Research Consulting
WP Gates, proprietor
SmecTech Curriculum Vitae Publication List Technical Reports Conference Titles Selected Abstracts
Dr. Will Gates created SmecTech Research Consulting in 2006 to serve the R&D needs of the clay minerals industry in Australasia. He has been professionally involved in clay mineral research and development since 1994 in North America, Europe and Australia at Universities and State and Federal/Commonwealth agencies. His research interests include the preparation, application and characterization of clay minerals and their modified products for use in the environmental, agricultural, materials and nanotechnology industries.
He holds a position as Research Fellow with the Geomechanics group, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University has an ongoing collaborative affiliation with the Centre for Green Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Monash University.
He serves as an Associate Editor for Clays and Clay Minerals, the Journal of The Clay Minerals Society and on the Editorial Board of Applied Clay Science.
He has co-authored 40 peer-reviewed journal publications or book chapters and more than 29 industry reports. He has participated in numerous scientific conferences, symposia & workshops as a participant, speaker, chair or organizer.
His expertise includes:
¨ Physical-chemical and geo-mechanical measures of clay reactivity e.g., swelling, fabric, swelling pressure, permeability, bulk and particle density and contaminant adsorption
¨ Spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction analysis and characterization of organoclays, smectites, bentonites, shale, sediments and soils
¨ Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy and spectromicroscopy [ASRP2.pdf] applied to clay minerals, bentonites and soils
¨ Surface modification of bentonites/smectites, including acid-activation, organic modification, charge-reduction, milling/micronising, and the application, analysis and characterisation of these products
[PIR TMPA] [X-ray HDTMA]
¨ Research and development project management, including development, budgeting, logistics and reporting
