Origin and impact of solute clustering in light alloys. This project is designed to provide a physical metallurgy platform for understanding and interpreting the role of clusters of micro-alloying elements in precipitation in light alloys and aiding new alloy development. Phase transformations play an important role in determining the mechanical properties of many engineering materials. Understanding the origin and impact of solute clustering in phase transformations is crucial for achieving unp ....Origin and impact of solute clustering in light alloys. This project is designed to provide a physical metallurgy platform for understanding and interpreting the role of clusters of micro-alloying elements in precipitation in light alloys and aiding new alloy development. Phase transformations play an important role in determining the mechanical properties of many engineering materials. Understanding the origin and impact of solute clustering in phase transformations is crucial for achieving unprecedented properties in these materials. This project plans to combine atomic-scale characterisation and multi-scale computation to reveal the geometry and energetics of solute clusters and cluster-assisted nucleation in light alloys based on aluminium and magnesium. Applications may include the development of stronger and less costly metallic materials for the aerospace, aircraft and automotive industries.Read moreRead less
Optimisation of self-healing repair systems in aerospace composite structures. Design and manufacture of composite structures for civilian and military aircraft is a multi-billion dollar export business for Boeing Aerostructures Australia and other Australian aerospace companies. To remain globally competitive, Australian industry must develop new expertise for next-generation composite aerostructures that are lighter, cheaper, more damage tolerant and easily repaired. Autonomic self-healing of ....Optimisation of self-healing repair systems in aerospace composite structures. Design and manufacture of composite structures for civilian and military aircraft is a multi-billion dollar export business for Boeing Aerostructures Australia and other Australian aerospace companies. To remain globally competitive, Australian industry must develop new expertise for next-generation composite aerostructures that are lighter, cheaper, more damage tolerant and easily repaired. Autonomic self-healing of composites is an innovative repair technology with many future potential applications for damaged aerostructures. This project will develop analytical tools and data to enable the Australian aerospace industry to take advantage of the economic benefits offered by self-healing repair systems in aircraft composite structures.Read moreRead less
Aligning and Chaining Carbon Nanofillers in Fibre Composites: Synergistically Improving Damage Tolerance and Diagnosis. Recent studies reveal that alternating electric or magnetic fields can rotate conductive nanofillers in polymers. This project aims to advance a new concept of aligning nano-scale reinforcements (for example, graphene nano-sheets and carbon nanofibres) along the thickness direction of composite materials. The alignment of nano-sized reinforcement will address the perennial prob ....Aligning and Chaining Carbon Nanofillers in Fibre Composites: Synergistically Improving Damage Tolerance and Diagnosis. Recent studies reveal that alternating electric or magnetic fields can rotate conductive nanofillers in polymers. This project aims to advance a new concept of aligning nano-scale reinforcements (for example, graphene nano-sheets and carbon nanofibres) along the thickness direction of composite materials. The alignment of nano-sized reinforcement will address the perennial problem of through-thickness weaknesses of fibre-reinforced composites and, at the same time, improve the electrical conductivity of composites. The synergistic improvements in the mechanical and electrical properties will improve damage tolerance and diagnosis of composites, thus expanding their applications in transport and civil construction to help reduce carbon dioxide emission.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100165
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,000.00
Summary
Thermal and mechanical simulation laboratory for light metals. The creation of a thermal and mechanical simulation laboratory for light metals will provide the critical infrastructure needed for generating new alloys and composites. This will extend Australia's competitive advantage in the design of better alloys for expanding applications in the construction, packaging, automotive and aerospace sectors.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100059
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Vacuum induction furnace for casting titanium alloys. This titanium melting facility will provide a level of investment and national strategic focus necessary to sustain Australian competitive advantage in both titanium research and the global titanium market. The facility will support cutting-edge research and support the development of new titanium products.
Development of novel high performance aluminium alloys containing scandium. Development of novel high performance aluminium alloys containing scandium. This project aims to develop a new generation of aerospace aluminium alloys containing scandium. Over 30 million tonnes of high performance aluminium alloys are produced annually. Early investigations showed many beneficial effects of scandium on alloy behaviour, but research was abandoned due to scandium’s high cost. Australia has the largest de ....Development of novel high performance aluminium alloys containing scandium. Development of novel high performance aluminium alloys containing scandium. This project aims to develop a new generation of aerospace aluminium alloys containing scandium. Over 30 million tonnes of high performance aluminium alloys are produced annually. Early investigations showed many beneficial effects of scandium on alloy behaviour, but research was abandoned due to scandium’s high cost. Australia has the largest deposit of scandium in the world, and Australian sustainable extraction technology will markedly lower the price. This project believes that now is an ideal time to capitalise scandium’s beneficial effects and be at the forefront of this new alloy development strategy. Anticipated outcomes are the creation of a new market with economic and sustainable opportunities for the Australian mining sector.Read moreRead less
Designer microstructures through cold spray powder deposition. Additive manufacturing routes are very attractive in terms of reduced material usage and shorter lead times. This project will look at opportunities for the expansion of one such process (cold spray) from surfacing using a single powder feedstock to three-dimensional construction of multi-powder mixtures into high performance components.
Theoretical model that predicts the grain size of alloys inoculated with micro- and nano- particle master alloys and cast under an external field. The aim of this project is to develop a theoretical model that predicts grain size when components are cast under the influence of external fields (electromagnetic, ultrasonic, pulsed electric current and melt shearing treatments) and with the addition of nano-particle master alloys. Refining microstructures by available master alloys is reaching a li ....Theoretical model that predicts the grain size of alloys inoculated with micro- and nano- particle master alloys and cast under an external field. The aim of this project is to develop a theoretical model that predicts grain size when components are cast under the influence of external fields (electromagnetic, ultrasonic, pulsed electric current and melt shearing treatments) and with the addition of nano-particle master alloys. Refining microstructures by available master alloys is reaching a limit and this limits further improvement in mechanical properties to meet the challenge of new applications requiring, for example, high temperature properties or light weighting (for example, use of less material). The outcomes will be a new theoretical model, validated numerical models, new casting technologies and highly refined alloys with greater than 25 per cent improvement in mechanical properties. Read moreRead less