Rapid Manufacturing of Aluminium. The project has both national and international significance and addresses the National Research Priority: Frontier Technologies - Advanced Materials (light alloys). Rapid manufacturing produces functional parts directly from a computer solid model using a layer wise rapid prototyping device. Rapid manufacturing is particularly important in the Australian context where small production runs means that tooling and inventory costs are a much larger proportion of t ....Rapid Manufacturing of Aluminium. The project has both national and international significance and addresses the National Research Priority: Frontier Technologies - Advanced Materials (light alloys). Rapid manufacturing produces functional parts directly from a computer solid model using a layer wise rapid prototyping device. Rapid manufacturing is particularly important in the Australian context where small production runs means that tooling and inventory costs are a much larger proportion of the total cost than in North American, European or Asian countries. With a large installed machine base, a substantial automotive and automotive component industry and a major aluminium industry, this project can assist in the further development of these industries.Read moreRead less
New nanolaminate ternary and quaternary alloy phases by thin film synthesis. The availability of suitable materials is a driver of new technologies. We will develop a new class of ternary and quaternary alloys with nanolaminate structures at the atomic scale using a combination of theoretical modeling, novel thin film synthesis and advanced characterization methods. The nanostructure of these materials is expected to promote a rare combination of metallic and ceramic like properties, such as low ....New nanolaminate ternary and quaternary alloy phases by thin film synthesis. The availability of suitable materials is a driver of new technologies. We will develop a new class of ternary and quaternary alloys with nanolaminate structures at the atomic scale using a combination of theoretical modeling, novel thin film synthesis and advanced characterization methods. The nanostructure of these materials is expected to promote a rare combination of metallic and ceramic like properties, such as low friction, high mechanical strength, resistance to heat shock, fracture, corrosion and oxidation, up to very high temperatures. Careful characterisation of the growth process and structure-property relationships will allow us to develop methods of tailoring the property mix for operation in harsh environments.Read moreRead less
"Metal dusting" of austenitic alloys: mechanisms and interventions. "Metal dusting" is a catastrophic form of metal corrosion which we do not yet understand. It affects industries important to Australia: reforming of natural gas and (potentially) ceramic oxide fuel cells. This project aims to understand the process of austenitic alloy dusting, and thereby design materials to resist this form of attack. This will allow new natural gas processing industries in Australia to be internationally compe ...."Metal dusting" of austenitic alloys: mechanisms and interventions. "Metal dusting" is a catastrophic form of metal corrosion which we do not yet understand. It affects industries important to Australia: reforming of natural gas and (potentially) ceramic oxide fuel cells. This project aims to understand the process of austenitic alloy dusting, and thereby design materials to resist this form of attack. This will allow new natural gas processing industries in Australia to be internationally competitive.
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Intelligent Materials Processing: Microstructure And Texture Control In Bcc Metals. In Australia, steel companies are continuing to search for cost effective steel compositions and processing routes. Concurrently, applications for Ti alloys in chemical, medical and aerospace industries are continuing to widen. As an outcome of this project, the basis for the optimisation of processing routes in order to achieve enhanced product properties at lower cost will be established. In the course of this ....Intelligent Materials Processing: Microstructure And Texture Control In Bcc Metals. In Australia, steel companies are continuing to search for cost effective steel compositions and processing routes. Concurrently, applications for Ti alloys in chemical, medical and aerospace industries are continuing to widen. As an outcome of this project, the basis for the optimisation of processing routes in order to achieve enhanced product properties at lower cost will be established. In the course of this work, a new model for the prediction of microstructure and texture evolution during recrystallisation will be developed and new process routes will be designed. Read moreRead less
Structure-Activity Relationships in Silicon-based Photovoltaics Through Atomic Scale Microscopy. This project aims to develop new design principles for silicon-based photovoltaics (PVs) through a comprehensive study of atomic-scale structures and phenomena in PV materials. The development of more efficient photovoltaic materials is of major global importance, given the pressing need for clean and renewable sources of energy. Australia has international leadership in developing solar cell technol ....Structure-Activity Relationships in Silicon-based Photovoltaics Through Atomic Scale Microscopy. This project aims to develop new design principles for silicon-based photovoltaics (PVs) through a comprehensive study of atomic-scale structures and phenomena in PV materials. The development of more efficient photovoltaic materials is of major global importance, given the pressing need for clean and renewable sources of energy. Australia has international leadership in developing solar cell technologies, and the ideal natural environment to exploit these technologies. The fundamental insights derived in this project, such as detailed 3D maps of dopant distributions at the atomic scale, will bolster Australia's international reputation in the field and provide better control in the design of PV devices. Read moreRead less
