Doped alumina with tailored material properties for battery applications. This project aims to develop tailored alumina materials for lithium ion battery separators through a novel in-situ approach that will: (1) produce uniform doped alumina for improved safety, (2) target specific surface and bulk material properties to increase the overall performance, and (3) reduce manufacturing costs by integrating the process with new technology developed for the production of high purity alumina. Signifi ....Doped alumina with tailored material properties for battery applications. This project aims to develop tailored alumina materials for lithium ion battery separators through a novel in-situ approach that will: (1) produce uniform doped alumina for improved safety, (2) target specific surface and bulk material properties to increase the overall performance, and (3) reduce manufacturing costs by integrating the process with new technology developed for the production of high purity alumina. Significant advances are proposed for overcoming current manufacturing limitations of doped alumina. Building research capacity and knowledge in battery material manufacturing will benefit a range of industries across Australia, whilst providing new opportunities for growth in local communities.Read moreRead less
Microstructural-Functional Effect of Silver Diammine Fluoride on Apatites. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding at the nanostructural level of the factors that contribute to the enhanced mineralisation and mechanical properties of dentine and enamel following the treatment with silver diammine fluoride (SDF). A variety of advanced nanomechanical, tomographic and microscopic techniques will be used to characterise sound, carious and SDF treated tissue. The new biomechanical ev ....Microstructural-Functional Effect of Silver Diammine Fluoride on Apatites. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding at the nanostructural level of the factors that contribute to the enhanced mineralisation and mechanical properties of dentine and enamel following the treatment with silver diammine fluoride (SDF). A variety of advanced nanomechanical, tomographic and microscopic techniques will be used to characterise sound, carious and SDF treated tissue. The new biomechanical evidence on the underlying mechanisms, alternative protocols, delivery systems enable to optimise the treatment. The scientific insights into arresting/repairing damage processes will provide critical data for developing minimal intervention protocols for pediatric and geriatric populations.Read moreRead less
Modelling rheology and flow parameters of injection moulding of liquid crystal polymer materials. Australian company Moldflow is a world leader in the modelling and simulation of injection moulding plastic parts, yet its sophisticated software is inadequate for liquid crystalline polymers. This research aims to redress this by appropriate rheological study of these materials, incorporating suitable rheological model in the simulation and by experimental validation. The benefit will be new know ....Modelling rheology and flow parameters of injection moulding of liquid crystal polymer materials. Australian company Moldflow is a world leader in the modelling and simulation of injection moulding plastic parts, yet its sophisticated software is inadequate for liquid crystalline polymers. This research aims to redress this by appropriate rheological study of these materials, incorporating suitable rheological model in the simulation and by experimental validation. The benefit will be new knowledge of the injection moulding process, enhancement of Australia's scientific reputation in this field, extension of the Moldflow software to a wider polymer range, new markets nationally and internationally, competitive edge of the improved software and contribution to national economy due to new business.Read moreRead less
Plastic deformation and failure of high strength rail steels in heavy haul transportation of mineral products. The Australian Government has made infrastructure, including rail, as a national priority for investment to meet the freight transport demand. This project focuses on the deformation and failure of rail in heavy haul lines to transport ores in the mining industry. The outcomes will be applied to ensure the structural integrity of rail infrastructure.
