Minerals replacement reactions: understanding mineral formation under hydrothermal conditions. Many geological processes involve the transformation of one mineral into another. By understanding molecular-level reaction mechanisms, we can predict how fast reactions progress, and what the final product will look like. This project focuses on a reaction mechanism called 'coupled dissolution-reprecipitation', in which the parent mineral is dissolved into a thin layer of fluid at the reaction front, ....Minerals replacement reactions: understanding mineral formation under hydrothermal conditions. Many geological processes involve the transformation of one mineral into another. By understanding molecular-level reaction mechanisms, we can predict how fast reactions progress, and what the final product will look like. This project focuses on a reaction mechanism called 'coupled dissolution-reprecipitation', in which the parent mineral is dissolved into a thin layer of fluid at the reaction front, and the daughter mineral subsequently precipitates. This concept will be applied to sulfide minerals for the first time. The results have many applications for the Australian mining industry, in particular in improving the efficiency of the processing of Ni- and Au-ores.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0561233
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$434,000.00
Summary
State-of-the-Art Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility. This proposal seeks funds for the purchase and installation of a state-of-the-art 400 MHz Wide-Bore Solid-State NMR spectrometer. Research projects utilising this euipment will benefit from the ability to probe the structure of solid samples that are difficult to characterise in any other way. These materials represent advances in nanotechnology, new materials and will impact on the analysis of environmental contaminants in pota ....State-of-the-Art Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility. This proposal seeks funds for the purchase and installation of a state-of-the-art 400 MHz Wide-Bore Solid-State NMR spectrometer. Research projects utilising this euipment will benefit from the ability to probe the structure of solid samples that are difficult to characterise in any other way. These materials represent advances in nanotechnology, new materials and will impact on the analysis of environmental contaminants in potable water supplies, with a particular Australian focus on the identification of compounds formed as by-products during disinfection processes.
The upgraded facility will be the only one of its kind in Western Australia.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453320
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$347,886.00
Summary
Advanced Spectroscopy for Nano-characterisation of Materials Chemistry and Properties. This application proposes to establish a cutting-edge spectroscopic facility which includes; electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), cathodoluminescence (CL), photoluminescence (PL) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Each of the spectrometers to be installed has significantly higher sensitivity and resolution than any other facility available in Australia and is capable ....Advanced Spectroscopy for Nano-characterisation of Materials Chemistry and Properties. This application proposes to establish a cutting-edge spectroscopic facility which includes; electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), cathodoluminescence (CL), photoluminescence (PL) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Each of the spectrometers to be installed has significantly higher sensitivity and resolution than any other facility available in Australia and is capable of full spectrum imaging. This new spectroscopic infrastructure will enable the knowledge-based development of new materials by allowing complete characterisation of structure-composition-property relationships at the nanometre level.Read moreRead less
Electrochemically activated solid state chemistry: A new synthetic avenue. This project aims to validate a new solid state synthetic route discovered in our group by understanding the reaction mechanism and experimenting with the parameter space of reaction variables. The discovery of a new solid state synthetic route opens up a world of possibility for the generation of new materials with a diverse range of potential functions and applications. The fundamental understanding of the reaction mech ....Electrochemically activated solid state chemistry: A new synthetic avenue. This project aims to validate a new solid state synthetic route discovered in our group by understanding the reaction mechanism and experimenting with the parameter space of reaction variables. The discovery of a new solid state synthetic route opens up a world of possibility for the generation of new materials with a diverse range of potential functions and applications. The fundamental understanding of the reaction mechanism will enable the rapid and widespread use of this synthetic route.Read moreRead less
Enhanced pigment weathering resistance by coating with high dielectric ceramic. The partner company, Tiwest, based in Western Australia, is a major contributor to the economy, and earns more than $A400m annually in exports. It is the only company in the world that mines, separates, refines and manufactures titania products, including pigments, in one region. The current post-titania particle formation wet-coating process, however, presents a major capital and recurrent cost and necessitates a pi ....Enhanced pigment weathering resistance by coating with high dielectric ceramic. The partner company, Tiwest, based in Western Australia, is a major contributor to the economy, and earns more than $A400m annually in exports. It is the only company in the world that mines, separates, refines and manufactures titania products, including pigments, in one region. The current post-titania particle formation wet-coating process, however, presents a major capital and recurrent cost and necessitates a pigment regrind stage. The research will investigate the development of a highly durable dry-coated pigment utilising a novel high dielectric coating. This development has the potential to ensure the partner company's future competitiveness through reduced processing costs and improved product performance.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238381
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
