Bioinspired interfaces for improved carbon fibre composite performance. Carbon fibre composites, where carbon fibres are embedded in a polymer matrix, are gradually replacing traditional materials such as steel. For example, composites make up 50 per cent of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, resulting in a 20 per cent improvement in fuel economy. There is significant scope for improving the damage tolerance of these materials. A fundamental lack of understanding around the fibre matrix interface currentl ....Bioinspired interfaces for improved carbon fibre composite performance. Carbon fibre composites, where carbon fibres are embedded in a polymer matrix, are gradually replacing traditional materials such as steel. For example, composites make up 50 per cent of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, resulting in a 20 per cent improvement in fuel economy. There is significant scope for improving the damage tolerance of these materials. A fundamental lack of understanding around the fibre matrix interface currently limits the development of new composite systems to overcome the problems with damage tolerance. This project takes inspiration from nature to develop a fundamental understanding of the interfaces within carbon fibre composites and optimise their behaviour via model-guided surface and interface engineering. Read moreRead less
Engineering Processable, Tough Hydrogels with Biological Activity. The project aims to design a new class of tough hydrogels to address issues in engineering complex soft and robust structures. These hydrogels have superior properties compared with current materials as they are biologically active, processable by various manufacturing techniques, elastic and have a capacity for rapid self-recovery that are ideal for soft tissues. Their physical property is tunable by modification of their compos ....Engineering Processable, Tough Hydrogels with Biological Activity. The project aims to design a new class of tough hydrogels to address issues in engineering complex soft and robust structures. These hydrogels have superior properties compared with current materials as they are biologically active, processable by various manufacturing techniques, elastic and have a capacity for rapid self-recovery that are ideal for soft tissues. Their physical property is tunable by modification of their compositions that enable construction of complex seamless structure such as valved conduit with anistropic property. Expected outcomes of this project include new insights into material design, multi-physics modelling, and multi-material additive manufacturing for broad applications in soft robotics and medical implants.Read moreRead less
Design of reactive foils for joining amorphous alloys. Amorphous alloys or metallic glasses are special materials that retain the random structure of a liquid but in a solid form. They can show special properties of very high strength, toughness and corrosion resistance. The enormous difficulty in joining amorphous alloys to make larger assemblies is greatly curbing their uptake in technology. In this research, state of the art experimental and computational tools will be used to investigate the ....Design of reactive foils for joining amorphous alloys. Amorphous alloys or metallic glasses are special materials that retain the random structure of a liquid but in a solid form. They can show special properties of very high strength, toughness and corrosion resistance. The enormous difficulty in joining amorphous alloys to make larger assemblies is greatly curbing their uptake in technology. In this research, state of the art experimental and computational tools will be used to investigate the extremely fast high temperature reactions occurring in reactive foils of layered metals which, when inserted at the proposed join and ignited, quickly produce a bond. The research will lay the foundation for a robust and reliable means for joining amorphous alloys by means of reactive foils. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100094
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
Selective laser melting - an advanced manufacturing and physical modelling technology for the digital age. Selective laser melting is a new manufacturing technology that creates parts layer by layer directly from a computer model, eliminating the need for tooling or machining. This technology will be applied to a diverse range of research areas from producing the next generation of medical implants and devices to improving our understanding of geo-materials.
