Rare earths race: plan to turn ash into critical metals
Instead of waiting for new rare earth mines to become operational in 10 to 15 years, Monash University researchers say ash emitted from coal-fired power stations could be used to extract the metals in a cheaper and more environmentally friendly way.
"We don't have to dig up new mines. We can use something that's already processed and just sitting in landfill," Monash engineering researcher Bennet Thomas said.
Rare earths are a group of 17 metals found in natural resources that are critical to producing defence systems, smartphones and tablets, electric cars and wind turbine motors.
The industry is dominated by China and the United States, but Australia is home to the largest rare earths processing facility outside of the Asian superpower.
Australia's strict environment laws have hampered its ability to process rare earth materials onshore since many are found in proximity of radioactive metals, forcing miners to ship it overseas.
"The current techniques of producing rare earths is concentrated, politicised and monopolised by a few rare earth-producing countries in the world," Dr Thomas told AAP.
"That is a national risk."
The process, first conceptualised by Monash professor Sankar Bhattacharya in 2015, involves using environmentally benign acids to break down the ash to bring out the metals in a liquid form before it is isolated and purified into specific elements.
"We needed this technology yesterday, but what we have figured out in the last five years is we don't have to look too far ahead," Dr Thomas said.
While there is no timeline as to when the project will be rolled out on a commercial scale, the researchers say they have designed a plant that can operate up to 1000 litres and are now seeking investment from private and government backers.
They estimate up to 45,000 tonnes of rare earth metals could be recovered annually from coal ash alone - more than twice what Australia produced in 2021.
But as governments accelerate their transition away from coal mining in favour of renewables, Dr Thomas said the team had been able to diversify the process to include other materials including mine tailings and electronic waste.
"We are in a global race ... Everybody is looking for these metals. Everybody is trying to beat us in this game," he said.
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The Advertiser
12 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Fresh plea to curb e-bike injuries amid safety fears
E-bike laws must be urgently tightened to avoid more deaths and serious injuries, the bicycle industry says, as new research shows widespread non-compliance by riders. State lawmakers have been pleading with the federal government to clamp down on the import and sale of e-bikes able to reach dangerously high speeds, amid a spate of deaths. In a Monash University study published on Monday, researchers found many e-bike delivery riders in Melbourne were breaking the law, including some reaching speeds of up to 54km/h. One in five exceeded Victoria's e-bike speed limit of 25 km/h, the research, commissioned by the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC), found. Most of the 27,000 e-bikes observed were not using pedals, indicating they were throttle-powered or illegally modified, according to the research. It urged authorities to look at the legal definition of e-bikes, enforce existing road rules for non-compliant devices, and close import loopholes. WeRide, a group representing bicycle and e-bike companies, said leadership from the federal government was needed to ensure e-bikes entering Australia met local standards. "We need all products coming into Australia to meet minimum quality safety requirements," WeRide executive officer Peter Bourke told AAP. "The importation process right now which is a voluntary application, we support that to be mandatory." Mr Bourke was hopeful moves towards national action would come at the next Infrastructure and Transport Ministers' Meetings (ITMM), due by the end of the year. "The reality is if the motor goes over 25km/h and it has more than 250 watts of continuous motor power it is not an e-bike," he said. University of Melbourne associate professor Milad Haghani said there would likely be more significant injuries and deaths linked to e-bikes unless authorities got tough on non-compliant devices. One of the biggest safety risks at present was posed by young riders easily converting regular bicycles to high speed e-bikes, Professor Haghani told AAP. "They are called conversion kits and they are marketed to children," he said. "Some of them have very chunky wheels and they are very heavy and that creates major momentum in a crash especially at high speed - the kinetic energy can be fatal." Most e-bike crashes involved overpowered bikes, those that breached safety regulations, or were ridden by people who broke road rules, according to Victoria Police. Almost 300 fines for e-bike, e-scooter, motor scooter, bicycle and motorcycle offences have been issued since June. VACC chief executive Peter Jones said the Monash research confirmed "what riders, pedestrians, and other road users have suspected - many of these delivery e-bikes were operating as unregistered motorbikes". The devices lacked safeguards and enforcement applied to other transport vehicles like registration, insurance, road rule compliance, Mr Jones said. "Anything that can go that fast really isn't an e-bike," he said. In July, a University of Melbourne study found reports of the number of e-bike and e-scooter deaths across the country more than doubled to 30 from January 2020 to April 2025. In one of the latest incidents, a teenage boy in July, allegedly riding on an electric dirt bike, struck and killed a 59-year-old woman in a Perth park. E-bike laws must be urgently tightened to avoid more deaths and serious injuries, the bicycle industry says, as new research shows widespread non-compliance by riders. State lawmakers have been pleading with the federal government to clamp down on the import and sale of e-bikes able to reach dangerously