Curtin Scores Research Grant From Russian Giant
The Age
Friday October 17, 2008
WESTERN Australia's Curtin University has beaten off competition from 100 universities and research centres to become an inaugural recipient of an aluminium research grant from Russian aluminium giant Rusal.
At a time when research and development budgets are being slashed because of the global economic slowdown, Rusal has earmarked an initial $US2 million ($A2.98 million) to fund work on finding new applications for the light metal.Rusal, a partner in Queensland alumina refinery QAL, invited universities and research centres around the world to submit ground-breaking ideas and research projects that needed financing, with the aim of expanding the use of aluminium.Rusal expects to fund up to 10 research projects in coming years with a view to having the new applications for the metal coming to market in three to seven years.Representatives from Rusal and the International Aluminium Institute, and an independent expert, Professor Thomas Graedel, from Yale University, were on the selection committee.Curtin's winning tender was one of three research projects to receive the first of the Rusal grants, with the broad aim of the initial grants being to find new applications in transport.Rusal said that with transport being the main source of greenhouse gas emissions, the use of aluminium over heavier metals in vehicles could deliver significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Curtin is working on the use of aluminium as a material to store hydrogen.The research project will take three years, with Rusal's contribution set at $US180,000."If successful, one of the biggest drawbacks to implementing the 'hydrogen economy' will be solved," Rusal said."Hydrogen is promising to replace fossil fuels as the fuel of the 21st century. Aluminium ... is the only potential hydrogen storage material capable of satisfying ground transport needs."
© 2008 The Age