Professor Bill Skinner
Contact Details
Tel: +61 8 8302 3690
Fax: +61 8 8302 3683
Email: bill.skinner@unisa.edu.au
Position
Research Professor of Interface Analysis and Synchrotron Science
Qualifications
BSc Melbourne BAppSc PhD RMIT
Background
Bill Skinner completed his PhD while lecturing in Applied Physics at RMIT. He then jointed the Australian Antarctic Division working as a Field Glaciologist with the Ice Core Drilling Program over a period of two years. He joined
The Wark in 1992 working on the surface chemistry and physics of minerals and materials.
Research Interests
Majority of activity is in the study of physical and chemical processes
at surfaces and interfaces. In particular, mineral and material surface
chemistry together with forensics, environmental science and biomaterials.
To this end, Bill employs advanced surface spectroscopy/spectrometry,
including the wide-ranging application of synchrotron science.
These includes Surface and near surface analytical techniques - X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and synchrotron radiation XPS (SR-XPS),
soft and hard X-ray absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), scanning Auger microscopy
(SAM), Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), X-ray
Fluorescence Microprobe (XFM), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS),
proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE), scanning electron microscopy (SEM),
etc.
Since joining The Wark, a major focus has been in the fundamental properties
of mineral surfaces and the impact of bulk structure on surface reaction
(oxidation, dissolution metal ion activation and molecular adsorption). This
has been in parallel with applied research in mineral processing strategies
across all aspects of the industry, including advanced mineralogy, grinding/attritioning
chemistry, conditioning, pulp and surface chemistry in flotation and
physical separation, leaching/dissolution, water chemistry,
flocculation/settling, agglomeration, etc.
Current and Recent Projects
AMIRA P260F - Influence of Process Mineralogy and Pulp Chemistry on the
Flotation of Fine and Coarse Minerals, Skinner and Zanin.
ARC Linkage - Collection of Coarse, Composite Particles by Bubbles in
Flotation, Skinner, Zanin, White, Fornasiero and Leal.
ARC Discovery - Synthesis and Characterisation of Cadmium-Free Quantum Dots,
Nann and Skinner.
ARC Discovery - Patchy colloidosomes at interfaces: correlation of particle
surface heterogeneity, wettability and chemical activity at the nanoscale,
Wang, Beattie, Skinner, Whitby, Priest, Liz-Marzan, Bao and Xinhe.
CSIRO Cluster Grant - Preconcentration and Agglomeration to Enhance Heap
Leaching of Nickel Laterite, Ralston, Addai-Mensah, Skinner, Fornasiero,
Liu, Franks, Klein and Pawlik.
NH&MRC - Synchrotron X-ray assessment of airway surface physiology for
cystic fibrosis, Parsons, Siu, Donnelley and Skinner.
ARC LIEF - Multi-purpose facility for enhanced complex ore beneficiation and
waste material recycling, Addai-Mensah, Skinner, Zanin, Yung and Grano.
ARC LIEF - High performance EPMA optimised for the microanalysis of
sulphides and heavy elements, Brugger, Hand, Ebendorff-Heidepriem, Lenehan,
Thomkins, Skinner and Ehrig.
ARC LIEF - Versatile Scanning X-ray Microscopy Facility at the Australian
Synchrotron, Nugent, Peele, Dastoor, Skinner, Gates, Masters, Tilley, Heraud,
Lay, Cowie and Paterson.
ARC LIEF - Equipment for Metastable Induced Electron Spectroscopy: Surface
analysis with excellent surface sensitivity, Andersson, Griesser, Metha,
Warr, Singh Skinner, Quinton and Liu.
