US keynote speaker joins former students and staff at international synthetic metals conference

Jun 29, 2004

Visiting US scientist and keynote speaker, Professor Dennis Tallman, has addressed the International Conference on the Science and Technology of Synthetic Metals (ICSM2004), running from June 28 to July 2, about his recent research with the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Professor Tallman, a former Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI) Fellow at the University of Wollongong, has re-joined fellow IPRI colleagues and graduates for the ICSM2004 discussing new developments in corrosion control in aircraft construction. The conference has attracted more than 700 participants from 37 countries.

He is particularly looking at ways to eliminate the carcinogen, chromium, from the currently used aircraft coating process.

"Alternative coating systems which involve conducting polymers interacting with aluminium alloys have shown very promising results for long-term corrosion control," Professor Tallman said.

Professor Tallman may approach BlueScope Steel with the possibility of collaboration within this area of research. He previously had discussions with BlueScope during his initial stay at the University of Wollongong four years ago.

Other IPRI graduates who are attending the conference include:

• Professor Abdulreza Mirmohseni now at the University of Tabriz and currently the youngest Professor in Iran
• Dr Andrew Minett who has a lecturing position at Trinity College in Ireland
• Dr Dezhi Zhao who recently took a position as a Senior Research Chemist at Valspar in Sydney
• Dr Trevor Lewis now located at the Chemistry Department of the University of Tasmania
• Dr Ian Norris and Dr Wen Lu who are both in Santa Fe (USA) with the Science and Technology company, and
• Dr Mark Imisides now in Western Australia.

A photograph of the IPRI graduates attending the ICSM2004 is available on request. Further information: Please contact Vicky Wallace (M: 0422 471031).

Business Opportunities Session

Media please also note that the very first Business Opportunities Session for the ICSM, (the first such session for the conference's 28 year history), will take place on Wednesday June 30, in the McKinnon Building (67), room 107, between 1.30-4.15pm.

The aim of this Business Opportunities Session is to communicate directly with businesses about potential partnerships and collaborations that are an integral part of modern research and development and which make possible the commercialisation of cutting edge technology. In particular, conference organisers aim to inform businesses about the huge potential within the area of synthetic metals and in nanotechnology generally that exists within the Illawarra.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128