Dr. Tony Filmer

According to Dr Tony Filmer, director of the Light Metals Flagship, Australia has the potential to be the world's Number 2 or even No. 1 producer if it successfully combines advanced technology, investment and knowhow with our vast natural resource base."The key is to radically improve energy efficiency, whilst creating a much wider end use by significantly reducing production costs," he says.

Move over, coal and wine.Light metals are shaping as Australia's star industry turn by the mid-2010s - and our next $10 billion export earner.

Global demand for ultra-light, ultra-strong, recyclable metals is burgeoning as the world switches to low-emission vehicles, energy-saving devices and sustainable products.Aluminium demand is forecast to climb by 30 per cent, magnesium demand by 200 per cent, while for the emerging industrial light metal, titanium, the sky's the limit.

Australia is well-found in all three, with a mature $9bn aluminium industry already among our top exporters, a highly-prospective magnesium industry - despite the difficulties of AMC - and one of the world's richest titanium resources to build a new industry upon.Given such an endowment, the Federal Government, in its Light Metals Action Agenda, sees little reason why Australia should not become a world leader in light metals.

The essential ingredient, according to Comalco's former Managing Director of Smelting, Dr Tony Filmer who now heads up the most ambitious research program in the industry's history, is technology.This was a prime factor underlying the competitive success of both coal and wine, regarded by many - for different reasons - as the stellar performers of the past decade.

"I hold the belief that if Australia can mobilise its technological capability and direct it to the most critical opportunities, we can greatly enhance our light metals industry.However, if we don't, we will gradually slip backwards in the world," says Dr Filmer, who directs the new Leading The Light Metals Age National Research Flagship.
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With more advanced processes, Dr Filmer considers it possible that most of the aluminium, magnesium or titanium produced today will still be in use centuries from now.

"Light metals require a lot of energy to produce but because we can recycle them to readily, they are far more energy-efficient than other materials over their total life-cycle.We aim to improve on that."he says.

A further dimension is the opportunity to integrate from one industry to another, using the byproducts of light metals production as the feed for other kinds of products, he says.
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"There are about 1400 Australian companies involved in early-stage or elaborate transformation of light metal minerals and products," Dr Filmer says.
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The goals are unashamedly ambitious, but Tony Filmer is quietly confident they are all achievable if Australian industry and science pool their brains and resources - and move the technology to the value-add stage as quickly as possible.

"Australian scientists have a world-class capability in aluminium, magnesium and titanium research," he says.
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"Its a great example of how Australians are going to do things in future as we seek to develop world-scale industries, " Dr Filmer says.
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Dr Tony Filmer

Flagship Director

Contact: Mr. Antony O. FilmerTel: +61-7-38671920Fax: +61-7-38671953E-mail: tony.filmer@comalco.riotinto.com.au

This 21st century vision is being spread by CSIRO's Dr Tony Filmer, who says light metals offer a clear path to more jobs, big export dollars, and better environmental outcomes for Australia and internationally.

Dr Filmer heads the Light Metals Flagship. It is one of six Flagship programs started by CSIRO to tackle Australia's most vital national challenges. For the Light Metals Flagship, this means forging close working relationships between research organisations such as universities, the Parker Centre and the Cast Metals CRC, as well as mining, mineral and manufacturing companies, and governments.
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Dr Filmer says Australia is already ahead of international competitors through having key natural advantages in all the areas that count. "We have the world's best resource base for these metals, a competitive energy environment and, most importantly, we have teams of people who are highly skilled at undertaking these extremely technically complex manufacturing activities."

Dr Filmer sees innovative technologies, such as the processes being developed in the light metals industry, as a drawcard for large-scale investment to Australia that is potentially worth billions of dollars. This will lead to more jobs in areas that need them, especially regional Australia, he says.

One familiar light metal, aluminium, is so much a part of everyday life that Australians take its strength, non-corrosiveness, lightness and recyclability for granted. Dr Filmer believes there will be a day when the newer light metals, magnesium and titanium, will be just as essential to our lives, economy and environment. For example, in cars, trucks, ships and aircraft, light metals are already reducing the overall weight of vehicles and therefore their fuel consumption.
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The Flagship's focus for the long-established aluminium industry will be on increasing its effectiveness through clever technology, Dr Filmer says.