Novel Coatings For Steel. The aim of this project is to design coatings for steel that have high flexibility and high resistance to scatching and hardness. This will be achieved by the introduction of liquid crystalline phases in the coatings. The outcome will be a new generation of steel coatings with novel properties
Metal folding fundamentals to shape new corrugated building products . FormFlow has developed a ground-breaking forming process enabling the use of corrugated iron as a structural element. This is a step change for Australia`s steel and building industry and will provide a direct benefit to fireproofing homes. Up scaling of this new technology poses significant challenges due to the lack of understanding in the new forming process and the effect of pre-processing on the incoming material. Fundam ....Metal folding fundamentals to shape new corrugated building products . FormFlow has developed a ground-breaking forming process enabling the use of corrugated iron as a structural element. This is a step change for Australia`s steel and building industry and will provide a direct benefit to fireproofing homes. Up scaling of this new technology poses significant challenges due to the lack of understanding in the new forming process and the effect of pre-processing on the incoming material. Fundamental knowledge of material behaviour will be developed with advanced models that account for the unique process deformation conditions. The intended outcome includes computer software for process design and new concepts for part shape control to improve product quality, repeatability and enable high volume manufacture.Read moreRead less
A new biomechanical model for understanding aging of stored Red Blood Cells. This project plans to develop a novel modelling framework to accurately represent the biomechanical properties of red blood cells (RBCs) over time under stored conditions. Stored RBCs suffer ageing-related deformability changes which impede RBC functions. The framework aims to integrate models for RBC membrane, inside haemoglobin and outside storage solution, and accounts for ageing effects by embedding time-dependent c ....A new biomechanical model for understanding aging of stored Red Blood Cells. This project plans to develop a novel modelling framework to accurately represent the biomechanical properties of red blood cells (RBCs) over time under stored conditions. Stored RBCs suffer ageing-related deformability changes which impede RBC functions. The framework aims to integrate models for RBC membrane, inside haemoglobin and outside storage solution, and accounts for ageing effects by embedding time-dependent correlations. It should provide new insights and understanding of the mechanisms of deformability changes of RBCs during stored lifespan. Therefore, it should significantly improve blood storage industry practices in terms of improving RBC storage protocols with preventative ageing strategies.Read moreRead less
Three dimensional nano-lithography: combined electron and ion beam fabrication. By adding one more dimension to a planar (hence two dimensional - 2D) lithography, it will become possible to structure and texture materials in three dimensions (3D) by combining electron beam lithography (2D) and ion beam milling (3D) with the highest precision of several nanometres. This will open new applications in photonics and sensing.
New approaches to inhibition of activity of HIV integrase. This project aims to assist in the development of novel anti-HIV drugs that will benefit the 17000 Australians and more than 33 million people worldwide who are currently suffering with this terrible disease. The project will utilise state-of-the-art approaches in structure-based drug design to identify and synthesise compounds as leads for the development of anti-HIV drugs. Furthermore, the project will provide invaluable training for t ....New approaches to inhibition of activity of HIV integrase. This project aims to assist in the development of novel anti-HIV drugs that will benefit the 17000 Australians and more than 33 million people worldwide who are currently suffering with this terrible disease. The project will utilise state-of-the-art approaches in structure-based drug design to identify and synthesise compounds as leads for the development of anti-HIV drugs. Furthermore, the project will provide invaluable training for the researchers involved and enhance the relationship between the academic and commercial collaborators.Read moreRead less
A Novel Failure Approach for Multi-stage Aluminium Sheet Forming. This project aims to reduce waste in the production of aluminium cans. Over 200 billion aluminium beverage cans per year are produced worldwide (including 30 billion in Australia), but there is a problematic level of waste due to aluminium sheet forming failure. Current simulation of a multi-stage sheet forming process for rigid-packaging components results in a higher rejection rate due to the inaccuracy of conventional forming a ....A Novel Failure Approach for Multi-stage Aluminium Sheet Forming. This project aims to reduce waste in the production of aluminium cans. Over 200 billion aluminium beverage cans per year are produced worldwide (including 30 billion in Australia), but there is a problematic level of waste due to aluminium sheet forming failure. Current simulation of a multi-stage sheet forming process for rigid-packaging components results in a higher rejection rate due to the inaccuracy of conventional forming and fracture limit models. A novel development in this work is the design of a nonlinear strain path which is intended to maximise the forming limit of aluminium alloys and also estimate the safety margin up to the necking or fracture limit in the early die design stage.Read moreRead less