High Sensitivity Broad Range Digitised Electron Microscopy. To install in a central location at Monash University a digital image plate reader and appropriate recording hardware and software as a multi-user facility for high-resolution electron imaging and diffraction. Imaging plates are, in appearance, like photographic film and are used in the electron microscope in the same way. They are, however, nearly a hundred times more sensitive, have a range a hundred thousand times greater, and, when ....High Sensitivity Broad Range Digitised Electron Microscopy. To install in a central location at Monash University a digital image plate reader and appropriate recording hardware and software as a multi-user facility for high-resolution electron imaging and diffraction. Imaging plates are, in appearance, like photographic film and are used in the electron microscope in the same way. They are, however, nearly a hundred times more sensitive, have a range a hundred thousand times greater, and, when interrogated by a reader, generate a digitised output and can then be used again. We propose to exploit those characteristics in the study of advanced materials, in the investigation of phases changes, and in the characterisation of materials not sufficiently stable in the electron beam to observe by more conventional methods.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100350
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
Sodium inventory for sodium-ion batteries. This project aims to increase the energy density and cycle life of sodium-ion batteries by investigating practical ways to increase the amount of cycleable sodium ions. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the field of energy storage using an innovative approach to address the key issues facing sodium-ion batteries. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of a novel high-energy sodium-ion battery, achieved by practical sod ....Sodium inventory for sodium-ion batteries. This project aims to increase the energy density and cycle life of sodium-ion batteries by investigating practical ways to increase the amount of cycleable sodium ions. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the field of energy storage using an innovative approach to address the key issues facing sodium-ion batteries. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of a novel high-energy sodium-ion battery, achieved by practical sodium inventory solutions and fundamental understanding of internal battery processes. This should provide significant benefits including lowering the cost of energy storage, decreasing the reliance on lithium, and facilitating society’s shift towards renewable and sustainable energy sources.Read moreRead less
Surface Processing of Photo-Sensitive Semiconducting Oxides for Solar-Hydrogen. Aim: To enhance the performance of titania-based semiconducting photo-electrodes for the generation of hydrogen from water using sunlight. Means: Engineering of the surface and near-surface layers so as to increase photo-sensitivity and reactivity with water. Significance: Success will provide the key functional component of photo-electrochemical cells for the mass production of renewable and clean hydrogen. In ....Surface Processing of Photo-Sensitive Semiconducting Oxides for Solar-Hydrogen. Aim: To enhance the performance of titania-based semiconducting photo-electrodes for the generation of hydrogen from water using sunlight. Means: Engineering of the surface and near-surface layers so as to increase photo-sensitivity and reactivity with water. Significance: Success will provide the key functional component of photo-electrochemical cells for the mass production of renewable and clean hydrogen. Innovation: For the first time, the properties controlling photo-sensitivity (defect disorder; charge transport; and chemically-induced, local, surface electric fields) will be modified. Outcomes: Technologies for the production of fuel (hydrogen) using renewable energy (solar energy) and a renewable resource (water).
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Coordination networks based on carbonate and related ions. The very familiar carbonate ion will be put to use to generate a very unfamiliar family of new coordination polymers with geometries and topologies of fundamental structural significance. Carbonate's ability to bring associated metal centres into close communication may lead to unusual and possibly useful electrical, magnetic and catalytic properties. The ability to deliberately engineer specifically targeted coordination polymers with ....Coordination networks based on carbonate and related ions. The very familiar carbonate ion will be put to use to generate a very unfamiliar family of new coordination polymers with geometries and topologies of fundamental structural significance. Carbonate's ability to bring associated metal centres into close communication may lead to unusual and possibly useful electrical, magnetic and catalytic properties. The ability to deliberately engineer specifically targeted coordination polymers with predetermined properties or functions would make possible diverse applications of great practical value; the project will contribute significantly to the basis for such capabilities leading to ?designer materials? of the future.Read moreRead less
Porous Mineral Formulations for Controlled-Release Applications. The controlled release of biologically active agents from host materials is a process that is used routinely in pharmaceuticals delivery but has received only limited attention in large-scale, low-cost areas such as the agrochemicals industry. Here we identify a number of rare tubular mineral phases as having great potential for low-cost controlled release. These little-studied minerals, for which high quality deposits exist in Aus ....Porous Mineral Formulations for Controlled-Release Applications. The controlled release of biologically active agents from host materials is a process that is used routinely in pharmaceuticals delivery but has received only limited attention in large-scale, low-cost areas such as the agrochemicals industry. Here we identify a number of rare tubular mineral phases as having great potential for low-cost controlled release. These little-studied minerals, for which high quality deposits exist in Australia, consist of hollow tubules of nanoscale dimension. This project involves the first ever studies of the kinetics of guest release from these fascinating hosts, and promises to generate important new technologies in agrochemical delivery.Read moreRead less