ChemCentre is moving
ChemCentre is relocating to new premises as part of the Resources and Chemistry Precinct on the Curtin University site at Bentley.
Please note: ChemCentre's relocation will be staggered, in order to keep service disruption to a minimum. Please call our switchboard (+61 8 9422 9800) in order to determine the most relevant information for your requirements.
From September 9, 2009 the new contact details are as follows:
Postal address
ChemCentre
PO Box 1250
Bentley WA 6983
Street address
ChemCentre
Resources and Chemistry Precinct
South Wing, Building 500
South Entrance Drive (off Manning Road)
Curtin University
Bentley WA 6102
Freight and large sample deliveries
Deliver to the Resources and Chemistry Precinct Service and Delivery Area. Enter via Conlon Street (off Manning Road).
Small sample deliveries
Deliver to the Resources and Chemistry Precinct Service and Delivery Area or to ChemCentre reception (Level 2, enter via the ramp). Enter the visitor carpark via South Entrance Drive (off Manning Road).
Delivery times: 8.00am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday
Visitor access
Visitors must report to ChemCentre reception upon arrival. Please park in the visitor carpark. Be aware visitors and delivery personnel cannot be admitted through the Service and Delivery Area.
New name, new logo, new website
The Chemistry Centre recently launched this new website, reflecting changes flowing from its new status as a Statutory Authority.
The changes included a new name - ChemCentre - and the new logo which depicts several interlocking hexagons.
Those with a chemistry background may at first think of these as an organic cyclic compound. Other interpretations include a depiction of clay minerals or even the management structure of the ChemCentre, where several sections combine to make the whole organisation.
A special feature of the logo is the selection of the purple colour - Perkin's mauve, also known as aniline purple or mauveine.
It was the first synthetic organic chemical dye, mostly 3-amino-2,±9-dimethyl-5-phenyl-7-(p-tolylamino) phenazinium acetate, and was created by chance in 1856 by 18-year-old, William Perkin while trying to synthesize quinine
In one of his attempts to perform the synthesis, Perkin oxidized aniline using potassium dichromate. Under the conditions used and in reaction with the toluidine impurities, a black precipitate formed which had an alcohol soluble purple component. This 'by product' of a failed synthesis proved to be an effective dye for silk and other fabrics, effectively spawning the synthetic organic chemistry industry.
Interestingly, the actual molecular structure of mauveine proved quite difficult to determine and was not known with certainty until 1994. The dye, as produced, is actually a mixture of organic compounds which differ only in the number and placement of methyl groups. The full elucidation of all of the isomers was only determined in 2007.
Our website aims to contain more information, more easily accessed by clients, illustrating the breadth of services and collaborative research we undertake. We welcome your feedback on our new site.
Our critical role in Esperance lead clean-up
ChemCentre is continuing to work with the Department of Health, Planning and Infrastructure, Conservation and Environment and Esperance Shire to resolve the Esperance Lead issue.
Parts of Esperance were contaminated by lead carbonate ore, shipped from Wiluna via truck and rail to the port of Esperance. Several procedures during this transport resulted in lead dust being emitted into the Esperance environment.
As widely reported at the time, a series of bird deaths alerted authorities to the problem. We analysed samples of these birds, leading to the conclusion that lead was implicated in their deaths.
Since that time samples of dust, soil, plant, fish and other materials have been analysed at ChemCentre. All of the analyses have been carried out with rigorous regard to turnaround time, quality assurance and forensic significance. Samples of blood and urine have been analysed separately by the Health Department of WA.
Some level of lead would be expected to be found in the environment as it occurs naturally in some materials and from the long term use of leaded petrol. These 'background' levels would be expected to be quite low, though some higher levels would be expected in certain industrial areas (foundries for instance) or where hobbies (such as lead lighting) involve the use of lead.
In this case it was important to confirm the source of the lead in Esperance. As such, ChemCentre developed techniques of isotopically 'fingerprinting' the lead contained in the samples to determine its source.
We are now working with the Esperance Clean up and Recovery Project team in the phase of the project that will lead to remediation of the Esperance environment.
Pictured above is a dust sample collected by ChemCentre staff (photo courtesy of Dr J. Ottaway).
