Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101021
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$435,000.00
Summary
Developing tunable nanoporous graphene membranes for resource recovery. This project aims to advance the development of atom-thick nanoporous graphene molecular filters (membranes) to tackle challenging separations in the chemical industry and open new pathways to recover valuable materials from waste streams. The extreme thinness of these membranes allows them to separate molecules with a fraction of the energy typically used by commercially available technologies. The proposed electrochemical ....Developing tunable nanoporous graphene membranes for resource recovery. This project aims to advance the development of atom-thick nanoporous graphene molecular filters (membranes) to tackle challenging separations in the chemical industry and open new pathways to recover valuable materials from waste streams. The extreme thinness of these membranes allows them to separate molecules with a fraction of the energy typically used by commercially available technologies. The proposed electrochemical platform is expected to fabricate and operate fit-for-purpose membranes with unprecedented control. Significant new knowledge in the areas of material engineering, nanofluidics, and membranes is expected from exploiting this platform to study ion transport under confinement and make membranes for resource recovery.Read moreRead less
Achieving Nitrite Shunt For Mainstream Sewage Treatment Using Human Waste. This project aims to develop a novel technology to achieve mainstream nitrogen removal from domestic sewage via nitrite shunt. Nitrite shunt can reduce energy consumption and promote energy recovery compared with the conventional nitrogen removal process. However, it is difficult to inactivate nitrite-oxidising bacteria, which is a key barrier for achieving nitrite shunt. By advancing the underpinning science and introduc ....Achieving Nitrite Shunt For Mainstream Sewage Treatment Using Human Waste. This project aims to develop a novel technology to achieve mainstream nitrogen removal from domestic sewage via nitrite shunt. Nitrite shunt can reduce energy consumption and promote energy recovery compared with the conventional nitrogen removal process. However, it is difficult to inactivate nitrite-oxidising bacteria, which is a key barrier for achieving nitrite shunt. By advancing the underpinning science and introducing a novel technology that innovatively harnesses a human waste, the project expects to remove the barrier. Expected outcomes will support the transformation of sewage treatment plants into net-zero energy generators. This should provide economic, environmental and energy benefits for Australia’s water and energy sectors.Read moreRead less
Repurposing urban construction waste to create diverse wildflower meadows. Wildflower meadows have been planted extensively in European cities for aesthetic and biodiversity benefits. In SE Australia, they are stunning, but rare, features of critically endangered grassy woodlands because most native wildflowers cannot cope with intense grazing and high soil nutrients associated with agriculture. This project aims to develop a novel process for establishing native wildflower meadows in urban park ....Repurposing urban construction waste to create diverse wildflower meadows. Wildflower meadows have been planted extensively in European cities for aesthetic and biodiversity benefits. In SE Australia, they are stunning, but rare, features of critically endangered grassy woodlands because most native wildflowers cannot cope with intense grazing and high soil nutrients associated with agriculture. This project aims to develop a novel process for establishing native wildflower meadows in urban parks and degraded grassy woodlands by repurposing low nutrient mineral waste from the construction industry. It will have multiple benefits including restoring urban biodiversity, increasing people's mental well-being, developing new markets for recycled construction waste and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. Read moreRead less