DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND EXPERIMENTAL BASIS FOR MANUFACTURE OF BUILDING MATERIALS WITH SPECIAL PROPERTIES BASED ON GEOPOLYMERS. This project seeks to develop a new class of building materials based on geopolymers. These materials will have superior corrosion resistance, fire resistance, heat and noise insulating properties. The project will study in detail the effect of processing parameters on microstructure of these materials, and effect of structure and composition on properties. A good ....DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND EXPERIMENTAL BASIS FOR MANUFACTURE OF BUILDING MATERIALS WITH SPECIAL PROPERTIES BASED ON GEOPOLYMERS. This project seeks to develop a new class of building materials based on geopolymers. These materials will have superior corrosion resistance, fire resistance, heat and noise insulating properties. The project will study in detail the effect of processing parameters on microstructure of these materials, and effect of structure and composition on properties. A good understanding of this would result in environmentally friendly inexpensive inorganic materials with superior durability, chemical and fire resistance, heat and noise insulation properties that can substitute organic polymers and ordinary Portland cement concrete in special applications.Read moreRead less
An innovative approach to fabricate thermally stable polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites. By fully taking advantage of excellent affinity of water with polar layered silicate and polar polymer, an innovative approach to fabricate thermally stable polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites via melt extrusion with the aid of water/water vapour will be developed. In this process, the pristine layered silicate will be directly exfoliated into individual layers with nanometer thickness and high aspe ....An innovative approach to fabricate thermally stable polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites. By fully taking advantage of excellent affinity of water with polar layered silicate and polar polymer, an innovative approach to fabricate thermally stable polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites via melt extrusion with the aid of water/water vapour will be developed. In this process, the pristine layered silicate will be directly exfoliated into individual layers with nanometer thickness and high aspect ratio, and uniformly dispersed in a polymer matrix. This novel approach is environmentally benign and cost-effective since no alkyl ammonium surfactants are required. The resultant nanocomposites will exhibit excellent barrier properties, high thermal stability, environmental durability and superior mechanical properties. These qualities make them very attractive for many applications in the automotive and packaging industries.Read moreRead less
Ceramic matrix nanocomposites. Using a novel process developed by the applicant, this project will create and study ceramic matrix nanocomposites of two types: (i) those in which the nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed in alumina and (ii) functionally-graded nanocomposites of controlled heterogeneity, that is, nanocomposites in which the nanoparticles are distributed heterogeneously in glass. Homogeneous nanocomposites of alumina are potentially of great importance to the mining industry ....Ceramic matrix nanocomposites. Using a novel process developed by the applicant, this project will create and study ceramic matrix nanocomposites of two types: (i) those in which the nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed in alumina and (ii) functionally-graded nanocomposites of controlled heterogeneity, that is, nanocomposites in which the nanoparticles are distributed heterogeneously in glass. Homogeneous nanocomposites of alumina are potentially of great importance to the mining industry as they can increase the toughness and wear resistance of mining components. Heterogeneous nanocomposities have the potential to revolutionise the dental restoration industry by combining greatly increased toughness with the aesthetic benefit of controllable translucency.Read moreRead less
Current limiting mechanisms in magnesium diboride superconductors. Numerous important applications have already been identified for MgB2 wire: power transmission cables, fault current limiters, transformers and magnets for motors and generators, as well as MRI. The significant increase in current carrying capacity of one order of magnitude expected to result from the proposed program will enable MgB2 to replace presently existing low-temperature superconductors (LTS) and expensive high-temperat ....Current limiting mechanisms in magnesium diboride superconductors. Numerous important applications have already been identified for MgB2 wire: power transmission cables, fault current limiters, transformers and magnets for motors and generators, as well as MRI. The significant increase in current carrying capacity of one order of magnitude expected to result from the proposed program will enable MgB2 to replace presently existing low-temperature superconductors (LTS) and expensive high-temperature superconductors (HTS) in numerous important applications. MgB2 technology, coupled with renewable energy sources, has the potential to provide a long-term solution to the energy crisis and global warming threat.Read moreRead less
Flow process and visible-light driven reactions for polymer manufacturing. This project aims to develop rapid, scalable light-driven continuous flow processing techniques that allow the production of value-added synthetic polymers that cannot be achieved by existing technologies. The project will take advantage of the spatio-temporal control of the light mediated polymerisation with flow process to achieve control over the primary structure, the sequential arrangement of monomer units in a polym ....Flow process and visible-light driven reactions for polymer manufacturing. This project aims to develop rapid, scalable light-driven continuous flow processing techniques that allow the production of value-added synthetic polymers that cannot be achieved by existing technologies. The project will take advantage of the spatio-temporal control of the light mediated polymerisation with flow process to achieve control over the primary structure, the sequential arrangement of monomer units in a polymer chain and the molecular weight distribution. The project will result in the preparation of functional polymers containing a specific arrangement of monomers in the polymer chain and a precise distribution of polymer chains. The development of such process will result in the development of advanced materials.Read moreRead less
