Home > Media releases > 2005

PRIME MINISTER'S PRIZE FOR SCIENCE AWARDED TO PROFESSOR DAVID BOGER
5 October 2005

The President and Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science congratulate Professor David Boger on the award of the Prime Minister's Prize for Science. Celebrating his lifetime achievements in the area of non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, Professor Boger received the prize from the Prime Minister at a ceremony held in the Great Hall of Parliament House last night.

Non-Newtonian fluids display unusual properties because they behave both as liquids and solids: oils, sauce, ink, paint, toothpaste and mineral slurries are among many common products that have these properties. David Boger's research has led to an understanding of the way this quirky group of fluids flow, resulting in improved industrial applications, the solving of environmental problems and huge economic savings.

David Boger discovered 'perfect' non-Newtonian fluids, which are elastic and have constant viscosity and are now known as Boger fluids. It was through the study of Boger fluids that he was able to develop the tools to predict how non-Newtonian fluids behave. Boger is famed for the application of his predictive tools to the problem of 'red mud' disposal. 'Red mud' is the toxic waste from mineral bauxite processing for the production of aluminium. Improved 'red mud' disposal methods are saving one aluminium producer alone around $10 million per year. Boger's research has resulted in many other improvements over a wide range of technologies, such as enhanced inks for industrial inkjet printers; insecticide chemicals that spread evenly on leaves; and the reduction of drag on oil flowing through pipelines.

David Boger was elected to the Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science in 1993 as an internationally recognised expert in non-Newtonian fluid mechanics and the discoverer of Boger fluids. He served on the Council of the Australian Academy of Science from 1999-2002 and was awarded the Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture in 2000. He has held positions in chemical engineering at both Monash University and the University of Melbourne and is one of three inaugural Laureate Professors at the University of Melbourne.