Dr Ross de Kretser

Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering), University of Melbourne, Australia, 1995.
Thesis title: The Compression De-watering and Rheology of Slurried Coal Mine Tailings
B.Eng. (Chemcal Engineering) (Hons), University of Melbourne, Australia, 1990.

Senior Research Fellow

Email:
Telephone: +61 3 8344 0055
Fax: +61 3 8344 4153
Room 1.18, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Building 2

The Solid Liquid Separations Group

Current Research Activities

Materials and Minerals Engineering

• Hydrometallurgy

Current research activities involve the validation and application of fundamental filtration theory to real-world optimisation problems in industry, in particular focussing on the synergies apparent from an integrated optimisation approach encompassing both numerical modelling and plant data-based analysis. As an adjunct to this work, a range of experimental test and plant data analysis protocols are being developed. Other work in the area of solid-liquid separation is an exploration of the potential benefits of application of computational fluid dynamics in filter design.

A work program within the Australian Mineral Science Research Institute (AMSRI) is investigating the development of holistic approaches to the treatment and prevention of clay and fine particle-related issues in mineral processing. Such an approach would involve implementation of proactive strategies for identification of clay and gangue materials and tailored up-front processing and chemical strategies to minimise the impact that they have on the process. A key focus of this work is the demonstration that approaches that may have environmental benefits in terms of greater water recovery and reductions in mineral tailings volumes can also have significant benefits in terms of operating and capital costs and energy consumption.

Other current areas of interest are the desaturation of porous networks, the effect of temperature on the strength of interparticle networks within colloidal systems and the transient compressive strength of leached nickel laterite agglomerates.

Currently undertaking the development and refinement of software characterisation and filtration test equipment to expand application from fine flocculate mineral systems to water treatment and sewage sludge systems.

Consulting projects for various companies.

Professional activities and areas of research interest

• Reviewer for International Journal of Mineral Processing, Transactions of the Filtration Society, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Water Research, Chemical Engineering Science.
• Rheology Group/Advanced Mineral Products Centre; Pressure Filtration; Compression Rheology of Suspensions; Clay Rheology; Mineral Tailings Disposal; Suspension Rheology; Tannin Extraction from Waste Bark

Selected Recent Publications

1. Gladman BR, de Kretser RG, Rudman M & Scales PJ, "Effect of shear on particulate suspension dewatering". Chemical Engineering Research & Design. 83(A7, July):933-936, (2005).
2. Stickland AD, de Kretser RG & Scales PJ, "Nontraditional constant pressure filtration behavior". AICHE Journal. 51(9):2481-2488, (2005).
3. Hulston J, de Kretser RG and Scales PJ, "Effect of temperature on the dewaterability of hematite suspensions," International Journal of Mineral Processing, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 73: 269-279 (2004)
4. Kapur PC, Laha S, Usher SP, de Kretser RG and Scales PJ, "Modeling of the consolidation stage in pressure filtration of compressible cakes," Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 256, 216-222 (2002).
5. Usher SP, de Kretser RG and PJ Scales PJ, Reply to comments on "Validation of a New Filtration Technique for Dewaterability Characterization,"AIChE Journal, 48(10), 2418-2420 (2002).
6. Usher SP , de Kretser RG and Scales PJ, "Validation of a new filtration technique for dewaterability characterization". AIChE Journal, 47(7), 1561-1570 (2001)
7. de Kretser RG, Usher SP, Scales PJ, Landman KA and Boger DV, "Rapid measurement of dewatering design and optimization parameters". AIChE Journal, 47(8), 1758-1769 (2001).