Developing new, water-based lubricants for sheet metal forming. There is increasing pressure on manufacturers, including the sheet metal forming industry, to use less toxic, water-based lubricants with a number of common additives being banned or being phased out internationally. In the case of automotive manufacturers, this is combined with demand for alternative sheet materials to reduce costs or cater for export markets. Efficient development of new lubricants or replacement additives require ....Developing new, water-based lubricants for sheet metal forming. There is increasing pressure on manufacturers, including the sheet metal forming industry, to use less toxic, water-based lubricants with a number of common additives being banned or being phased out internationally. In the case of automotive manufacturers, this is combined with demand for alternative sheet materials to reduce costs or cater for export markets. Efficient development of new lubricants or replacement additives requires a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between lubricant components and the surface of the sheet metal. This project will explore and model these interactions and how they are affected by the variables in a metal forming process.Read moreRead less
Bacterial cell behaviour in micro/nano-confined environments. The project aims to progress the understanding of the mechanisms of marine bacteria biofilm formation and surface-modulated metabolic response. We will adjust the surface characteristics of photopolymers (as ?model? surfaces) and probe the bacterial response to surfaces, passively with micro/nano-fabricated structures and Atomic Force Microscopy; and actively with optical manipulation of single cells. The results will contribute to th ....Bacterial cell behaviour in micro/nano-confined environments. The project aims to progress the understanding of the mechanisms of marine bacteria biofilm formation and surface-modulated metabolic response. We will adjust the surface characteristics of photopolymers (as ?model? surfaces) and probe the bacterial response to surfaces, passively with micro/nano-fabricated structures and Atomic Force Microscopy; and actively with optical manipulation of single cells. The results will contribute to the fundamental knowledge regarding central biological phenomena -down to single-cell processes- as well as on applied knowledge regarding the manufacturing of antimicrobial surfaces that mimic natural bactericide processes, with larger implications on biomedical practice, and environmental, civil, mining and manufacturing industrial applications.Read moreRead less
Interface Engineering of Multilayer Nanostructures. Nanostructured multilayers can outperform coatings of their constituent layers in both hardness and strength. It is believed that the nature of interfaces in these materials is critical since they mediate dislocation motion and crack propagation. This project will use advanced synthesis, microanalysis and theoretical methods to investigate multilayer coatings with sharp, diffuse and rough interfaces in order to reveal their failure mechanisms u ....Interface Engineering of Multilayer Nanostructures. Nanostructured multilayers can outperform coatings of their constituent layers in both hardness and strength. It is believed that the nature of interfaces in these materials is critical since they mediate dislocation motion and crack propagation. This project will use advanced synthesis, microanalysis and theoretical methods to investigate multilayer coatings with sharp, diffuse and rough interfaces in order to reveal their failure mechanisms under stress. This will enable us to understand the principles required to design the strongest structures and facilitate the selection of materials and deposition parameters in order to produce coatings optimised for a range of demanding applications.Read moreRead less
HyPoCrete: Hydrogen storage using an innovative concrete composite system. This project aims to develop an innovative polymer concrete composite system for the safe and efficient storage of hydrogen. New knowledge is expected to be generated on the novel use of polymer and concrete materials in hydrogen storage technologies. The expected outcomes include a new class of prefabricated, modular storage system that is highly efficient and low cost. The scalability and resilience of the system will b ....HyPoCrete: Hydrogen storage using an innovative concrete composite system. This project aims to develop an innovative polymer concrete composite system for the safe and efficient storage of hydrogen. New knowledge is expected to be generated on the novel use of polymer and concrete materials in hydrogen storage technologies. The expected outcomes include a new class of prefabricated, modular storage system that is highly efficient and low cost. The scalability and resilience of the system will be achieved by using concrete, a material widely used in the construction industry for its mechanical performance, durability and affordability. This should provide significant benefits in fostering the hydrogen economy by providing an efficient and resilient storage system for industrial quantities of hydrogen.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100082
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
An Australasian facility for the automated fabrication of high performance bespoke components. A facility for the automated fabrication of high performance bespoke components: The project will create a new coordinated facility for composites research including modern automated infrastructure. The facility will bring Australia in line with leading international research centres and promote fundamental and applied research into a range of fields including underwater renewable energy systems, space ....An Australasian facility for the automated fabrication of high performance bespoke components. A facility for the automated fabrication of high performance bespoke components: The project will create a new coordinated facility for composites research including modern automated infrastructure. The facility will bring Australia in line with leading international research centres and promote fundamental and applied research into a range of fields including underwater renewable energy systems, space vehicle structures, multifunctional and smart materials and infrastructure capacity extension. The facility will position Australian research for significant international collaboration through endorsement of next-generation manufacturing technology and enable leading outcomes for Australasian science and engineering in aerospace, marine, civil, automotive, renewable energy and primary resources.Read moreRead less