high speeds, amid a spate of deaths. In a Monash University study published on Monday, researchers found many e-bike delivery riders in Melbourne were breaking the law, including some reaching speeds of up to 54km/h. One in five exceeded Victoria's e-bike speed limit of 25 km/h, the research, commissioned by the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC), found. Most of the 27,000 e-bikes observed were not using pedals, indicating they were throttle-powered or illegally modified, according to the research. It urged authorities to look at the legal definition of e-bikes, enforce existing road rules for non-compliant devices, and close import loopholes. WeRide, a group representing bicycle and e-bike companies, said leadership from the federal government was needed to ensure e-bikes entering Australia met local standards. "We need all products coming into Australia to meet minimum quality safety requirements," WeRide executive officer Peter Bourke told AAP. "The importation process right now which is a voluntary application, we support that to be mandatory." Mr Bourke was hopeful moves towards national action would come at the next Infrastructure and Transport Ministers' Meetings (ITMM), due by the end of the year. "The reality is if the motor goes over 25km/h and it has more than 250 watts of continuous motor power it is not an e-bike," he said. University of Melbourne associate professor Milad Haghani said there would likely be more significant injuries and deaths linked to e-bikes unless authorities got tough on non-compliant devices. One of the biggest safety risks at present was posed by young riders easily converting regular bicycles to high speed e-bikes, Professor Haghani told AAP. "They are called conversion kits and they are marketed to children," he said. "Some of them have very chunky wheels and they are very heavy and that creates major momentum in a crash especially at high speed - the kinetic energy can be fatal." Most e-bike crashes involved overpowered bikes, those that breached safety regulations, or were ridden by people who broke road rules, according to Victoria Police. Almost 300 fines for e-bike, e-scooter, motor scooter, bicycle and motorcycle offences have been issued since June. VACC chief executive Peter Jones said the Monash research confirmed "what riders, pedestrians, and other road users have suspected - many of these delivery e-bikes were operating as unregistered motorbikes". The devices lacked safeguards and enforcement applied to other transport vehicles like registration, insurance, road rule compliance, Mr Jones said. "Anything that can go that fast really isn't an e-bike," he said. In July, a University of Melbourne study found reports of the number of e-bike and e-scooter deaths across the country more than doubled to 30 from January 2020 to April 2025. In one of the latest incidents, a teenage boy in July, allegedly riding on an electric dirt bike, struck and killed a 59-year-old woman in a Perth park. E-bike laws must be urgently tightened to avoid more deaths and serious injuries, the bicycle industry says, as new research shows widespread non-compliance by riders. State lawmakers have been pleading with the federal government to clamp down on the import and sale of e-bikes able to reach dangerously high speeds, amid a spate of deaths. In a Monash University study published on Monday, researchers found many e-bike delivery riders in Melbourne were breaking the law, including some reaching speeds of up to 54km/h. One in five exceeded Victoria's e-bike speed limit of 25 km/h, the research, commissioned by the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC), found. Most of the 27,000 e-bikes observed were not using pedals, indicating they were throttle-powered or illegally modified, according to the research. It urged authorities to look at the legal definition of e-bikes, enforce existing road rules for non-compliant devices, and close import loopholes. WeRide, a group representing bicycle and e-bike companies, said leadership from the federal government was needed to ensure e-bikes entering Australia met local standards. "We need all products coming into Australia to meet minimum quality safety requirements," WeRide executive officer Peter Bourke told AAP. "The importation process right now which is a voluntary application, we support that to be mandatory." Mr Bourke was hopeful moves towards national action would come at the next Infrastructure and Transport Ministers' Meetings (ITMM), due by the end of the year. "The reality is if the motor goes over 25km/h and it has more than 250 watts of continuous motor power it is not an e-bike," he said. University of Melbourne associate professor Milad Haghani said there would likely be more significant injuries and deaths linked to e-bikes unless authorities got tough on non-compliant devices. One of the biggest safety risks at present was posed by young riders easily converting regular bicycles to high speed e-bikes, Professor Haghani told AAP. "They are called conversion kits and they are marketed to children," he said. "Some of them have very chunky wheels and they are very heavy and that creates major momentum in a crash especially at high speed - the kinetic energy can be fatal." Most e-bike crashes involved overpowered bikes, those that breached safety regulations, or were ridden by people who broke road rules, according to Victoria Police. Almost 300 fines for e-bike, e-scooter, motor scooter, bicycle and motorcycle offences have been issued since June. VACC chief executive Peter Jones said the Monash research confirmed "what riders, pedestrians, and other road users have suspected - many of these delivery e-bikes were operating as unregistered motorbikes". The devices lacked safeguards and enforcement applied to other transport vehicles like registration, insurance, road rule compliance, Mr Jones said. "Anything that can go that fast really isn't an e-bike," he said. In July, a University of Melbourne study found reports of the number of e-bike and e-scooter deaths across the country more than doubled