Reducing gas and ash corrosion in advanced power generation. Advanced power generation using new coal combustion technologies increases energy efficiency and makes carbon dioxide capture possible, but increases the corrosion problems. This project aims to determine the corrosion behaviour of chromia-scale forming iron- and nickel-base alloys in the presence of deposits (coal ashes and salts) under carbon dioxide rich gas atmospheres. The increased understanding of alloy behaviour in hot corrosiv ....Reducing gas and ash corrosion in advanced power generation. Advanced power generation using new coal combustion technologies increases energy efficiency and makes carbon dioxide capture possible, but increases the corrosion problems. This project aims to determine the corrosion behaviour of chromia-scale forming iron- and nickel-base alloys in the presence of deposits (coal ashes and salts) under carbon dioxide rich gas atmospheres. The increased understanding of alloy behaviour in hot corrosive ashes and gases, will permit more effective materials design and selection leading to more efficient and economic technologies for reliable and low cost carbon capture in energy production, waste-energy conversion and related industries.Read moreRead less
High temperature corrosion induced by multiple secondary oxidants . Heat resisting chromia-forming alloys passivate successfully in clean, dry air at temperatures up to about 950°C. However, this performance is degraded by secondary oxidants (carbon, sulphur, chlorine, water vapour), leading to corrosion failure in important industries. The project aims to investigate the effect of these secondary oxidants on corrosion behaviour of chromia-forming alloys, to identify interactions between multipl ....High temperature corrosion induced by multiple secondary oxidants . Heat resisting chromia-forming alloys passivate successfully in clean, dry air at temperatures up to about 950°C. However, this performance is degraded by secondary oxidants (carbon, sulphur, chlorine, water vapour), leading to corrosion failure in important industries. The project aims to investigate the effect of these secondary oxidants on corrosion behaviour of chromia-forming alloys, to identify interactions between multiple oxidants within the scale, to establish the mechanisms of oxide scale penetration by foreign species, and to evaluate scales on different alloy types. The results will provide a basis for improved design/selection of heat resisting chromia-forming alloys, key to power generation industries.Read moreRead less
Two-dimensional plasmonic heterogeneous nanostructures for photocatalysis. This project aims to design and explore two-dimensional heterogeneous photocatalysts that can convert solar energy into usable chemical energy. This project will investigate the correlation between surface plasmonic resonance and photocatalytic activities on the atomic level. Heterogeneous engineering and in-situ investigation of atomic-level photocatalytic dynamics is expected to yield several new full-solar-spectrum pho ....Two-dimensional plasmonic heterogeneous nanostructures for photocatalysis. This project aims to design and explore two-dimensional heterogeneous photocatalysts that can convert solar energy into usable chemical energy. This project will investigate the correlation between surface plasmonic resonance and photocatalytic activities on the atomic level. Heterogeneous engineering and in-situ investigation of atomic-level photocatalytic dynamics is expected to yield several new full-solar-spectrum photocatalysts. The project is expected to contribute to the understanding of the processes and mechanisms underlying photocatalysis, and lead to useable, stable and durable photocatalytics. The outcomes will enable efficient, cost-effective and reliable production of clean energy in a low-emission way.Read moreRead less
Heat-resisting iron-nickel base alloys in challenging new applications: oxygen permeabilities and resistance to internal oxidation. There is a pressing need to develop heat resisting alloys which can function adequately in higher operating temperatures and gas mixtures rich in carbon and hydrogen to be handled in advanced technologies for power generation. The expected outcomes of this project will provide the basis for design/selection of these more corrosion-resistant alloys.
Wearable thermoelectric textiles for portable microelectronics. Wearable thermoelectrics enable the power generation from the temperature difference between human body and ambient temperature by using thermoelectric effect. This project aims to design eco-friendly wearable thermoelectric textiles to realize high-efficiency solid-state power generation and meet individual needs with human comfort and health. The target is to achieve a power density in the as-designed thermoelectric textiles by th ....Wearable thermoelectric textiles for portable microelectronics. Wearable thermoelectrics enable the power generation from the temperature difference between human body and ambient temperature by using thermoelectric effect. This project aims to design eco-friendly wearable thermoelectric textiles to realize high-efficiency solid-state power generation and meet individual needs with human comfort and health. The target is to achieve a power density in the as-designed thermoelectric textiles by the optimization of materials and device design. The outcome will open up a new platform for the green and sustainable charge for portable microelectronics, which will lead to an innovative technology for energy management, which will place Australia at the forefront of wearable electronics and textile industry.Read moreRead less