Efficient construction: analysis of integrated supply chains for innovative off site housing manufacturing. The Australian housing industry is failing to meet demand. Housing construction is too slow, as indicated by a 40 per cent increase in average construction time over the last fifteen years. Industry fragmentation is an oft-cited cause of construction inefficiency. A solution is offsite manufacturing. Australia lags other countries in adoption of off-site manufacturing. To achieve adoption ....Efficient construction: analysis of integrated supply chains for innovative off site housing manufacturing. The Australian housing industry is failing to meet demand. Housing construction is too slow, as indicated by a 40 per cent increase in average construction time over the last fifteen years. Industry fragmentation is an oft-cited cause of construction inefficiency. A solution is offsite manufacturing. Australia lags other countries in adoption of off-site manufacturing. To achieve adoption and diffusion, fragmentation needs to be addressed. This project aims to analyse the factors affecting supply chain integration to support innovative offsite manufacturing and develop a novel collaborative practice based implementation model.Read moreRead less
Performance of safety critical anchors in early age concrete with SCM. This project aims to examine the performance of anchors in a range of cements, to contribute to new safety and building guidelines. Demands for faster construction cycles and increased productivity require anchors for lifting and joining concrete elements to be installed and loaded in early age concrete. Yet, best practice for evaluation of anchors is based on mature concrete. There is also increasing use of supplementary cem ....Performance of safety critical anchors in early age concrete with SCM. This project aims to examine the performance of anchors in a range of cements, to contribute to new safety and building guidelines. Demands for faster construction cycles and increased productivity require anchors for lifting and joining concrete elements to be installed and loaded in early age concrete. Yet, best practice for evaluation of anchors is based on mature concrete. There is also increasing use of supplementary cementitious materials with unknown effects on anchors. This project aims to address this construction industry challenge. The project plans to study experimentally and analytically the effect of early age creep on anchor installation and the factors affecting the slip behaviour and ultimate performance of cast-in and post-installed mechanical anchors in concretes. It is intended that these studies will then inform new design guidelines.Read moreRead less
Engineering the kinetic stability of alloys for advanced stainless material development. A framework for understanding and designing metals and alloys with kinetic stability in mind will allow for discovery and breakthrough science to underpin technological innovation. This work has potential benefits for multiple industry sectors, with the ultimate intent of developing advanced materials for use in transport, construction, energy generation and medicine; all sectors of which can improve our qua ....Engineering the kinetic stability of alloys for advanced stainless material development. A framework for understanding and designing metals and alloys with kinetic stability in mind will allow for discovery and breakthrough science to underpin technological innovation. This work has potential benefits for multiple industry sectors, with the ultimate intent of developing advanced materials for use in transport, construction, energy generation and medicine; all sectors of which can improve our quality of life, whilst also addressing the multi-billion dollars of loss attributed to metallic corrosion each year. Such work will also benefit Australia through the development of a strategic international capability in a highly interdisciplinary field.Read moreRead less
Tailoring geopolymer concretes for sustainable development. This project will benefit Australia by enhancing the wider uptake of environmentally friendly geopolymer concretes. These materials are now commercially available in Australia, and provide the opportunity to obtain value from multiple millions of tonnes of industrial wastes (coal fly ash and metallurgical slags). An Australian company, Zeobond, is currently the world's leading commercial producer of geopolymers, and is collaborating in ....Tailoring geopolymer concretes for sustainable development. This project will benefit Australia by enhancing the wider uptake of environmentally friendly geopolymer concretes. These materials are now commercially available in Australia, and provide the opportunity to obtain value from multiple millions of tonnes of industrial wastes (coal fly ash and metallurgical slags). An Australian company, Zeobond, is currently the world's leading commercial producer of geopolymers, and is collaborating in this project to develop a scientific understanding of how best to formulate durable geopolymer concretes. Geopolymer concrete will provide the opportunity to reduce Australia's CO2 emissions by over a million tonnes per year when implemented on a commercial scale.Read moreRead less
Blended calcium-magnesium binders for improved and more sustainable building materials. The project will explore the potential of new blended calcium-magnesium cements to significantly improve the sustainability and properties of concrete produced with Portland cement (PC). Concrete based on PC contributes to around 10% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide. PC Concrete has many weaknesses such as rapid deterioration when exposed to aggressive environments, delayed reactions and early age crack ....Blended calcium-magnesium binders for improved and more sustainable building materials. The project will explore the potential of new blended calcium-magnesium cements to significantly improve the sustainability and properties of concrete produced with Portland cement (PC). Concrete based on PC contributes to around 10% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide. PC Concrete has many weaknesses such as rapid deterioration when exposed to aggressive environments, delayed reactions and early age cracking caused by shrinkage. The proposed research will investigate ways of using the new binder system to overcome these weaknesses and to reduce carbon dioxide emission. The expected outcome will be a proven technology for manufacturing new building materials that are environmentally more sustainable and with enhanced properties.Read moreRead less