Affiliations/Institutions
Councillor - Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering 2000-2003
Chair - Australian Synchrotron Research Program - Taiwan Specialist
Committee 2000-2008
Chair (inaugural) - Australian Synchrotron Soft X-ray Spectroscopy
Program Advisory Committee 2007-2011
Standards Australia Committee for ISO/TC 201 Technical Committee for Surface Spectroscopy 1998-present
Centre for Australian Forensic Soil Science (CAFSS) Board Member
2006-present
Australian Synchrotron Users Group 2008-2009
Australian Synchrotron Soft X-ray Microscopy Beamline Advisory Panel
(BAP) 2007-present
Commissioning Team for the Australian Synchrotron Research Program
(ASRP) Soft X-ray Endstation at NSRRC Taiwan
Adjunct Research Professor appointment, Earth Sciences, University of
Western Ontario, Canada 2004-present
Publications (2005 - May 2012)
2012
Nosrati, A., Addai-Mensah, J. and Skinner, W., Rheological behaviour of
muscovite clay slurries: Effect of water quality and solution
speciation, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 102-103, 89-98
(2012)
Nosrati, A., Addai-Mensah, J. and Skinner, W., Gelation of aqueous clay
mineral dispersions leaching at low pH: Effect of mineral/pulp
composition and temperature, Powder Technology, 223, 98-104 (2012)
Nosrati, A., Addai-Mensah, J. and Skinner, W., Muscovite clay mineral
particle interactions in aqueous media, Powder Technology, 219, 228-238
(2012)
Walsh, R. B., Nelson, A., Skinner, W. M., Parsons, D., Craig, V. S. J.,
Van Der Waals and Diffuse double layer Forces between titanium dioxide
surfaces produced by Atomic Layer Deposition, Journal of Physical
Chemistry C, 116, 7838-7847 (2012)
Brito E Abreu, S. and Skinner, W.M., Determination of advancing and
receding contact angles, silane coverage and hydrophobicity
heterogeneity using ToF-SIMS: the case of methylated quartz surfaces,
Langmuir, accepted April 22nd (2012)
2011
Nosrati, A., Addai-Mensah, J. and Skinner, W., Rheology of Aging Aqueous
Muscovite Clay Dispersions, Chemical Engineering Science, 66(2), 119-127
(2011)
Brito E Abreu, S. and Skinner, W.M., ToF-SIMS-derived hydrophobicity in
DTP flotation of chalcopyrite: Contact angle distributions in flotation
streams, International Journal of Mineral Processing, 98(1-2), 35-41
(2011)
Brito E Abreu, S. and Skinner, W.M., Predicting the surface chemistry
contribution to the flotation recovery of chalcopyrite by ToF-SIMS,
Minerals Engineering, 24(2), 160-168 (2011)
Qian, G., Xia, F., Brugger, J., Skinner, W.M., Bei, J., Chen, G., Pring,
A., Replacement of pyrrhotite by pyrite and marcasite under hydrothermal
conditions up to 220oC: An experimental study of reaction textures and
mechanisms, American Mineralogist, 96, 1878-1893 (2011).
Nann, T., Skinner, W.M., Quantum dots for electro-optic devices, ACS
Nano, 5(7), 5291-5295 (2011)
Nosrati, A., Addai-Mensah, J. and Skinner, Influence of Mineral
Chemistry on Electrokinetic and Rheological Behavior of Aqueous
Muscovite Dispersions, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research,
50(19), 11087-11096 (2011)
2010
Denman, J.A., Skinner, W.M., Kirkbride, K.P., Kempson, I.M., Organic and
inorganic discrimination of ballpoint pen inks by ToF-SIMS and
multivariate statistics, Applied Surface Science, 256(7), 2155-2163
(2010)
Badalyan, A., Bromball, R., Pendleton, P., Skinner, W., An assessment of
activated carbon cloth microporosity change due to chemical activation,
Carbon, 48(4), 1004-1011 (2010).
Kempson, I.M., Skinner, W.M. and Martin, R.R., Changes in the Metal
Content of Human Hair during Diagenesis from 500 Years Exposure to
Glacial and Aqueous Environments, Archaeometry, 52(3), 450-466 (2010)
Donnelley, M., Morgan, K.S., Fouras, A., Skinner, W., Uesugi, K., Yagi,
N., Siu, K.K.W. and Parsons, D.W., A new technique to examine individual
particle and fibre deposition and transit behaviour in live mouse
trachaea, Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 17(6), 719-729 (2010)
Goh, S.W., Buckley, A.N., Skinner, W.M., Fan, L-J., An X-ray
photoelectron and absorption spectroscopic investigation of the
electronic structure of cubanite, CuFe2S3 , Physics and Chemistry of
Minerals, 37, 389-405 (2010)
Brito E Abreu, S., Brien, C., Skinner, W.M., ToF-SIMS as a new method to
determine the contact angle of mineral surfaces, Langmuir, 26(11),
8122-8130 (2010).