to 30 from January 2020 to April 2025. In one of the latest incidents, a teenage boy in July, allegedly riding on an electric dirt bike, struck and killed a 59-year-old woman in a Perth park. E-bike laws must be urgently tightened to avoid more deaths and serious injuries, the bicycle industry says, as new research shows widespread non-compliance by riders. State lawmakers have been pleading with the federal government to clamp down on the import and sale of e-bikes able to reach dangerously high speeds, amid a spate of deaths. In a Monash University study published on Monday, researchers found many e-bike delivery riders in Melbourne were breaking the law, including some reaching speeds of up to 54km/h. One in five exceeded Victoria's e-bike speed limit of 25 km/h, the research, commissioned by the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC), found. Most of the 27,000 e-bikes observed were not using pedals, indicating they were throttle-powered or illegally modified, according to the research. It urged authorities to look at the legal definition of e-bikes, enforce existing road rules for non-compliant devices, and close import loopholes. WeRide, a group representing bicycle and e-bike companies, said leadership from the federal government was needed to ensure e-bikes entering Australia met local standards. "We need all products coming into Australia to meet minimum quality safety requirements," WeRide executive officer Peter Bourke told AAP. "The importation process right now which is a voluntary application, we support that to be mandatory." Mr Bourke was hopeful moves towards national action would come at the next Infrastructure and Transport Ministers' Meetings (ITMM), due by the end of the year. "The reality is if the motor goes over 25km/h and it has more than 250 watts of continuous motor power it is not an e-bike," he said. University of Melbourne associate professor Milad Haghani said there would likely be more significant injuries and deaths linked to e-bikes unless authorities got tough on non-compliant devices. One of the biggest safety risks at present was posed by young riders easily converting regular bicycles to high speed e-bikes, Professor Haghani told AAP. "They are called conversion kits and they are marketed to children," he said. "Some of them have very chunky wheels and they are very heavy and that creates major momentum in a crash especially at high speed - the kinetic energy can be fatal." Most e-bike crashes involved overpowered bikes, those that breached safety regulations, or were ridden by people who broke road rules, according to Victoria Police. Almost 300 fines for e-bike, e-scooter, motor scooter, bicycle and motorcycle offences have been issued since June. VACC chief executive Peter Jones said the Monash research confirmed "what riders, pedestrians, and other road users have suspected - many of these delivery e-bikes were operating as unregistered motorbikes". The devices lacked safeguards and enforcement applied to other transport vehicles like registration, insurance, road rule compliance, Mr Jones said. "Anything that can go that fast really isn't an e-bike," he said. In July, a University of Melbourne study found reports of the number of e-bike and e-scooter deaths across the country more than doubled to 30 from January 2020 to April 2025. In one of the latest incidents, a teenage boy in July, allegedly riding on an electric dirt bike, struck and killed a 59-year-old woman in a Perth park.
Perth Now
19 hours ago
- Perth Now
Prize shines light on top Aussie women in STEM research
Women working in science, technology, engineering or mathematics sectors are being encouraged to apply for a world-first prize for emerging researchers. The inaugural Marie Krogh Young Women in Science prize, launched by healthcare company Novo Nordisk, will consist of a $50,000 cash prize as well as $5000 for seven finalists. It's named in honour of Danish physician Marie Krogh (1874-1943), who pioneered treatment for diabetes as one of the first women in Denmark to earn a doctorate in medicine. In Australia, women make up 37 per cent of university enrolments in STEM and hold just 15 per cent of jobs in those sectors. The prize aims to recognise mid-career women in STEM for their contributions to science and medicine and recognise future leaders, Murdoch Children's Research Institute director Kathryn North said. "Supporting the next generation of women in science and medicine isn't just about equity, it's about excellence," Professor North said. The judging panel is made up of several esteemed scientists and doctors, including Royal Children's Hospital centre for community child health director Sharon Goldfeld. It was exciting for an international company to recognise the contributions of Australian women in STEM, Professor Goldfeld told AAP. "Awards like this try to right some of the imbalance in the sector. It's not that there are no women in STEM, there are amazing women, but this is a leg up," she said. "We talk about the 'cliff' in research where often early career researchers are tracking along well but then can't quite make it to the next stage. A prize like this helps to fix that." Judges would be on the lookout for applicants who could communicate their research well, alongside excellent ideas. "I am blown away by the amazing women scientists of today and their ability to traverse all sorts of sciences and think cleverly about the way they communicate," Prof Goldfeld said. "We are looking for the STEM researcher who is not only excellent but also able to say why their research project is going to make a difference." Applications are now open, with finalists to be honoured at a Parliament House reception and awards dinner in Canberra in November 2025.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Mini hearts to save cancer survivors from heart disease
Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts. Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts. Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts. Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts.