Development of SmCo-based High Temperature Permanent Magnets: Microstructure and Coercivity Mechanism. This project is to develop high performance permanent magnets for elevated temperature applications. Microstructure and magnetic properties will be examined using atom probe, TEM, XRD and magnetometry. The specific atom probe is the state-of-the-art technique for the characterization of nanostructure and falls in the designated National Research Priority 3, PG2 Frontier Technologies (nanotechno ....Development of SmCo-based High Temperature Permanent Magnets: Microstructure and Coercivity Mechanism. This project is to develop high performance permanent magnets for elevated temperature applications. Microstructure and magnetic properties will be examined using atom probe, TEM, XRD and magnetometry. The specific atom probe is the state-of-the-art technique for the characterization of nanostructure and falls in the designated National Research Priority 3, PG2 Frontier Technologies (nanotechnology). The magnet alloys concerned are an example of Advanced Materials (NRP3, PG3), possessing the best performance amongst such functional materials. The expertise gained in the use of the atom probe technique in this project will have broader applications in the study of nanostructured materials and other metal alloy problems within Australia.Read moreRead less
A Novel Approach to Grain Refinement of Cast Metals. This proposal combines fundamental scientific studies with applied engineering research. The outcomes will offer materials scientists and engineers with a totally new way to understand the grain refinement of cast metals. The new scientific knowledge generated will put Australia at the absolute forefront of the field and maintain our internationally leading position. The new grain refiners and the relevant master alloys to be developed will ....A Novel Approach to Grain Refinement of Cast Metals. This proposal combines fundamental scientific studies with applied engineering research. The outcomes will offer materials scientists and engineers with a totally new way to understand the grain refinement of cast metals. The new scientific knowledge generated will put Australia at the absolute forefront of the field and maintain our internationally leading position. The new grain refiners and the relevant master alloys to be developed will have strong potential to be commercialized to produce cast metals with much improved properties and performance. This will not only increase Australian competitive ability in the international market, but will also make considerable economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Design and synthesis of transparent conducting metal oxides. With advances in solar cell and flexible display technologies the demand and performance requirements for transparent conductors used as electrodes in these devices will increase dramatically. This research program is focused on developing new materials to meet the demand and the challenges of new, more advanced technologies. The project has the potential to generate valuable intellectual property in the form of new generation transpar ....Design and synthesis of transparent conducting metal oxides. With advances in solar cell and flexible display technologies the demand and performance requirements for transparent conductors used as electrodes in these devices will increase dramatically. This research program is focused on developing new materials to meet the demand and the challenges of new, more advanced technologies. The project has the potential to generate valuable intellectual property in the form of new generation transparent conducting oxide materials for a rapidly growing set of applications. The new devices will directly improve our standard of living and additional economic benefits will come from commercialisation of the technology both here and overseas.Read moreRead less
Towards Photonic and Electronic Devices for High Indium Content Nitride Semiconductors. Nitride semiconductors are widely used in mobile phone and lighting applications. The Low Temperature Nitride Semiconductor Group at Macquarie University have specialized in improving the quality of these materials using growth techniques that will allow gallium nitride to become commercially viable for room lighting. In collaboration with researchers in Europe we intend to develop and exploit the next genera ....Towards Photonic and Electronic Devices for High Indium Content Nitride Semiconductors. Nitride semiconductors are widely used in mobile phone and lighting applications. The Low Temperature Nitride Semiconductor Group at Macquarie University have specialized in improving the quality of these materials using growth techniques that will allow gallium nitride to become commercially viable for room lighting. In collaboration with researchers in Europe we intend to develop and exploit the next generation of nitride materials for high-speed mobile communications and photonic applications. The team assembled for this project have excellent credentials in the development of these materials and, importantly, an excellent ability to probe and understand material phenomena.Read moreRead less
Directional atomic ordering in nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials: Development of ultra-efficient magnetic core materials. Soft magnetic materials are used as magnetic cores in electromagnetic devices such as transformers. The latest material development is the use of nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloys. Our theory and experiments have shown that the magnetic softness of nanocrystalline alloys is greatly influenced by directional atomic ordering, which increases magnetic anisotropy and con ....Directional atomic ordering in nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials: Development of ultra-efficient magnetic core materials. Soft magnetic materials are used as magnetic cores in electromagnetic devices such as transformers. The latest material development is the use of nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloys. Our theory and experiments have shown that the magnetic softness of nanocrystalline alloys is greatly influenced by directional atomic ordering, which increases magnetic anisotropy and consequently increases heat loss. We will employ a novel magnetic annealing technique to establish the relationship between this anisotropy and the soft magnetic properties of nanocrystalline alloys. Emphasis will be placed on eliminating the induced anisotropy in iron-cobalt based alloys and thereby produce ultra-efficient, magnetic core materials.Read moreRead less