Lithium/Sulfur rechargeable battery for power applications. The Lithium/Sulphur battery system is very promising for large-scale power applications as it has the highest energy density and lowest cost among various types of rechargeable batteries. However, the degradation of the capacity and short cycle life of Li/S battery have been problematic for commercial development. The aim of this project is to study the mechanisms of capacity fading and to develop effective means such as use of carbon n ....Lithium/Sulfur rechargeable battery for power applications. The Lithium/Sulphur battery system is very promising for large-scale power applications as it has the highest energy density and lowest cost among various types of rechargeable batteries. However, the degradation of the capacity and short cycle life of Li/S battery have been problematic for commercial development. The aim of this project is to study the mechanisms of capacity fading and to develop effective means such as use of carbon nanotubes and nanosize composite absorbents to improve the cycle life of Li/S batteries. The expected outcomes are the development of sulphur-containing cathode materials and polymer electrolytes, enabling electric vehicles to be a technically competitive and environmentally superior transportation option.Read moreRead less
Investigation of Nano-materials for use in Lithium Rechargable Batteries. Lithium ion batteries are emerging as a new generation of rechargeable batteries for power sources of portable electronics. The aim of this project is to explore potential applications of novel nano-materials such as intermetallic alloys, transition-metal oxides, and carbon nanotubes as anode materials in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Significance and expected outcomes will be the development of alternative anode ma ....Investigation of Nano-materials for use in Lithium Rechargable Batteries. Lithium ion batteries are emerging as a new generation of rechargeable batteries for power sources of portable electronics. The aim of this project is to explore potential applications of novel nano-materials such as intermetallic alloys, transition-metal oxides, and carbon nanotubes as anode materials in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Significance and expected outcomes will be the development of alternative anode materials with improved performance in energy capacity and cycle life over existing anode materials. This could open opportunities for Australian mineral companies to take advantage of the developments to produce value-added new products.Read moreRead less
Synergetic combination of localised internal magnesium diffusion process with cold compaction technique for fabrication of magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconductor wires. This project seeks major advancements in magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconductor performance through the development of novel techniques for the fabrication of MgB2 wire. Further improvement in MgB2 wire performance holds the key to a number of significant commercial applications, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fault cu ....Synergetic combination of localised internal magnesium diffusion process with cold compaction technique for fabrication of magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconductor wires. This project seeks major advancements in magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconductor performance through the development of novel techniques for the fabrication of MgB2 wire. Further improvement in MgB2 wire performance holds the key to a number of significant commercial applications, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fault current limiters and wind turbines.Read moreRead less
Embrittlement-tolerant alloys for safe hydrogen transmission and storage. Hydrogen embrittlement in steels is a major impediment to a safe hydrogen economy. This project will determine how hydrogen affects the deformation behaviour of steel, providing the fundamental information that is required to develop alloys that can be safely used in infrastructure for a future Australian hydrogen industry. We will utilise new technologies that allow us, for the first time, to determine the position of hyd ....Embrittlement-tolerant alloys for safe hydrogen transmission and storage. Hydrogen embrittlement in steels is a major impediment to a safe hydrogen economy. This project will determine how hydrogen affects the deformation behaviour of steel, providing the fundamental information that is required to develop alloys that can be safely used in infrastructure for a future Australian hydrogen industry. We will utilise new technologies that allow us, for the first time, to determine the position of hydrogen atoms around micro-scale features and to compare it to local mechanical behaviour, determined by micro-mechanical tests. The systematic investigation of the effect of hydrogen on different micro-components within steel will allow the development of microstructure-guided alloy design principles.Read moreRead less
Wearable thermoelectric textiles for portable microelectronics. Wearable thermoelectrics enable the power generation from the temperature difference between human body and ambient temperature by using thermoelectric effect. This project aims to design eco-friendly wearable thermoelectric textiles to realize high-efficiency solid-state power generation and meet individual needs with human comfort and health. The target is to achieve a power density in the as-designed thermoelectric textiles by th ....Wearable thermoelectric textiles for portable microelectronics. Wearable thermoelectrics enable the power generation from the temperature difference between human body and ambient temperature by using thermoelectric effect. This project aims to design eco-friendly wearable thermoelectric textiles to realize high-efficiency solid-state power generation and meet individual needs with human comfort and health. The target is to achieve a power density in the as-designed thermoelectric textiles by the optimization of materials and device design. The outcome will open up a new platform for the green and sustainable charge for portable microelectronics, which will lead to an innovative technology for energy management, which will place Australia at the forefront of wearable electronics and textile industry.Read moreRead less
