Large-volume gradient materials: Manufacturing and deformation mechanism. This project aims to develop a low-cost and high productivity process to produce large-volume metals with high strength and good ductility, suitable for engineering application. Ultrafine grained (UFG) materials and nano-grained (NG) materials are usually strong, but not very ductile. This project will use an accumulative skin-pass rolling (ASPR) technique to fabricate the metallic strips with gradient structure. The numer ....Large-volume gradient materials: Manufacturing and deformation mechanism. This project aims to develop a low-cost and high productivity process to produce large-volume metals with high strength and good ductility, suitable for engineering application. Ultrafine grained (UFG) materials and nano-grained (NG) materials are usually strong, but not very ductile. This project will use an accumulative skin-pass rolling (ASPR) technique to fabricate the metallic strips with gradient structure. The numerical simulations developed in the project are expected to contribute to understanding the deformation mechanism of gradient materials.Read moreRead less
Ultra-lightweight alloys with unique multi-dimensional property profiles. Lightweight alloys with high specific-strength are an essential prerequisite in modern and future technologies. To be useful, they must also possess ductility and inherent corrosion resistance. The latter two properties, however, are inversely correlated with strength. This project proposes to break this paradox - not only in terms of a paradigm change regarding multi-property alloy design - but as applied to the most ligh ....Ultra-lightweight alloys with unique multi-dimensional property profiles. Lightweight alloys with high specific-strength are an essential prerequisite in modern and future technologies. To be useful, they must also possess ductility and inherent corrosion resistance. The latter two properties, however, are inversely correlated with strength. This project proposes to break this paradox - not only in terms of a paradigm change regarding multi-property alloy design - but as applied to the most lightweight engineering alloy system in existence, Magnesium-Lithium (Mg-Li), for which the impact on specific properties is immense. The aim is to develop ultra-lightweight Mg-Li based alloys with formidable property profiles via alloy design and thermomechanical processing. The expected outcome is a new class of structural corrosion resistant metal.Read moreRead less
Flexible roll forming of advanced high strength steel sheet . This project will develop light weight automotive components to assist fuel economy and crash worthiness through flexible roll forming. This process has the potential to form complex shapes from very high strength steels in a very cost effective and efficient small scale operation, highly suited to Australian manufacturing.
Reducing the environmental impact of steel making through direct strip casting. This project will investigate direct strip casting of steel, a technology that reduces the environmental footprint of liquid steel processing by up to 90 per cent. With the industry partner Baosteel, the project hopes to expand the application of this process to more steel grades and to also assess possible new steel grades with improved properties.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100123
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$190,000.00
Summary
Quench and deformation dilatometer for studying phase transformations. Quench and deformation dilatometer for studying phase transformations: The quenching and deformation dilatometer is a high precision thermal analysis tool used to measure phase transformations in situ. This technique can make time-resolved measurements of transformations under the extreme conditions of heating, cooling and deformation that are experienced during industrial processing. This instrument will be the only one in A ....Quench and deformation dilatometer for studying phase transformations. Quench and deformation dilatometer for studying phase transformations: The quenching and deformation dilatometer is a high precision thermal analysis tool used to measure phase transformations in situ. This technique can make time-resolved measurements of transformations under the extreme conditions of heating, cooling and deformation that are experienced during industrial processing. This instrument will be the only one in Australia capable of temperature changes above 2000 degrees Celsius and will also be the only one equipped with a cryogenic module. The instrument is intended to be used to characterise new processing technologies and new alloy systems such as advanced high strength steels, age hardenable magnesium, high entropy alloys, and cluster hardening aluminium alloys.Read moreRead less
New insights on the role of microalloying in high strength steels. By gaining fundamental understanding of microalloying element interactions at an atomic level during various stages of steel processing, this project aims to assist optimisation of steel compositions and address important industrial issues. Further modifications of the Castrip process of steel strip production will be examined.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100124
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,446.00
Summary
