Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102784
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Water-swellable rubber with nanoparticle-enabled super capacity as smart water-leakage sealant. A novel water-swellable rubber (WSR) sealant with continuous hydrophobic phase and isolated hydrophilic phase is developed for stopping water leakage from gaps and cracks. Nanoparticle-enabled blocks and network channels in rubber matrix effectively improve the integrity and capability of WSR as smart water-leakage sealants in various applications.
The development of super-toughened epoxies using a novel nanomaterial. Epoxy resins are widely used as structural adhesives and coatings in engineering structures. This project will address the problem of the intrinsic brittleness of epoxy by making it significantly tougher with superior performance and cost-effectiveness. Our technology for producing super-toughened epoxy will lead to a wide range of applications for new and existing products in the construction, automotive, aerospace, adhesive ....The development of super-toughened epoxies using a novel nanomaterial. Epoxy resins are widely used as structural adhesives and coatings in engineering structures. This project will address the problem of the intrinsic brittleness of epoxy by making it significantly tougher with superior performance and cost-effectiveness. Our technology for producing super-toughened epoxy will lead to a wide range of applications for new and existing products in the construction, automotive, aerospace, adhesive and microelectronics industries.Read moreRead less
Novel Waterborne Multifunctional Sealer for Asphalt Pavement. One of the long-term challenges and most serious problems faced by the asphalt surfacing and road construction industry is the rapid deterioration of asphaltic surfaces to the extent that they become unfit/unsafe for use in short time. The length of the Australian local government road system is approximately 810,000 kilometres and currently approximately $2,460 million/year is spent on road maintenance; the replacement value of ....Novel Waterborne Multifunctional Sealer for Asphalt Pavement. One of the long-term challenges and most serious problems faced by the asphalt surfacing and road construction industry is the rapid deterioration of asphaltic surfaces to the extent that they become unfit/unsafe for use in short time. The length of the Australian local government road system is approximately 810,000 kilometres and currently approximately $2,460 million/year is spent on road maintenance; the replacement value of the road asset exceeds $106,000 million. Thus providing satisfactory tough protective shield on asphalt pavements that locks out destructive elements and provide long-term protection is of enormous economic importance and national/community benefit.Read moreRead less
Development of Multilayered Packaging Materials with Controlled Barrier Properties. The project aims to develop advanced new material for multilayered packaging with high oxygen and moisture barrier properties for cost effective packaging applications. Poly Products currently imports and uses some polymer as its key component for controlling barrier property of their food packaging. However, the new nanostructured material when sandwiched between less expensive materials in a multilayered packag ....Development of Multilayered Packaging Materials with Controlled Barrier Properties. The project aims to develop advanced new material for multilayered packaging with high oxygen and moisture barrier properties for cost effective packaging applications. Poly Products currently imports and uses some polymer as its key component for controlling barrier property of their food packaging. However, the new nanostructured material when sandwiched between less expensive materials in a multilayered packaging film will yield excellent barrier properties, leading to extended shelf life of different food products. The new smart material will generate significant material saving and replace the imported polymer, and will secure export market of the product in Asia -Pacific region.Read moreRead less
High-Performance Polymer Composites for Electrical Discharging. This project aims to address the problem of electrostatic discharge by developing new industry-compatible processing techniques and taking advantage of the synergy between graphene and carbon nanotubes and fibres. Electrostatic discharge due to accumulation of static electricity is a significant problem for lightweight polymer composites used in hazard environments, such as pumps for underground mining, oil and gas storage and satel ....High-Performance Polymer Composites for Electrical Discharging. This project aims to address the problem of electrostatic discharge by developing new industry-compatible processing techniques and taking advantage of the synergy between graphene and carbon nanotubes and fibres. Electrostatic discharge due to accumulation of static electricity is a significant problem for lightweight polymer composites used in hazard environments, such as pumps for underground mining, oil and gas storage and satellites. The outcomes will potentially transform the current manufacturing practice of anti-static composites for industry applications including mining, energy, space and agriculture. Read moreRead less
Fundamentals of Electrically Conductive Elastomer Composites. This project aims to address the performance instability of stretchable/flexible electronics and devices, by developing mechanically resilient, electrically conductive patterns of nanomaterials to be encased in elastomers. It expects to generate new knowledge in the field of composite processing, to provide fundamentals for composite industry to develop novel strain gauges and conductors. Expected outcomes include a methodology for st ....Fundamentals of Electrically Conductive Elastomer Composites. This project aims to address the performance instability of stretchable/flexible electronics and devices, by developing mechanically resilient, electrically conductive patterns of nanomaterials to be encased in elastomers. It expects to generate new knowledge in the field of composite processing, to provide fundamentals for composite industry to develop novel strain gauges and conductors. Expected outcomes include a methodology for stabilising the cyclic performance of electrically conductive elastomer composites. This project is anticipated to provide significant long-term benefits not only for underwater infrastructure condition monitoring but for remote and personalised health-monitoring.Read moreRead less