Advanced shield materials for compact fusion energy. We aim to predict how materials used for shielding sensitive components in nuclear fusion reactors will degrade over time. We will use this knowledge to design advanced alloys for radiation shield, which are critical for the development of more compact fusion reactors design, with lower construction cost, and shorter assembly time. These advanced shield materials may also be used in other applications in radiation fields (e.g. space, nuclear m ....Advanced shield materials for compact fusion energy. We aim to predict how materials used for shielding sensitive components in nuclear fusion reactors will degrade over time. We will use this knowledge to design advanced alloys for radiation shield, which are critical for the development of more compact fusion reactors design, with lower construction cost, and shorter assembly time. These advanced shield materials may also be used in other applications in radiation fields (e.g. space, nuclear medicine). The project also seeks to extend the Australian nuclear research capability by developing an innovative technique to study radiation damage using the OPAL reactor at ANSTO.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989123
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$575,000.00
Summary
Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) Facility for Advanced Materials Processing. The establishment of the first Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) facility would significantly enhance Australia's capacity in manufacturing of advanced materials, especially the more sophisticated and specialized materials, which is a National Research Priority. This facility will benefit a large number of researchers and projects in Australia's premier research organisations and will also meet the needs of organisations outside ....Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) Facility for Advanced Materials Processing. The establishment of the first Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) facility would significantly enhance Australia's capacity in manufacturing of advanced materials, especially the more sophisticated and specialized materials, which is a National Research Priority. This facility will benefit a large number of researchers and projects in Australia's premier research organisations and will also meet the needs of organisations outside the consortium. It will allow Australian researchers to remain at the leading edge of research and enhance collaborations in advanced materials nationwide. The successful outcomes of these activities will underpin the advancement in many areas of research and technology developments in the country.Read moreRead less
Design of Non-Equilibrium Architectures: Leveraging High Entropy Materials. Novel metallic alloys, termed as ‘high entropy materials’, will be investigated as surface coatings in order to provide improved strength, corrosion and wear performance under extreme industrial environments. This new evolution in materials engineering is created by mixing at least 5 elements in equal ratios and has recently been proven to provide excellent functionality in the bulk form. The novelty of this project is t ....Design of Non-Equilibrium Architectures: Leveraging High Entropy Materials. Novel metallic alloys, termed as ‘high entropy materials’, will be investigated as surface coatings in order to provide improved strength, corrosion and wear performance under extreme industrial environments. This new evolution in materials engineering is created by mixing at least 5 elements in equal ratios and has recently been proven to provide excellent functionality in the bulk form. The novelty of this project is that thermal spray engineering will be employed to manufacture bespoke coatings for industries such as the mining and power generation sectors. We now need to understand the materials science for a technological tipping point that directly impacts manufacturing industries for improved performance, efficiency and reliability.Read moreRead less
PROCESSING OF REDUCED-BAND-GAP TITANIA FOR SOLAR-HYDROGEN. The present project involves the development of materials and devices for solar-hydrogen using photo-assisted water decomposition. The research focusses on the processing of titanium dioxide (titania) with substantially enhanced photo-sensitivity and, consequently, increased efficiency of the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy (hydrogen) through imposition of the optimal Ti/O ratio. Significance: processing technology of tit ....PROCESSING OF REDUCED-BAND-GAP TITANIA FOR SOLAR-HYDROGEN. The present project involves the development of materials and devices for solar-hydrogen using photo-assisted water decomposition. The research focusses on the processing of titanium dioxide (titania) with substantially enhanced photo-sensitivity and, consequently, increased efficiency of the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy (hydrogen) through imposition of the optimal Ti/O ratio. Significance: processing technology of titania for photo-electrochemical devices for hydrogen generation and water decontamination. Innovation: processing of titania with reduced band-gap to be achieved through optimised oxygen nonstoichiometry. Outcome: processing technology of titania with outstanding photo-sensitivity.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100054
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$750,000.00
Summary
High Temperature Atomic Structure and Physical Property Analysis Facility. High temperature atomic structure and physical property analysis facility:
The aim of this project is to strengthen Australian research activities in the development of advanced materials for novel multifunctional devices, sensors, catalysts, engineering components and energy technologies through the purchase of a state-of-the-art high temperature atomic structure and physical property analysis facility. The facility is ....High Temperature Atomic Structure and Physical Property Analysis Facility. High temperature atomic structure and physical property analysis facility:
The aim of this project is to strengthen Australian research activities in the development of advanced materials for novel multifunctional devices, sensors, catalysts, engineering components and energy technologies through the purchase of a state-of-the-art high temperature atomic structure and physical property analysis facility. The facility is designed to consist of a high temperature scanning tunnelling microscope and a high temperature AC field hall effect measurement system to form a powerful and versatile high temperature atomic structure and physical property analysis facility. This is expected to provide a unique research capability in in-situ analysis of atomic and electronic behaviours with the correlated physical properties including carrier concentration and mobility at temperatures exceeding 1300 K. Read moreRead less
AM of MAX Phase parts for applications in extreme environments. This project aims to develop techniques to synthesize MAX Phase compound materials in-situ using laser additive manufacturing. The project expects to increase jet engine fuel efficiency and thrust, and to fabricate longer-lasting parts for supersonic speed applications. The expected outcomes include well-developed additive manufacturing processes to make high performance engineering components with shape complexity for extreme envir ....AM of MAX Phase parts for applications in extreme environments. This project aims to develop techniques to synthesize MAX Phase compound materials in-situ using laser additive manufacturing. The project expects to increase jet engine fuel efficiency and thrust, and to fabricate longer-lasting parts for supersonic speed applications. The expected outcomes include well-developed additive manufacturing processes to make high performance engineering components with shape complexity for extreme environment applications, and new methods to increase the 3D printability of brittle materials. This should provide significant benefits to aerospace and defense industries through solving their long standing bottleneck material and processing problems. The outcomes also enhance Australia’s manufacturing capacity.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100223
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Advanced X-ray diffraction facility for high energy and extreme conditions. X-ray powder diffraction is a powerful technique for determining the structure of matter at the atomic scale. This project will establish a new Australian capability for X-ray powder diffraction under extreme conditions that emulate real harsh service environments for advanced functional materials.