STAFF PROFILE
Dr Will Ng
Dr. Ng joined the School of Science and Centre for Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry in late 2018, working with Prof. Miao Chen to examine different methods for treating undesirable arsenic compounds and preg-robbing carbonaceous materials in the processing of gold-bearing minerals.
After graduating from the University of Melbourne with a double degree in Chemical Engineering and Commerce, Dr. Ng worked with Newcrest Mining, one of Australia’s largest producers of gold, as a metallurgist. Building on his experience in mineral processing, he returned to the University of Melbourne in to complete his PhD, where he investigated the application of stimuli-responsive polymers in the flotation recovery of copper and iron from complex ore deposits.
Dr, Ng has since been involved in various research areas including the use of thermal-responsive catalysts for detergents, photo-responsive flocculants for solid-liquid separation, and the synthesis of ceramic mayenite semiconductors. His research interests include the use of novel and unconventional approaches to tackle challenges faced in minerals treatment, with an emphasis on flotation, pressure oxidation, and leaching.
He is open for discussions on possible research collaborations, and is not seeking students at this point in time.
Research Areas
- Extractive metallurgy - flotation, pressure oxidation, cyanide leaching
- Arsenic management - primarily in gold-bearing ores
- Stimuli-responsive materials - primarily in temperature- and photo-responsive polymers
Research Focus
- Low-cost and environmentally-friendly methods for the recovery of gold from complex ores
- Arsenic fixation and management in complex gold-bearing ores
- Novel approaches to recovering fine particles in the froth flotation of valuable minerals
- Synthesis and application of functionalised stimuli-responsive polymers for minerals treatment and catalytic applications
- PhD (Chemical Engineering) - University of Melbourne
- Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical, 1st class honours) - University of Melbourne
- Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) - University of Melbourne
- Graduate metallurgist (Telfer) - Newcrest Mining
- Ng, W.,Wang, Q.,Chen, M. (2022). A review of Preg-robbing and the impact of chloride ions in the pressure oxidation of double refractory ores In: Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, 43, 69 - 96
- Ng, W.,Liu, Y.,Wang, Q.,Chen, M. (2022). The fate of the arsenic species in the pressure oxidation of refractory gold ores: Practical and modelling aspects In: Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, , 1 - 33
- Liu, Y.,Ng, W.,Chen, M. (2022). Thermodynamic analysis of the immobilisation of arsenic during the pressure oxidation and curing processes In: Minerals Engineering, 185, 1 - 15
- Ng, W.,Liu, Y.,Chen, M. (2022). The effect of curing on arsenic precipitation and kinetic study of pressure oxidation of pyrite and arsenopyrite In: Minerals Engineering, 185, 1 - 15
- Ng, W.,Connal, L.,Forbes, E.,Mohanarangam, K.,Franks, G. (2018). In situ study of aggregate sizes formed in chalcopyrite-quartz mixture using temperature-responsive polymers In: Advanced Powder Technology, 29, 1940 - 1949
- Ng, W.,Cooper, L.,Connal, L.,Forbes, E.,Jameson, G.,Franks, G. (2018). Tuneable collector/depressant behaviour of xanthate-functional temperature-responsive polymers in the flotation of copper sulfide: Effect of shear and temperature In: Minerals Engineering, 117, 91 - 99
- Ng, W.,Connal, L.,Forbes, E.,Franks, G. (2018). A review of temperature-responsive polymers as novel reagents for solid-liquid separation and froth flotation of minerals In: Minerals Engineering, 123, 144 - 159
- Ng, W.,Connal, L.,Forbes, E.,Mohanarangam, K.,Franks, G. (2017). In situ investigation of aggregate sizes formed using thermo-responsive polymers: Effect of temperature and shear In: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 494, 139 - 152
- Ng, W.,Forbes, E.,Franks, G.,Connal, L. (2016). Xanthate-Functional Temperature-Responsive Polymers: Effect on Lower Critical Solution Temperature Behavior and Affinity toward Sulfide Surfaces In: Langmuir, 32, 7443 - 7451
- Ng, W.,Connal, L.,Forbes, E.,Franks, G. (2016). Xanthate-functional temperature-responsive polymers as selective flocculants and collectors for fines recovery In: Minerals Engineering, 96-97, 73 - 82