The development of lead-free silicon brass for the plumbing industry. The worldwide brass industry is currently undergoing a transition away from lead-containing brass water fittings to lead-free fittings. The transition is driven by concerns surrounding lead-leaching into drinking water. This project is focussed on the development of new lead-free brasses that can be used to manufacture plumbing fittings with superior combinations of processability, performance and cost.
New Lead-Free Brass Solutions for Drinking Water Applications. The aim of this Linkage Project is to provide viable material solutions to address the health problem of Lead-contamination in drinking water arising from Leaded-brass plumbing products and the impact Lead-removal from brass will have on the brass industry. In order to achieve this, this project engages leading multidisciplinary researchers along with Australian and international industry partners from across the brass industry suppl ....New Lead-Free Brass Solutions for Drinking Water Applications. The aim of this Linkage Project is to provide viable material solutions to address the health problem of Lead-contamination in drinking water arising from Leaded-brass plumbing products and the impact Lead-removal from brass will have on the brass industry. In order to achieve this, this project engages leading multidisciplinary researchers along with Australian and international industry partners from across the brass industry supply and sales network. This project seeks to identify and harness the key material-product attributes required to develop and implement new, lead-free alloy alternatives that meet health-compliance, production and commercial viability, that offer benefits across the industry network and health benefits to society.Read moreRead less
Unlocking the diverse property profile of ultra-lightweight magnesium alloys. This project aims to develop the theory behind why micro alloying contributes to the formation of surface film properties. The exemplar is a prototype Magnesium-Lithium (Mg-Li) base alloy, with high specific-strength and corrosion resistance. This project will lead to the development of a new processable ultra-lightweight, corrosion resistant Mg-Li alloy family that is stronger than the prototype alloy, and with, at le ....Unlocking the diverse property profile of ultra-lightweight magnesium alloys. This project aims to develop the theory behind why micro alloying contributes to the formation of surface film properties. The exemplar is a prototype Magnesium-Lithium (Mg-Li) base alloy, with high specific-strength and corrosion resistance. This project will lead to the development of a new processable ultra-lightweight, corrosion resistant Mg-Li alloy family that is stronger than the prototype alloy, and with, at least, comparable ductility and corrosion resistance. Not only will the outcomes of the work be a fundamental advance to the fields of metallurgy and corrosion science, they will lead to the identification of an optimised compositional window for creating our second generation Mg-Li alloy family capable of being manufactured into ultra-lightweight, corrosion resistant metal products.Read moreRead less
Lower-cost processing of formable magnesium alloys. This project aims to develop higher speed extrusion and rolling of magnesium alloys through the enhanced control of alloying elements and processing schedules. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of novel alloys and processing technologies that can produce lighter, better performing magnesium products with lower processing costs. This project will deliver magnesium products that can improve fuel efficiency, resulting in lo ....Lower-cost processing of formable magnesium alloys. This project aims to develop higher speed extrusion and rolling of magnesium alloys through the enhanced control of alloying elements and processing schedules. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of novel alloys and processing technologies that can produce lighter, better performing magnesium products with lower processing costs. This project will deliver magnesium products that can improve fuel efficiency, resulting in lower emissions and less environmental pollution, along with lightweight portable consumer goods.Read moreRead less
Biocompatible magnesium alloys with specific materials properties. This project aims to develop biocompatible magnesium alloys with highly desirable mechanical properties and degradation on demand, and the fundamental science to achieve the materials properties. Injured human bones often need biomaterials to restore function. This project’s magnesium biomaterials could change the biomaterials field by making implant removal surgery unnecessary, and avoiding the adverse tissue reactions and stres ....Biocompatible magnesium alloys with specific materials properties. This project aims to develop biocompatible magnesium alloys with highly desirable mechanical properties and degradation on demand, and the fundamental science to achieve the materials properties. Injured human bones often need biomaterials to restore function. This project’s magnesium biomaterials could change the biomaterials field by making implant removal surgery unnecessary, and avoiding the adverse tissue reactions and stress shielding typically associated with conventional implanting metals. The outcomes are expected to provide insights in designing biodegradable magnesium alloys and surface coating technology, and generate intellectual properties and advanced biomaterials that will benefit the Australian ageing population.Read moreRead less
