advice on matters as diverse as
Fix this textthe design and construction of interlocking
Fix this textconcrete block pavements for industrial
Fix this textuse, and on methods of drying and storing
Fix this textpaddy rice.
Fix this textUnisearch ran a variety of courses on sub*
Fix this textjects like business strategy, optical fibre com-
Fix this textmunications for engineers and computer
Fix this textliteracy. Language courses were provided
Fix this textthrough the Institute of Languages.
Fix this textFrom its activities. Unisearch generated
Fix this textan income of $4,077,885, an increase of 9 per
Fix this textcent over the previous year. Its operating
Fix this textsurplus rose by six per cent to $841,925.
Fix this textUnisearch's Chairman, Mr Alan Loxton,
Fix this texton behalf of the company, thanks the members
Fix this textof the University, without whose activities
Fix this textand assistance its achievements would not
Fix this texthave been possible.
Fix this textProfessor Chris Fell, leader
Fix this textof the membrane technol-
Fix this textogy team
Fix this textAssociate Professor David Young
Fix this text(right) feeds pellets of the copper
Fix this textalloy catalyst developed at UNSW into
Fix this textthe new Berty reactor where the
Fix this textcreation of methanol takes place.
Fix this textAssociate Professor Mark Wainwright
Fix this text(left) says the new machine, due to
Fix this textgo into operation soon, will enable
Fix this textthe catalyst to be tested under a wider
Fix this textrange of more realistic industrial con-
Fix this textditions than is possible with the
Fix this textpresent equipment.
Fix this textPublic Affairs Unit
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257331832
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. (1975). Uniken Retrieved March 28, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257331832
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit and University of New South Wales, issuing body. Uniken Kensington, N.S.W: University of New South Wales, 1975. Web. 28 March 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257331832>
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. 1975, Uniken University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W viewed 28 March 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257331832
{{Citation
| author1=University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit.
| author2=University of New South Wales, issuing body.
| title=Uniken.
| year=1975
| section=volumes : illustrations ; 30-43 cm.
| issn=0312-7877
| issue=1983, no. 20 (9 Dec., 1983 - 24 Feb., 1984)
| location=Kensington, N.S.W
| publisher=University of New South Wales
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257331832
| id=nla.obj-257331832
| access-date=28 March 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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