Highly functional green materials platform: Starch-ionic liquid-carbon nanotube polymer melt nanocomposites. This project will deliver state of the art scientific advances in green polymers, green plasticisers and tailored nanomaterials for melt processible renewable starch plastics for high-performance applications as electroactive polymers in areas such as biosensors and biodiagnostics.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100033
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Green biopolymer nanocomposites facility: supercritical carbon dioxide characterisation and processing for nanomaterials and biopolymers. This facility will house characterisation and processing equipment for developing the next generation biopolymer materials. Novel biopolymers will be developed from natural and renewable resources using improved performance and lower energy supercritical carbon dioxide processing methods.
Self-reinforced biopolymer composites. This project will pioneer high performance and biodegradable composites using self-reinforced biopolymer composites. Composites can have poor properties due to interfacial issues, and this reduces their performance. By producing a fully self-reinforced (where the fibre and the polymer are the same type of polymer) polymer composites, the project will develop a way to improve properties, increase the use of biobased materials, and improve recyclability and b ....Self-reinforced biopolymer composites. This project will pioneer high performance and biodegradable composites using self-reinforced biopolymer composites. Composites can have poor properties due to interfacial issues, and this reduces their performance. By producing a fully self-reinforced (where the fibre and the polymer are the same type of polymer) polymer composites, the project will develop a way to improve properties, increase the use of biobased materials, and improve recyclability and biodegradability. Outcomes include greater understanding of design of self-reinforced biopolymer composites structure, processing and properties. This will produce opportunities for high performance biobased composite manufacturing and a growing circular plastics economy for Australia.Read moreRead less
Novel injection moulded polymer substrates for solid phase applications. Solid phase organic reactions form the basis of many applications in drug design and development and medical applications. This project proposes the development of novel solid phase materials via control of novel insitu crosslinking and foaming processes and novel process molding control. This will enable more controlled large scale rapid production and detection of materials for biological and medical uses.
Nanoporous Epoxy Thermosets via Microphase Separation of Block Copolymers. This project has many expected outcomes and benefits to Australia: (1) Development of the first technology to produce nanoporous epoxy thermosets (i.e. epoxy nanofoams) that may have many applications in microelectronics, optical waveguides and biological separations; (2) Providing impetus for an advanced materials synthesis and manufacturing industry for Australia and contributing to the Frontier Technologies National Re ....Nanoporous Epoxy Thermosets via Microphase Separation of Block Copolymers. This project has many expected outcomes and benefits to Australia: (1) Development of the first technology to produce nanoporous epoxy thermosets (i.e. epoxy nanofoams) that may have many applications in microelectronics, optical waveguides and biological separations; (2) Providing impetus for an advanced materials synthesis and manufacturing industry for Australia and contributing to the Frontier Technologies National Research Priority-Advanced Materials Priority Goals; (3) The development of new niche markets with these new materials and the new technologies, which is an excellent vehicle for Australia to move to a high-value added industrial portfolio that maximises return and promotes job growth.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100616
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,574.00
Summary
Development of high-performance flame-retardant one-component epoxy resins. This project will create a new class of phosphorus/imidazole oligomers for single-component epoxy resins with superior storage stability, fire retardancy and mechanical properties. By establishing a fundamental understanding of the structure-composition-property relationships of one-component epoxy resins, it will address two major challenges - high reactivity and short shelf life, and poor flame retardancy and mechanica ....Development of high-performance flame-retardant one-component epoxy resins. This project will create a new class of phosphorus/imidazole oligomers for single-component epoxy resins with superior storage stability, fire retardancy and mechanical properties. By establishing a fundamental understanding of the structure-composition-property relationships of one-component epoxy resins, it will address two major challenges - high reactivity and short shelf life, and poor flame retardancy and mechanical properties, which limit practical applications. This project will develop environmentally benign, flame-retardant oligomers, reducing fire hazards, protecting lives, property and the environment, by replacing current flammable epoxy resins used in electrical, construction and transportation.Read moreRead less
Bioplastics in the environment: lifetimes and toxicology. Globally, governments are implementing policies to drive a move to a circular economy. In the process, new materials are being introduced whose potential impacts need to be understood before they are widely used. This project pioneers investigations into the rate and extent of biodegradation of biodegradable plastics in aquatic and soil environments and the associated ecotoxicology of this process. In particular, it aims to quantify the e ....Bioplastics in the environment: lifetimes and toxicology. Globally, governments are implementing policies to drive a move to a circular economy. In the process, new materials are being introduced whose potential impacts need to be understood before they are widely used. This project pioneers investigations into the rate and extent of biodegradation of biodegradable plastics in aquatic and soil environments and the associated ecotoxicology of this process. In particular, it aims to quantify the extent to which the surfaces of these materials accumulate environmental pollutants via adsorption and other mechanisms. The outcomes will include conceptual models of biodegradation across environments, including lifetimes and likely impacts, critical information for framing a sustainable plastics industry.Read moreRead less
Understanding marine migratory connectivity for more sustainable oceans. Ocean basin-scale migrations of iconic sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, and fish expose them to multiple stressors and governance regimes, leading to gaps in management and population declines. The project aims to deliver the methods and evidence base of cross-taxa migratory connectivity that is essential to support the
conservation of these species. Expected outcomes include comprehensive and integrated models of mig ....Understanding marine migratory connectivity for more sustainable oceans. Ocean basin-scale migrations of iconic sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, and fish expose them to multiple stressors and governance regimes, leading to gaps in management and population declines. The project aims to deliver the methods and evidence base of cross-taxa migratory connectivity that is essential to support the
conservation of these species. Expected outcomes include comprehensive and integrated models of migratory connectivity, conservation theory development, and new methods that allow incorporation of migratory connectivity in conservation planning. Benefits include: a cross-taxa baseline that will enable Australia to measure environmental change in marine migratory connectivity for the first time.Read moreRead less
An elemental hypothesis for sub-tropical refugia in reef corals. This project aims to discover the underlying traits that permit Australian reef corals to live near the edges of their ranges in relatively cool water. As ocean temperatures warm, novel communities are expected to develop in high latitude ecosystems, which might become important as thermal refugia for low latitude coral reefs. The project aims to test the role of elemental composition (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) in coral host ....An elemental hypothesis for sub-tropical refugia in reef corals. This project aims to discover the underlying traits that permit Australian reef corals to live near the edges of their ranges in relatively cool water. As ocean temperatures warm, novel communities are expected to develop in high latitude ecosystems, which might become important as thermal refugia for low latitude coral reefs. The project aims to test the role of elemental composition (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) in coral host and symbiont response to changing water temperature along a latitudinal gradient. The intended outcome of the project is to provide knowledge to support predictions of likely species migrations from tropical to subtropical waters, enabling managers to anticipate the future response of coral communities to seawater warming.Read moreRead less
Microscale insights into ocean-scale processes: microbial behaviour as a driver of ocean biogeochemistry. Microscopic plankton regulate the ocean's chemical cycles, which ultimately support life on earth. However, the ecological interactions driving these processes are poorly understood. This project will use novel approaches to decipher the behaviours of marine microbes, providing a more complete perception of how ocean ecosystems operate and influence climate.