Powering Next Generation Wearable Electronics: Moisture Electric Generator . This project aims to develop next generation energy harvesting device which can directly generate electricity from the moisture in the air for self-powered, wearable electronics. The goal will be achieved by developing a new class of carbon based nanomaterials and large scale printing technology, through optimizing the materials defects, printing process and electrode configuration. The expected outcomes will be new el ....Powering Next Generation Wearable Electronics: Moisture Electric Generator . This project aims to develop next generation energy harvesting device which can directly generate electricity from the moisture in the air for self-powered, wearable electronics. The goal will be achieved by developing a new class of carbon based nanomaterials and large scale printing technology, through optimizing the materials defects, printing process and electrode configuration. The expected outcomes will be new electronic materials for a wide range of end uses in wearable electronics, significant advances in self-powered, environmentally friendly devices, and commercialisation of the technology to Australian industries.Read moreRead less
Cyclic Fatigue Mechanisms in New Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics. Piezoceramics are an important component in many items in modern day Australian life. However, they present a growing environmental concern, particularly for disposal, because they contain lead oxide and must often be disposed of prematurely due to component failure. Furthermore, many key Australian industries manufacture and use piezoceramics in fields ranging from mineral exploration, to imaging to biomedical devices. This proj ....Cyclic Fatigue Mechanisms in New Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics. Piezoceramics are an important component in many items in modern day Australian life. However, they present a growing environmental concern, particularly for disposal, because they contain lead oxide and must often be disposed of prematurely due to component failure. Furthermore, many key Australian industries manufacture and use piezoceramics in fields ranging from mineral exploration, to imaging to biomedical devices. This project will enable the development of lead-free alternatives to current materials and more reliable materials which will reduce the need for waste disposal.Read moreRead less
Development of Cyclic Fatigue Degradation Criteria for Piezoelectric Ceramic Components. Piezoelectric ceramics are widely used in advanced engineering applications such as actuators in the automotive industry, sonars for submarine mineral exploration and defence, and a broad range of medical devices, e.g. ultrasound probes. The reliable operational lifetime of these devices is, however, severely limited because they suffer cyclic fatigue leading to both degradation in performance and device fai ....Development of Cyclic Fatigue Degradation Criteria for Piezoelectric Ceramic Components. Piezoelectric ceramics are widely used in advanced engineering applications such as actuators in the automotive industry, sonars for submarine mineral exploration and defence, and a broad range of medical devices, e.g. ultrasound probes. The reliable operational lifetime of these devices is, however, severely limited because they suffer cyclic fatigue leading to both degradation in performance and device failure. The proposed project seeks to develop an understanding of the mechanisms of fatigue and develop a design model for engineers such that piezoelectric ceramic devices can be operated for longer periods with higher levels of reliability.Read moreRead less
Advanced Nanostructured Ceramic Composites for Ultracapacitors. The global climate changes and the related disastrous events such as heat flows, bushfires, and flooding will endanger the Australian population and our natural environment. The implementation of effective devices and technologies to reduce our carbon footprint is a priority task. The project addresses the issue by development of new ultracapacitor materials for next generation green energy storage devices through engineering and im ....Advanced Nanostructured Ceramic Composites for Ultracapacitors. The global climate changes and the related disastrous events such as heat flows, bushfires, and flooding will endanger the Australian population and our natural environment. The implementation of effective devices and technologies to reduce our carbon footprint is a priority task. The project addresses the issue by development of new ultracapacitor materials for next generation green energy storage devices through engineering and implementation of advanced nanoceramics and nanocomposites created by innovative nanotechnologies. The project will also contribute to other national research priorities such as materials and frontier technologies, reduction of atmospheric pollution, and decrease in the energy dependence of our country on oil.Read moreRead less
Mitigating hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels. Hydrogen wreaks havoc in many alloys, leading to embrittlement that can cause catastrophic failure. This is a very serious issue for any industry in which structures are exposed to hydrogen and is a limiting factor for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen in a potential hydrogen economy. However, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen in alloys is restricted by the difficulty of observing it. In this project we will ob ....Mitigating hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels. Hydrogen wreaks havoc in many alloys, leading to embrittlement that can cause catastrophic failure. This is a very serious issue for any industry in which structures are exposed to hydrogen and is a limiting factor for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen in a potential hydrogen economy. However, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen in alloys is restricted by the difficulty of observing it. In this project we will obtain accurate 3D maps showing the position of hydrogen atoms in steel by combining deuteration with cryogenic atom probe microscopy. In this way we will will elucidate how a proposed solution, hydrogen trapping, reduces hydrogen embrittlement, contributing to design criteria for hydrogen-resistant steels.Read moreRead less