Qian, G., Brugger, J., Skinner, W.M., Chen, G., Pring, A., Hydrothermal
replacement of magnetite by pyrite up to 300oC, Geochimica et
Cosmochimica Acta, 74(19), 5610-5630 (2010)
Ye, X., Gredelj, S., Skinner, W., Grano, S., Regrinding sulphide
minerals ? Breakage mechanisms in milling and their influence on surface
properties and flotation behaviour, Powder Technology, 203(2), 133-147
(2010)
Ye, X., Gredelj, S., Skinner, W., Grano, S., Evidence for Surface
Cleaning of Sulphide Minerals by Attritioning in Stirred Mills, Minerals
Engineering, 23(11-13), 937-944 (2010)
2009
Harmer, S.L., Skinner, W.M., Buckley, A.N., Fan, L-J., Species formed at
cuprite fracture surfaces; observation of O 1s surface core level shift,
Surface Science, 603, 537-545 (2009)
Qian, G., Pring, A., Brugger, J., Skinner, W.M., Chen, G., Replacement
of magnetite by pyrite under hydrothermal conditions, Journal of
Geochemical Exploration, 101(1), 83pp (2009)
Smith, E., Kempson, I., Juhasz, A., Weber, J., Skinner, W.M. and Gr?e,
M., Localization and speciation of arsenic and trace elements in rice
tissues, Chemosphere, 76(4), 529-535 (2009)
Beattie, D.A., Kempson, I.M., Fan, L-J. and Skinner, W.M., Synchrotron
XPS studies of collector adsorption and co-adsorption on gold and
gold-silver alloy surfaces, International Journal of Mineral Processing,
92(3-4), 162-168 (2009)
Donnelley, M., Morgan, K.S., Fouras, A., Skinner, W., Uesugi, K., Yagi,
N., Siu, K.K.W. and Parsons, D.W., Real-time non-invasive detection of
inhalable particulates delivered into live mouse airways, Journal of
Synchrotron Radiation, Volume 16(4), 553-561 (2009)
Buckley, A.N., Skinner, W.M., Harmer, S.L., Pring, A., Fan, L-J.,
Electronic environment of Cu in carrollite, CuCo2S4, determined by soft
X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy, Geochimica et
Cosmochimica Acta, 73(15), 4452-4467 (2009)
Nosrati, A., Addai-Mensah, J., Skinner, W., pH-mediated interfacial
chemistry and particle interactions in aqueous muscovite dispersions,
Chemical Engineering Journal, 152(2-3), 406-414 (2009)
Cook, N.J., Ciobanu, C.L., Pring, A., Skinner, W., Shimizu, M.,
Danyushevsky, L., Saini-Eidukat, B. & Melcher, F., Trace and minor
elements in sphalerite: a LA-ICPMS study, Geochimica et Cosmochimica
Acta, 73(16), 4761-4791 (2009)
Sung, Y.H., Brugger, J., Ciobanu, C., Pring, A., Skinner, W., Nugus, M.,
Invisible gold in arsenian pyrite and arsenopyrite from a multistage
Archaean gold deposit: Sunrise Dam, Eastern Goldfields Province, Western
Australia, Mineralium Deposita, 44(7), 765-791 (2009). Journal: A, IF =
2.037
Buckley, A.N., Goh, S.W., Skinner, W.M., Woods, R., Fan, L-J.,
Interaction of cuprite with dialkyl dithiophosphates, International
Journal of Mineral Processing, 93(2), 155-164 (2009)
Zanin, M., Ametov, I., Grano, S., Lin, Z. & Skinner, W., A study of
mechanisms affecting molybdenite recovery in a bulk copper/molybdenum
flotation circuit, International Journal of Mineral Processing,
93(3-4),256-266 (2009)
Coumbaros, J., Kirkbride, K. P., Klass, G. & Skinner, W., Application of
Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry to the in situ analysis
of ballpoint pen Inks on paper, Forensic Science International,
193(1-3), 42-46 (2009)
2008
Denman, J.A., Kempson, I.M., Kirkbride, K.P. & Skinner, W.M.,
Discrimination of pencil markings on paper using elemental analysis,
Forensic Science International, 175, 123-129 (2008)
Priest, C., Stevens, N., Sedev, R., Skinner, W., Ralston, R., Inferring
wettability of heterogeneous surfaces by ToF-SIMS, Journal of Colloid
and Interface Science, 320, 563-568 (2008)
Coumbaros, J., Denman, J., Kirkbride, K. P., Walker, G. S. & Skinner,
W., An Investigation into the Spatial Elemental Distribution within a
Pane of Glass by Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. Journal
of Forensic Science, 53(2), 312-320 (2008)
Grafe, M., Beattie, D.A., Smith, E.R., Skinner, W.M., Singh, B., Copper
and arsenate co-sorption at the mineral-water interfaces of goethite and
jarosite, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 322(2), 399-413
(2008)
Beattie, D.A., Chapelet, J.K., Grafe, M., Skinner, W.M., Smith, E., In
situ ATR-FTIR particle film studies of sulphate adsorption in the
presence of Cu(II), Environmental Science and Technology, 42 (24), pp
9191?9196 (2008)
2007
Prestidge, C.A., Barnes, T.J. and Skinner, W.M., ToF-SIMS for the
Surface Characterization of Solid State Pharmaceuticals, Journal of
Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 59, 251-259 (2007)
Newell, A.J.H., Skinner, W.M. and Bradshaw, D.J., Restoring the
floatability of oxidised sulfides using sulfidisation, International
Journal of Mineral Processing, Peter King Tribute Issue, 84(1-4),
108-117 (2007)
Prestidge, C.A., Barnes, T.J., Mierczynska-Vasilev, Skinner, W.M.,
Peddie, F., Hian Lau, C. & Barnett, C., Loading and release of a model
protein from porous silicon powders, Physica Status Solidi A, 204(10),
3361-3366 (2007)
Kempson, I.M., Skinner, W.M. Kirkbride. K.P., The occurance and
incorporation of Cu and Zn in hair and their potential role as
bio-indicators. A review. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health
B, 10(8), 611-622 (2007)
von Oertzen, G.U., Skinner, W.M., Nesbitt, H.W., Pratt, A.R. & Buckley,
A.N., Cu adsorption on pyrite (100): Ab initio and spectroscopic study,
Surface Science, 601, 5794-5799 (2007)
Buckley, A.N., Skinner, W.M., Harmer, S.L.,Pring, A., Fan, L-J. and
Yang, Y-W., Examination of the proposition that Cu(II) can be required
for charge neutrality in a sulfide lattice; Cu in tetrahedrites and
sphalerite, Canadian Journal of Chemistry Special Issue, 85, 767-781
(2007)
Sung, Y-H, Ciobanu, C.L. Pring, A. Brugger, J., Skinner, W., Cook, N.J.,
Nugus, M., Tellurides from Sunrise Dam gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton,
Western Australia: a new occurrence of nagyagite, Mineralogy and
Petrology, 91, 249-270 (2007)
2006
Huang, G., Grano, G. and Skinner, W., Galvanic interaction between
grinding media and arsenopyrite and its effect on flotation: Part II.