Fabrication of large-scale two-dimensional metallic nanosheets by accumulative rolling. This project aims to develop new techniques and insight into the thinning of metals from bulk to nano thicknesses which enables bulk manufacturing of large-scale two-dimensional (2D) metallic nanosheets. A novel rolling strategy will be adopted to achieve 2D metallic sheets with thicknesses less than 5nm and lateral sizes larger than 1mm, as well as demonstrating significantly improved electro-catalytic perfo ....Fabrication of large-scale two-dimensional metallic nanosheets by accumulative rolling. This project aims to develop new techniques and insight into the thinning of metals from bulk to nano thicknesses which enables bulk manufacturing of large-scale two-dimensional (2D) metallic nanosheets. A novel rolling strategy will be adopted to achieve 2D metallic sheets with thicknesses less than 5nm and lateral sizes larger than 1mm, as well as demonstrating significantly improved electro-catalytic performance. The proposed technique is expected to be a high-yield, low-cost alternative to traditional bottom-up techniques and is expected to be ready for implementation in industry for bulk manufacturing of 2D metallic nanosheets.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100160
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$477,237.00
Summary
Characterise high-performance, green steels for the hydrogen economy. This project aims to develop the knowledge around microstructures and hydrogen interactions of a range of advanced steels that can be produced with low carbon emissions by the industry partner. These steels can lead to solutions for the hydrogen pipes and vessels without concern of hydrogen embrittlement, which play a crucial role in enabling a safe hydrogen economy in Australia. This partnership will allow the industry partne ....Characterise high-performance, green steels for the hydrogen economy. This project aims to develop the knowledge around microstructures and hydrogen interactions of a range of advanced steels that can be produced with low carbon emissions by the industry partner. These steels can lead to solutions for the hydrogen pipes and vessels without concern of hydrogen embrittlement, which play a crucial role in enabling a safe hydrogen economy in Australia. This partnership will allow the industry partner to access the advanced characterisation tools and will also expose the Fellow with the opportunity to develop and manufacture new steels in industry. This will also de-risk the KIP’s investment in Australia for a new steel mill dedicating to the new green steels for supporting Australia’s hydrogen infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Crystallography to deform and anneal metals. This project aims to study how the micromechanisms of plastic deformation affect the annealing behaviour of metals. This project will create a computational platform built on a reconstruction algorithm for three-dimensionally reconstructing experimentally-derived orientation data to generate the complete microstructure of crystalline material. It will reconstruct complex deformation and recrystallising structures in metals, through to the boundaries, ....Crystallography to deform and anneal metals. This project aims to study how the micromechanisms of plastic deformation affect the annealing behaviour of metals. This project will create a computational platform built on a reconstruction algorithm for three-dimensionally reconstructing experimentally-derived orientation data to generate the complete microstructure of crystalline material. It will reconstruct complex deformation and recrystallising structures in metals, through to the boundaries, phases and interfaces present in metals and ceramics. The intended outcome is the explanation of unresolved phenomena associated with thermomechanical processing of metals and alloys, useful for materials science, structural geology and condensed matter physics.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100003
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,000.00
Summary
Flexible forming facility for low cost light weight applications. Flexible forming facility for low-cost light-weight applications: This project will establish Australia’s first flexible roll forming facility. The facility will be unique in the world, being specifically designed to roll form the most advanced high strength alloys into complex three-dimensional shapes and investigate their material behaviour under a wide range of loading conditions. This technology represents a step change in com ....Flexible forming facility for low cost light weight applications. Flexible forming facility for low-cost light-weight applications: This project will establish Australia’s first flexible roll forming facility. The facility will be unique in the world, being specifically designed to roll form the most advanced high strength alloys into complex three-dimensional shapes and investigate their material behaviour under a wide range of loading conditions. This technology represents a step change in commercial processing and has the capacity to form materials with high strength and limited ductility. This will lead to the development of new techniques for the manufacture of new advanced materials including advanced high strength steels, composites, nano structured metals and light metal alloys for automotive and aerospace applications.Read moreRead less