Aligning and Chaining Carbon Nanofillers in Fibre Composites: Synergistically Improving Damage Tolerance and Diagnosis. Recent studies reveal that alternating electric or magnetic fields can rotate conductive nanofillers in polymers. This project aims to advance a new concept of aligning nano-scale reinforcements (for example, graphene nano-sheets and carbon nanofibres) along the thickness direction of composite materials. The alignment of nano-sized reinforcement will address the perennial prob ....Aligning and Chaining Carbon Nanofillers in Fibre Composites: Synergistically Improving Damage Tolerance and Diagnosis. Recent studies reveal that alternating electric or magnetic fields can rotate conductive nanofillers in polymers. This project aims to advance a new concept of aligning nano-scale reinforcements (for example, graphene nano-sheets and carbon nanofibres) along the thickness direction of composite materials. The alignment of nano-sized reinforcement will address the perennial problem of through-thickness weaknesses of fibre-reinforced composites and, at the same time, improve the electrical conductivity of composites. The synergistic improvements in the mechanical and electrical properties will improve damage tolerance and diagnosis of composites, thus expanding their applications in transport and civil construction to help reduce carbon dioxide emission.Read moreRead less
Development of three-dimensional printing conductive concrete for electromagnetic pulse shielding. This project aims to develop innovative methods for the use of conductive concrete as a building material with an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) shielding property. Three dimensional printing of conductive concrete will present an innovative and promising technique in real-life construction practices when structures are needed for facilities and infrastructure employed for critical services such as mi ....Development of three-dimensional printing conductive concrete for electromagnetic pulse shielding. This project aims to develop innovative methods for the use of conductive concrete as a building material with an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) shielding property. Three dimensional printing of conductive concrete will present an innovative and promising technique in real-life construction practices when structures are needed for facilities and infrastructure employed for critical services such as military or financial infrastructures. The project will create new revenue streams for cement and concrete industry as well as empower the workforce with cutting-edge skills. The newly developed materials and technology will lead to protection of national facilities and infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Development of nano reinforced concrete using boron nitride nanosheets. This project seeks to develop high-performance concrete materials by exploiting emerging nanotechnology. It plans to adopt emerging nanotechnology involving hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets and advanced micro-computer tomography instrumentation to transform conventional concrete into one that is stronger and more durable in extreme environmental conditions. It also plans to use sophisticated modelling techniques including ....Development of nano reinforced concrete using boron nitride nanosheets. This project seeks to develop high-performance concrete materials by exploiting emerging nanotechnology. It plans to adopt emerging nanotechnology involving hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets and advanced micro-computer tomography instrumentation to transform conventional concrete into one that is stronger and more durable in extreme environmental conditions. It also plans to use sophisticated modelling techniques including molecular dynamics simulations as well as microplane models to analyse the effect of nanofillers. The findings may drive advances in cement hydration, nanotechnology, concrete technology and blast, impact and fire engineering.Read moreRead less
Crack Propagation within Graded Interfaces. Functionally graded interfaces are a technologically new way of joining materials in a wide range of biomedical and industrial applications. The reduction in the interfacial stresses resulting from the graded interface increases the structural integrity of the component, however, existing models do not fully address issues of plasticity and cyclic fatigue to their fracture. The intention of this study is to investigate how modifications to the ductil ....Crack Propagation within Graded Interfaces. Functionally graded interfaces are a technologically new way of joining materials in a wide range of biomedical and industrial applications. The reduction in the interfacial stresses resulting from the graded interface increases the structural integrity of the component, however, existing models do not fully address issues of plasticity and cyclic fatigue to their fracture. The intention of this study is to investigate how modifications to the ductile reinforcement phase and how the cyclic loading influence crack extension within a graded interface. These results will assist in future design and prediction of the in-service lifetime of components containing gradient interfaces.Read moreRead less
Design Of Practical Passive Cooling Radiators Utilising Spectrally Selective Covers And Surfaces. Radiative cooling offers a means to cool buildings sustainably without complex and costly heat pumps or air conditioners. Units similar to solar panels can be designed with surfaces which radiate mostly into the 8 - 12 micron atmospheric window, which has a radiance much less than for other wavelengths. Commercial development has been limited by problems associated with the degradation, performance ....Design Of Practical Passive Cooling Radiators Utilising Spectrally Selective Covers And Surfaces. Radiative cooling offers a means to cool buildings sustainably without complex and costly heat pumps or air conditioners. Units similar to solar panels can be designed with surfaces which radiate mostly into the 8 - 12 micron atmospheric window, which has a radiance much less than for other wavelengths. Commercial development has been limited by problems associated with the degradation, performance or cost of radiator surfaces. This project seeks to improve both performance and durability with innovative use of alternative materials and sputtered coatings suitable for mass manufacture, and to test the outdoor performance of laboratory produced radiative plates.Read moreRead less