October 2025

Aussie researchers develop eco-friendly roof tiles using coal ash and recycled glass, cutting CO₂ emissions by 13%

RMIT University Key facts: RMIT University and Bristile Roofing developed sustainable roof tiles using coal ash and recycled glass, reducing CO₂ emissions by 13% compared to traditional concrete tiles The tiles replace 10% cement with pond ash and 10% river sand with unwashed glass waste, whilst maintaining quality and improving fire resistance Successful full-scale manufacturing trials were conducted at Bristile Roofing’s Melbourne facility, demonstrating commercial viability The technology has also been adapted to create concrete bricks using 35% waste materials, offering 30% better insulation than conventional bricks Australia produces 12 million tonnes of coal ash annually and 1.3 million tonnes of glass waste, making this innovation significant for waste management A groundbreaking collaboration between RMIT University and Bristile Roofing has led to the development of sustainable roof tiles incorporating coal ash and recycled glass, achieving a 13% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to traditional concrete tiles. This Australian innovation addresses the pressing issue of industrial waste management by re-purposing materials that would otherwise contribute to landfill, while offering consumers a durable, fire-resistant roofing option that meets Australian Standards. The full-scale manufacturing trials at Bristile Roofing’s Melbourne facility produced hundreds of these eco-friendly tiles, demonstrating both environmental and engineering benefits. A comprehensive circular life cycle assessment of the new tiles, covering the entire process from raw material production through to end-of-life landfilling, demonstrated a 13% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to conventional concrete tiles. RMIT’s Dr Yulin Patrisia, Bristile Roofing’s Samantha So, RMIT’s Dr David Law and student Madushan Mudiyanselage at the Bristile factory in Dandenong. RMIT project lead, Dr Chamila Gunasekara, said this substantial environmental benefit largely stems from using harvested pond ash and unwashed recycled glass sand, which avoid energy-intensive processing and effectively replace virgin materials. “By replacing 10% of cement with harvested pond ash and 10% of […]

The global race is on to secure critical minerals

Amir Razmiou, Associate Professor, Edith Cowan University It’s clear there’s an era of global competition underway. Critical minerals are essential for manufacturing advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles and renewables. And governments everywhere are racing to secure a future supply. Australia holds vast reserves of lithium, rare earths, cobalt and tungsten. This presents both a golden opportunity and a looming challenge. What, exactly, are critical minerals? And what advantages might they offer to Australia? What are they? Critical minerals are the raw materials used to manufacture objects like mobile phones, wind turbines and weapons. They underpin the technologies of the next industrial age, from lithium-ion batteries to F-35 fighter jets. There’s no single list of critical minerals, as countries have their own definitions of what is essential. The Australian government describes them as elements essential for modern technologies, the economy and national security with supply chains vulnerable to geopolitical risk. In Australia, the 31 minerals and rare earths defined as ‘critical’ include lithium, magnesium and zirconium. Rare earths are heavy metals used in electrical and magnetic components. These elements aren’t truly rare in the Earth’s crust but occur in low concentrations, making them difficult and expensive to extract. Geoscience Australia has mapped extensive deposits of critical minerals across the continent. Accessing them could position Australia as a key supplier to global clean-energy industries. The critical mineral lithium is essential to building large rechargable batteries used in renewables projects. Ted Shaffrey/AAP A booming industry Australia’s current Critical Minerals Strategy sets out a plan to move from simply mining and extracting these minerals to going further to refine, process and manufacture them. This is backed by initiatives such as the $4 billion Critical Minerals Facility to support projects aligned with the strategy. This also includes a new 10% production tax credit for onshore refining. Together, these policies form a strong foundation […]

DroneShield announces South Australia R&D facility

DroneShield, a global leader in counter-drone and electronic warfare (EW) solutions, is pleased to announce a $13 million investment in a new research and development (R&D) facility in Adelaide, South Australia. This $13 million investment is a direct contribution to South Australia’s economy, covering three years of operational and capital expenditure. It will initially create around 20 high-skilled engineering roles in Adelaide, focused on radio frequency (RF) electronics, EW, and systems integration, to directly support DroneShield’s mission to deliver cutting-edge defence technologies. The South Australian expansion complements DroneShield’s existing engineering operations in Sydney and supports the Company’s continued growth in advanced RF electronics and EW capabilities. Adelaide has been chosen due to its proximity to leading global defence and aerospace organisations, a highly skilled engineering workforce, and established infrastructure supporting advanced technology development, particularly in EW and RF systems. The announcement comes as DroneShield reaches a significant company milestone, this week surpassing 400 employees globally, nearly doubling its team in the past year and more than quadrupling it over the last two years. Approximately 300 of these employees are software and hardware engineers, reinforcing DroneShield’s position as a world-leading technology company focused on delivering advanced defence capabilities. The Company also has around 100 open roles, reflecting its commitment to delivering on its technology roadmap and supporting customers and allies with speed and scale. Premier of South Australia, The Hon Peter Malinauskas, said, “South Australia is the Defence State, and has been recognised by the Business Council as the best place in the country to do business. We welcome DroneShield making the choice to conduct research and development here in Adelaide, creating 20 highly skilled engineering roles. As a Government, we have a strong focus on growing our Research and Development ecosystem, which has the capacity to build our economic complexity […]