Effect of grinding on flotation, International Journal of Mineral
Processing, 78(3), 198-213 (2006)
Khmeleva, T.N., Chapelet, J.K., Skinner, W.M. and Beattie, D.A.,
Depression mechanisms of sodium bisulphite in the xanthate-induced
flotation of copper activated sphalerite, International Journal of
Mineral Processing, 79(1), 61-75 (2006)
von Oertzen, G.U., Skinner, W.M. and Nesbitt, H.W., Surface States of
Pyrite (100): Ab initio and Spectroscopic Studies, with Implications for
Reactivity, Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 75(11), 1855-1860 (2006)
Goh, S.W., Buckley, A.N., Lamb, R.N., Skinner, W.M., Pring, A., Fan,
L-J., Jang, L-Y., Lai, L-J. and Yang, Y-W., Sulfur electronic
environments in α-NiS and β-NiS: Examination of the relationship between
coordination number and core electron binding energies, Physics and
Chemistry of Minerals, 33, 98-105 (2006)
Kempson, I.M., Skinner, W.M. and Kirkbride, K.P., Advanced analysis of
metal distributions in human hair, Environmental Science and Technology,
40, 3423-3428 (2006)
Kumar, S. and Skinner, W.M., Plasma cleaning of a commercially available
hydroxyapatite-coated external fixation pin by the radio frequency glow
discharge technique, Journal of ASTM International, 3(3), (2006)
Weber, P.A., Skinner, W.M., Hughes, J.B., Lindsay, P. and Moore, T.A.,
Source of Ni in coal mine acid rock drainage, West Coast, New Zealand,
International Journal of Coal Geology, 67(4), 214-220 (2006)
He, S., Fornasiero, D. and Skinner, W., Effect of oxidation potential
and zinc sulphate on the separation of chalcopyrite from pyrite,
International Journal of Mineral Processing, 80(2-4), 169-176 (2006)
von Oertzen, G.U., Harmer, S.L. and Skinner, W.M., XPS and ab initio
calculation of surface states of sulfide minerals: pyrite, chalcopyrite
and molybdenite, Molecular Simulation, 32(15), 1207?1212 (2006)
2005
Martin, R.R., Kempson, I.M., Naftel, S.J. and Skinner, W.M., Preliminary
synchrotron analysis of Pb in hair from a lead smelter worker,
Chemosphere, 58, 1385?1390 (2005)
Kempson, I.M. and Skinner, W.M., ToF-SIMS analysis of elemental
distributions in human hair, Science of the Total Environment, 338,
213-227 (2005)
Kempson, I.M., Kirkbride, K.P., Skinner, W.M. and Coumbaros, J.,
Applications of synchrotron radiation in forensic trace evidence
analysis, Talanta, 67(2), 286-303 (2005)
Khmeleva, T.N., Skinner, W. and Beattie, D.A., Depressing mechanisms of
sodium bisulphite in the collectorless flotation of copper-activated
sphalerite, International Journal of Mineral Processing, Volume 76,
Issues 1-2, 43-53 (2005)
Khmeleva, T.N., Georgiev, T.V., Jasieniak, M., Skinner, W.M. and
Beattie, D.A., XPS and ToF-SIMS study of a chalcopyrite-pyrite-sphalerite
mixture treated with xanthate and sodium bisulphite, Surface and
Interface Analysis, 37, 699-709 (2005)
Weber, P.A., Thomas, J.E., Skinner, W.M. and Smart, R.St.C., A
methodology to determine the acid-neutralization capacity of rock
samples, Canadian Mineralogist, Volume 43, Number 4, 1183-1192 (2005)
Weber, P.A., Thomas, J.E., Skinner, W.M. and Smart, R.St.C., Calculated
acid-base balance for H2O2 oxidation of carbonate-poor pyritic
mine-rock, Canadian Mineralogist, Volume 43, Number 4, 1193-1203 (2005)
He, S., Fornasiero, D. and Skinner, W., Correlation between
copper-activated pyrite flotation and surface species: Effect of pulp
oxidation potential, Minerals Engineering, Volume 18, Issue 12, Pages
1208-1213, (2005)
Zakaznova-Iakovleva, V.P., Harmer, S.L., Nesbitt, H.W., Bancroft, G.M.,
Tse, J.S. and Skinner, W., High resolution valence band spectra of
silicates, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 69 (10): A41 Suppl. S,
(2005)
Zakaznova-Iakovleva, V.P., Nesbitt, H.W., Bancroft, G.M., Tse, J.S., Gao,
X. and Skinner, W., High Resolution Valence Band XPS Spectra of Quartz
and Olivine, Physical Review B, Volume 72, Number 20, 205113 (2005)
von Oertzen, G.U., Skinner, W.M. and Nesbitt, H.W., Ab initio and x-ray
photoemission spectroscopy study of the bulk and surface electronic
structure of pyrite (100) with implications for reactivity, Physical
Review B, 72, 235427 (2005)