Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100952
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
A chemical looping process for carbon fibre production from plastics. This project aims to develop Mineral Looping Plastic Reforming (MLPR), a chemical looping reforming process for tonnage production of carbon nanofibers from plastic waste. This efficient process uses naturally occurring minerals (limestone, dolomite and ilmenite) to convert plastic waste to carbon nanofibers. The project will research the inner working of the MLPR process and the reforming reactions of plastics in the presence ....A chemical looping process for carbon fibre production from plastics. This project aims to develop Mineral Looping Plastic Reforming (MLPR), a chemical looping reforming process for tonnage production of carbon nanofibers from plastic waste. This efficient process uses naturally occurring minerals (limestone, dolomite and ilmenite) to convert plastic waste to carbon nanofibers. The project will research the inner working of the MLPR process and the reforming reactions of plastics in the presence of naturally occurring mineral mixtures. This project is expected to make Australia a leader in waste use, facilitate the uptake of abundant waste streams to produce high value products, and resolve sustainability, energy and environmental issues in Australia.Read moreRead less
Cost effective carbon fibres from polyethylene for lightweight applications. This project aims to deliver cost-effective, high-performance carbon fibres from polyethylene through the use of novel catalysts and advanced processing techniques. Carbon fibre-reinforced composites are extremely strong and light fibre-reinforced polymers that are commonly used wherever high strength-to-weight ratio and rigidity are required, such as in aerospace, automotive and civil engineering applications. However, ....Cost effective carbon fibres from polyethylene for lightweight applications. This project aims to deliver cost-effective, high-performance carbon fibres from polyethylene through the use of novel catalysts and advanced processing techniques. Carbon fibre-reinforced composites are extremely strong and light fibre-reinforced polymers that are commonly used wherever high strength-to-weight ratio and rigidity are required, such as in aerospace, automotive and civil engineering applications. However, broader market uptake is currently limited by carbon fibre costs. The project aims to deliver high-quality fibre with real potential to capture a share of the $14-billion carbon fibre composite market.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100174
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$800,000.00
Summary
Innovative synchrotron science - program for access to the Australian National Beamline Facility and cutting-edge beamlines at international synchrotrons. Synchrotron science dramatically affects the community through the innovative scientific, engineering and medical research outcomes it produces. This program for access to synchrotron beamlines is aimed at enhancing Australia's high international standing in synchrotron science and will have many flow-on effects in areas such as health and ind ....Innovative synchrotron science - program for access to the Australian National Beamline Facility and cutting-edge beamlines at international synchrotrons. Synchrotron science dramatically affects the community through the innovative scientific, engineering and medical research outcomes it produces. This program for access to synchrotron beamlines is aimed at enhancing Australia's high international standing in synchrotron science and will have many flow-on effects in areas such as health and industry.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100185
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
High throughput microbial microculture and single cell analysis facility. High throughput microbial microculture and single cell analysis facility:
To support the emerging research area of microbial heterogeneity and variation in response to conditions, this project aims to establish a facility centred on a 24-microbioreactor system for high throughput microbial culturing. This is designed to be connected to two complementary analysis techniques – flow cytometry and high resolution infra-red mi ....High throughput microbial microculture and single cell analysis facility. High throughput microbial microculture and single cell analysis facility:
To support the emerging research area of microbial heterogeneity and variation in response to conditions, this project aims to establish a facility centred on a 24-microbioreactor system for high throughput microbial culturing. This is designed to be connected to two complementary analysis techniques – flow cytometry and high resolution infra-red microscopy – for the non-destructive measurement of metabolic activities and mapping of constituents of whole cells. This would help us to determine the variation in response between organisms, to guide cell line development and process optimisation for a wide range of biotechnology applications. Expected outcomes may apply to Australia’s brewing, wine, food processing, aquaculture, biofuels, biomedical and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Phosphorous and iron recovery from steelmaking slag for effective recycling. This project aims to understand the principles that control phosphorus (P) partitioning in steel plant slags and to optimise the treatment process to produce P- and Fe-rich streams for recycling. Changing ore grades in Australia, especially increasing P content, are placing a substantial proportion of these ore products at a competitive disadvantage. The project will use an integrated approach to demonstrate, experiment ....Phosphorous and iron recovery from steelmaking slag for effective recycling. This project aims to understand the principles that control phosphorus (P) partitioning in steel plant slags and to optimise the treatment process to produce P- and Fe-rich streams for recycling. Changing ore grades in Australia, especially increasing P content, are placing a substantial proportion of these ore products at a competitive disadvantage. The project will use an integrated approach to demonstrate, experimentally and theoretically, how key properties of slags can be manipulated to enhance partitioning and couple this analysis with fluid dynamics to model the kinetics of the separation process. The expected outcomes of this research are to: first, provide possible solutions to address the increasing P content in Australian iron ores, which could place future ore products at a competitive disadvantage within the global iron ore market; and second, to identify treatment methods and practices which would promote higher recycling rates of steelmaking slag, significantly reducing the volume of material stockpiled or sent to landfill.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR180100023
