Mr Justen Bremmell pours molten slag and alloy from CSIRO's bath smelting facility. Red hot molten slag material pours down a ramp out of the furnace and sparks fly. Mr Bremmell is protected by a full face visor and hard hat, and leather jacket gloves and apron.

Mr Justen Bremmell pours molten slag and alloy from a bath smelting facility.

International collaboration in manufacturing, materials and minerals

CSIRO works with industry leaders around the world to develop sustainable products, processes and services and to provide solutions for the exploration, mining, minerals processing and metal production industries.

26 June 2012

CSIRO draws on the skills of our scientists across many different disciplines to solve problems and develop new technology related to manufacturing, materials and minerals.

Materials and manufacturing

CSIRO is developing new materials and manufacturing processes to solve industry challenges. CSIRO’s research areas include:

innovative technologies for the plastics industry
flexible electronics
super-light magnesium and aluminium alloys
geopolymers
controlled free radical polymerisation
biomedical materials
metals and ceramics design and processing
carbon steel materials
sustainable chemical manufacturing
advanced fibrous materials
advanced engineered components
titanium processing and manufacturing.

Mining

CSIRO provides science and engineering solutions for the mining industries while delivering benefits to the economy, society and the environment. CSIRO’s research areas include:

exploration strategies and technologies
mine design, equipment and procedures
ore deposit geology and geochemistry
remote-operated mining technology
metal mining and production
measurement tools for mining, mineral processing and metal production
fluids process modelling
advanced processing technologies.

International collaboration

CSIRO encourages and supports global partnerships in order to:

Share knowledge with other world-leading science organisations
Support industry to improve products and processes
Develop and commercialise new technology
Help developing countries reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development
Collaboratively create a more sustainable world.

CSIRO’s international collaborations involve regional organisations, industry, SMEs, governments and science agencies around the world. Our partners include:

DuPont
Boeing
Rio Tinto Alcan
NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas (USA)
Light Metals Research Centre, University of Auckland
ERSDAC (Japan)
Syncrude (Canada)
Hydro Aluminium (Norway)
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (USA)
CSIRO Chile International Centre of Excellence in Mining and Mineral Processing.

Examples of international collaboration

Breakthrough technology for primary aluminium

Supporting the aluminium industry to remain globally competitive by developing new energy saving technologies.

Spinning a bullet-proof yarn

CSIRO is working with the University of Texas to develop amazing yarns made from carbon nanofibres.
Carbon fibres are being spun into yarns that conduct heat and electricity, and have the potential to produce a new generation of intelligent textiles. CSIRO is working with universities in Australia and the USA to develop these fibres into commercial products.

CSIRO and ERSDAC: remote partnering for remote sensing

CSIRO and ERSDAC are collaborating to deliver next generation remote sensing technologies for application in resource mapping and environmental monitoring.

Partners cash in on banknote success

CSIRO, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and a Belgian manufacturer have teamed up to produce a revolution in banknote technology.
Over the last decade, our partnership with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and Belgian polymer manufacturer UCB has brought about a revolution in banknote technology, with CSIRO plastic notes now used in 22 countries.