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
Corrosion triggered self-passivation of magnesium alloys . This project aims to sustainably protect magnesium alloys from aqueous corrosion in engineering services through an unprecedented self-passivation mechanism (analogues to stainless steel). This project is expected to generate new knowledge in the area of passivation mechanisms for magnesium alloys in corrosive environments through high-throughput screening and in-situ corrosion characterisation at atomic scale. This should provide signif ....Corrosion triggered self-passivation of magnesium alloys . This project aims to sustainably protect magnesium alloys from aqueous corrosion in engineering services through an unprecedented self-passivation mechanism (analogues to stainless steel). This project is expected to generate new knowledge in the area of passivation mechanisms for magnesium alloys in corrosive environments through high-throughput screening and in-situ corrosion characterisation at atomic scale. This should provide significant benefits, such as enabling the debut of a scientific strategy to transform the magnesium alloy market with respect to end use (such as electric car industry), energy composition and emissions, which has significant industrial interest as it will provide new opportunities to minimise carbon footprint.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
Unlocking the ion selectivity of lithium superionic conductor membranes. This project aims to address a longstanding challenge in designing advanced membranes to enable sustainable lithium refining by unlocking the ion selectivity of lithium superionic conductors. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of membrane science and emerging nanoionics by using interdisciplinary approaches. Expected outcomes of this project include a novel class of lithium separation membranes and ....Unlocking the ion selectivity of lithium superionic conductor membranes. This project aims to address a longstanding challenge in designing advanced membranes to enable sustainable lithium refining by unlocking the ion selectivity of lithium superionic conductors. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of membrane science and emerging nanoionics by using interdisciplinary approaches. Expected outcomes of this project include a novel class of lithium separation membranes and their fabrication techniques. This should provide significant benefits in improving lithium extraction and recycling efficiency, reducing their environmental impact and building the research capacity in advanced membrane manufacturing and critical mineral refining in Australia. 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
Orthogonal Sensing Strategies for Soft Sensors to Discern Multiple Stimuli . The project seeks to create new orthogonal sensing technologies that enable a single soft sensor to detect multiple mechanical and thermal stimuli, overcoming the challenge of cross-talk between stimuli. The project expects to generate new knowledge of orthogonal sensing mechanisms and the effects of microstructure designs. The expected outcomes include novel soft sensors capable of accurately detecting pressure, stretc ....Orthogonal Sensing Strategies for Soft Sensors to Discern Multiple Stimuli . The project seeks to create new orthogonal sensing technologies that enable a single soft sensor to detect multiple mechanical and thermal stimuli, overcoming the challenge of cross-talk between stimuli. The project expects to generate new knowledge of orthogonal sensing mechanisms and the effects of microstructure designs. The expected outcomes include novel soft sensors capable of accurately detecting pressure, stretch, shear, and temperature simultaneously. The new technologies are expected to support Australian companies in developing, producing and exporting sensors for soft robots and wearable devices for health monitoring, an area recognized as a key priority by the Federal Government’s Industry Growth Centres.Read moreRead less
Self-Healing Concrete for Mitigation of Chloride Induced Steel Corrosion. This project aims to develop an intrinsic self-healing concrete using crystalline admixtures for rapid healing of concrete cracking. In marine environments, concrete cracking provides a direct access for chlorides from sea water to the steel reinforcement, leading to early and severe steel corrosion. The self-healing concrete will be designed to address the two main causes of concrete structures deterioration in Australia: ....Self-Healing Concrete for Mitigation of Chloride Induced Steel Corrosion. This project aims to develop an intrinsic self-healing concrete using crystalline admixtures for rapid healing of concrete cracking. In marine environments, concrete cracking provides a direct access for chlorides from sea water to the steel reinforcement, leading to early and severe steel corrosion. The self-healing concrete will be designed to address the two main causes of concrete structures deterioration in Australia: early age cracking due to restrained shrinkage and chloride induced steel reinforcement corrosion. The outcomes of this project will drive the advances in developing and applying crystalline admixture-based self-healing concrete to extend the service life of concrete structures and avoid costly repair.Read moreRead less