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$940,000.00
Summary
Thermal decomposition of PFAS. This project aims to investigate the thermal decomposition of per- and poly-fluroalkyl substances (PFAS). The project will focus on the catalytic destruction of PFAS reactions at elevated temperatures, which is expected to transform PFAS in a controlled and predictable way into benign products. By understanding the fate of these compounds during thermal decomposition, the project will allow the development of a new technology aimed at treating materials which have ....Thermal decomposition of PFAS. This project aims to investigate the thermal decomposition of per- and poly-fluroalkyl substances (PFAS). The project will focus on the catalytic destruction of PFAS reactions at elevated temperatures, which is expected to transform PFAS in a controlled and predictable way into benign products. By understanding the fate of these compounds during thermal decomposition, the project will allow the development of a new technology aimed at treating materials which have been contaminated with or have been used as absorbants for PFAS. The project will provide the technical underpinning of a new technology developed to treat fluorochemical-contaminated material and, in doing so, reduce the environmental impact of these contaminants.Read moreRead less
Fume resistant explosives for critical areas. Fume resistant explosives for critical areas. This project aims to understand how a new explosive works and how it can be used in critical areas. This ammonium nitrate (AN) emulsion explosive provides excellent resistance against emissions of mono-nitrogen oxide (NOx) fumes. This project will investigate physical and chemical parameters of the key emulsion components and formulate new blends for higher-strength applications. This project will researc ....Fume resistant explosives for critical areas. Fume resistant explosives for critical areas. This project aims to understand how a new explosive works and how it can be used in critical areas. This ammonium nitrate (AN) emulsion explosive provides excellent resistance against emissions of mono-nitrogen oxide (NOx) fumes. This project will investigate physical and chemical parameters of the key emulsion components and formulate new blends for higher-strength applications. This project will research the surface burning process of AN prills and other materials to understand possible NOx production and mitigation pathways. The results from the project are expected to overcome the limitations of the new technology, and make Australian industries more competitive.Read moreRead less
A novel mineral looping tar removal process for biomass gasification. A novel mineral looping tar removal process for biomass gasification. This project aims to develop a simple, robust and cost effective method for removing tar from biomass gasification processes. The solution (Mineral Looping Tar Removal) involves the cyclic carbonation and calcination of a mixture of naturally occurring minerals and/or solid waste to remove tar. This project will bring together energy researchers and renewabl ....A novel mineral looping tar removal process for biomass gasification. A novel mineral looping tar removal process for biomass gasification. This project aims to develop a simple, robust and cost effective method for removing tar from biomass gasification processes. The solution (Mineral Looping Tar Removal) involves the cyclic carbonation and calcination of a mixture of naturally occurring minerals and/or solid waste to remove tar. This project will bring together energy researchers and renewable energy developers to resolve science and engineering issues that underpin the performance degradation of these minerals in large-scale settings. Project outcomes include improved understanding of gas cleaning and a cost effective and environmentally sound technology.Read moreRead less
A Novel Hybrid Chemical Looping Process for Production of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels with a Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions Profile. This project determines the fundamental science underpinning the operation of a novel hybrid chemical looping carbon reforming (CLCR) process for production of alternative transportation fuels with a reduced greenhouse gas emissions profile. Compare with conventional processes, the CLCR process features a 50 per cent reduction in the energy and carbon dioxide footpr ....A Novel Hybrid Chemical Looping Process for Production of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels with a Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions Profile. This project determines the fundamental science underpinning the operation of a novel hybrid chemical looping carbon reforming (CLCR) process for production of alternative transportation fuels with a reduced greenhouse gas emissions profile. Compare with conventional processes, the CLCR process features a 50 per cent reduction in the energy and carbon dioxide footprints and represents a large sink for carbon dioxide sequestration if deployed widely. To achieve the broad objectives of the project comprehensive experimental and modelling studies will be carried out at macro, micro and molecular levels. Expected outcomes include fundamental knowledge essential to the development and commercial-scale deployment of the CLCR process.Read moreRead less
Surface forces and confinement of anisotropic particles. Advanced materials assembled from engineered particles found in next generation solar cells, nano-electronics, photonic materials, and nano-sensors have experienced an explosion in research interest over the past decade. This is in large part due to improving techniques for the synthesis of anisotropy in particle shape to form rods, plates, iso-hedra and nano-prisms and material properties such as janus particles used for self-assembly. Ho ....Surface forces and confinement of anisotropic particles. Advanced materials assembled from engineered particles found in next generation solar cells, nano-electronics, photonic materials, and nano-sensors have experienced an explosion in research interest over the past decade. This is in large part due to improving techniques for the synthesis of anisotropy in particle shape to form rods, plates, iso-hedra and nano-prisms and material properties such as janus particles used for self-assembly. However, there is a lack of methods to measure the interactions that control the assembly process. This project aims to develop a novel method to quantify the particle-particle and particle-surface interactions for anisotropic particles to enable predictive approaches to particle assembly for advanced materials.Read moreRead less