New Paradigm for Materials Technology for AZS Glassmaking Refractories. The project aims to enable the inexpensive manufacture of widely used refractories with reduced energy and materials costs and improved thermal and mechanical properties. The project plans to exploit technology patented by the researchers to fabricate percolated mullite materials from fly ash by sintering, yielding properties equivalent or superior to those of fuse-cast alumina-zirconia-silica refractories (AZS). AZS is expe ....New Paradigm for Materials Technology for AZS Glassmaking Refractories. The project aims to enable the inexpensive manufacture of widely used refractories with reduced energy and materials costs and improved thermal and mechanical properties. The project plans to exploit technology patented by the researchers to fabricate percolated mullite materials from fly ash by sintering, yielding properties equivalent or superior to those of fuse-cast alumina-zirconia-silica refractories (AZS). AZS is expensive since it requires melting by fuse-casting and high-purity raw materials. The project aims to eliminate both requirements by sintering and use of waste fly ash, giving microstructures of dense, direct-bonded, percolated, mullite, single crystals, with residual impurities in the interstices that do not affect creep.Read moreRead less
A New Paradigm for the Solid State Synthesis of Layered Materials. Advanced ceramic materials with outstanding properties or combinations of properties are usually made from three (ternary) or more components. Their solid-state synthesis is hampered by the formation and retention of intermediate phases which degrade their performance. We have devised a method for circumventing intermediate phase formation in advanced materials and reducing synthesis temperatures by up to 600 degrees. This projec ....A New Paradigm for the Solid State Synthesis of Layered Materials. Advanced ceramic materials with outstanding properties or combinations of properties are usually made from three (ternary) or more components. Their solid-state synthesis is hampered by the formation and retention of intermediate phases which degrade their performance. We have devised a method for circumventing intermediate phase formation in advanced materials and reducing synthesis temperatures by up to 600 degrees. This project will explore the underlying atomic scale mechanism of the method. This knowledge will allow the low cost, low greenhouse gas emission synthesis of advanced ceramics for use in renewable, conventional and nuclear power generation.Read moreRead less
Understanding nanostructure in lead-containing piezoceramics - the key to improved and environmentally-friendly materials. Lead-containing piezoelectric ceramics form the basis of multi-billion dollar industries, posing an increasingly serious environmental threat due to the toxicity of lead. By obtaining a detailed understanding of how their properties arise from their nanoscale structure and chemistry, our research will lead to improvements in existing materials and aid the quest for environme ....Understanding nanostructure in lead-containing piezoceramics - the key to improved and environmentally-friendly materials. Lead-containing piezoelectric ceramics form the basis of multi-billion dollar industries, posing an increasingly serious environmental threat due to the toxicity of lead. By obtaining a detailed understanding of how their properties arise from their nanoscale structure and chemistry, our research will lead to improvements in existing materials and aid the quest for environmentally-friendly alternatives. We will use a methodology for the elucidation of local structure and dynamics in which we are world leaders. The project will further enhance our standing in the field, provide excellent research training for students and early-career researchers and highlight the power and potential of Australia's new Synchrotron and OPAL research reactor.Read moreRead less
A high performance and environment-friendly piezoelectric detector platform for biosensor applications. The development of high performance, lead-free, piezoelectric films and their incorporation into devices is rapidly becoming an urgent task as a result of recent legislation banning the use of lead in electronic components. The successful development of piezoelectric biosensors, as proposed in this project, has numerous potential benefits including the prospect of rapid and cheap biosensor dev ....A high performance and environment-friendly piezoelectric detector platform for biosensor applications. The development of high performance, lead-free, piezoelectric films and their incorporation into devices is rapidly becoming an urgent task as a result of recent legislation banning the use of lead in electronic components. The successful development of piezoelectric biosensors, as proposed in this project, has numerous potential benefits including the prospect of rapid and cheap biosensor devices as well as an environment-friendly, sensitive and real time solution for on-site drug, chemical and biological sensing. Successful development of the latter would provide immediate benefit in the areas of national security, food safety as well as in environmental and health monitoring. Read moreRead less
Geopolymers for nuclear applications. With the pressing need for the reduction of Greenhouse emissions from electricity generation in Australia, one option that must be seriously considered is nuclear energy. However, the issue of waste storage is a highly significant one that must be addressed. Geopolymeric cements are expected to perform much better than traditional Portland cements in nuclear applications, both for solidification of radioactive wastes and also for the construction of undergro ....Geopolymers for nuclear applications. With the pressing need for the reduction of Greenhouse emissions from electricity generation in Australia, one option that must be seriously considered is nuclear energy. However, the issue of waste storage is a highly significant one that must be addressed. Geopolymeric cements are expected to perform much better than traditional Portland cements in nuclear applications, both for solidification of radioactive wastes and also for the construction of underground waste storage bunkers. This project will use Australia's strong existing knowledge in geopolymers research, and apply it to the development of materials to fill the need for environmentally secure waste storage solutions.Read moreRead less
Synthesis and processing of fine powders and nano-materials by electric discharge assisted milling under hot and cold plasmas. The discovery of a new materials synthesis and processing technique, called Electric Discharge Assisted Ball Milling, has generated great interest within the materials science community. Preliminary results, recently published in Nature, have demonstrated that mechanical milling using both hot and cold plasmas can result in extremely rapid synthesis of a wide range of ma ....Synthesis and processing of fine powders and nano-materials by electric discharge assisted milling under hot and cold plasmas. The discovery of a new materials synthesis and processing technique, called Electric Discharge Assisted Ball Milling, has generated great interest within the materials science community. Preliminary results, recently published in Nature, have demonstrated that mechanical milling using both hot and cold plasmas can result in extremely rapid synthesis of a wide range of materials. The fundamental mechanisms for this rapid mechano-synthesis method will be elucidated by detailed studies of a range of technologically important materials including, ultrafine, nanostructural and nanosized powders, carbides, nitrides and borides, and energy efficient high surface area products for hydrogen storage and electrode applications.Read moreRead less