Stronger, coarser-grained biodegradable zinc alloys. This project aims to develop stronger and more durable zinc alloys for a new generation of biodegradable metals for potential load-bearing orthopaedic applications. It expects to deliver a group of novel zinc alloys with better properties and a new technology for manufacturing them, and to use advanced experimental techniques to reveal deformation and strengthening mechanisms that underlie the unusual Hall-Petch and anomalous twinning phenomen ....Stronger, coarser-grained biodegradable zinc alloys. This project aims to develop stronger and more durable zinc alloys for a new generation of biodegradable metals for potential load-bearing orthopaedic applications. It expects to deliver a group of novel zinc alloys with better properties and a new technology for manufacturing them, and to use advanced experimental techniques to reveal deformation and strengthening mechanisms that underlie the unusual Hall-Petch and anomalous twinning phenomena and the unprecedented properties of these alloys. Expected outcomes are likely to form the technology and scientific basis for developing better biodegradable metallic alloys. This has the potential eventually to create a better life for thousands of Australian patients.Read moreRead less
Stronger zinc alloys for more flexible biodegradable stents. This project aims to develop stronger zinc alloys for a new class of biodegradable metallic stents. A key challenge for biodegradable stent technology is to make stents as thin as possible while also being strong. This project will develop ultra-high strength zinc alloys that can be used to fabricate thinner biodegradable stents for easier surgical operation. The project outcomes should be a major step in the design and development of ....Stronger zinc alloys for more flexible biodegradable stents. This project aims to develop stronger zinc alloys for a new class of biodegradable metallic stents. A key challenge for biodegradable stent technology is to make stents as thin as possible while also being strong. This project will develop ultra-high strength zinc alloys that can be used to fabricate thinner biodegradable stents for easier surgical operation. The project outcomes should be a major step in the design and development of a new generation of biodegradable stents that will avoid the risks associated with existing products and potentially create a better life for millions of patients worldwide.Read moreRead less
Transformation Dual Phase Synergy for Unprecedented Superelasticity. This project aims to develop metallic materials of unprecedented mechanical properties based on a novel concept of transformation triggered dual-phase synergy. This is enabled by harnessing the intrinsic strength of interatomic bonds in solids using the nanoscience principle of lattice strain matching between phase transforming bodies. The project will provide significant benefits, such as innovating our metal production techno ....Transformation Dual Phase Synergy for Unprecedented Superelasticity. This project aims to develop metallic materials of unprecedented mechanical properties based on a novel concept of transformation triggered dual-phase synergy. This is enabled by harnessing the intrinsic strength of interatomic bonds in solids using the nanoscience principle of lattice strain matching between phase transforming bodies. The project will provide significant benefits, such as innovating our metal production technology and to value-add the metal processing and manufacturing industries of Australia.Read moreRead less
Incorporation of legume protein in liquid breakfast for a healthy Australia. This project aims to understand and control the properties and interactions of legume protein with other ingredients (e.g. whey protein and dietary fibre) to formulate healthy liquid foods with superior techno-functionality. This research should significantly broaden our understanding of the behaviour of legume protein-phospholipid complexes and their contribution to malodorous flavour development. The expected outcomes ....Incorporation of legume protein in liquid breakfast for a healthy Australia. This project aims to understand and control the properties and interactions of legume protein with other ingredients (e.g. whey protein and dietary fibre) to formulate healthy liquid foods with superior techno-functionality. This research should significantly broaden our understanding of the behaviour of legume protein-phospholipid complexes and their contribution to malodorous flavour development. The expected outcomes are protocols to prevent undesirable sensory characteristics in liquid foods. This should benefit the food industry by improving the sensory attributes of beverages enriched with legume protein, leading to the creation of novel, highly nutritious products with superior sensory attributes and long shelf-life.Read moreRead less
Innovative Zn alloys with essential mechanical and biofunctional properties. This project aims to develop a breakthrough understanding of the impact of alloying additions on the strengthening mechanisms, degradation behaviour, antibacterial properties and biofunctionalities of zinc alloys. The project expects to generate new knowledge in alloying strategies, plastic deformation and surface modification of zinc alloys to achieve mechanical, corrosion and biofunctional properties satisfying the re ....Innovative Zn alloys with essential mechanical and biofunctional properties. This project aims to develop a breakthrough understanding of the impact of alloying additions on the strengthening mechanisms, degradation behaviour, antibacterial properties and biofunctionalities of zinc alloys. The project expects to generate new knowledge in alloying strategies, plastic deformation and surface modification of zinc alloys to achieve mechanical, corrosion and biofunctional properties satisfying the requirements of biodegradable metallic materials. The expected outcomes are the development of novel zinc alloys and practical technologies for industry applications, such as thermomechanical processing and surface coating. The benefits are expected to extend to physical metallurgy and biomaterial manufacturing.Read moreRead less