Nano-Particle Suspension Behaviour in Salt Solutions: Effect of Ion Hydration and Attractive Forces. Understanding and controlling the flow behaviour of nano-particle suspensions is crucial to the processing of ceramics with nano-scale features. Interparticle forces influence the flow behaviour and depend upon the the adsorption of ions to the particle's surface. The proposed research investigates the effect of ion hydration and surface type on ion adsorption, the resulting attractive forces a ....Nano-Particle Suspension Behaviour in Salt Solutions: Effect of Ion Hydration and Attractive Forces. Understanding and controlling the flow behaviour of nano-particle suspensions is crucial to the processing of ceramics with nano-scale features. Interparticle forces influence the flow behaviour and depend upon the the adsorption of ions to the particle's surface. The proposed research investigates the effect of ion hydration and surface type on ion adsorption, the resulting attractive forces and suspension flow behaviour. The outcomes of the project have potential for significant increase in fundamental understanding of the relationship between ions, surfaces and forces. The benefits of this knowledge include producing nano-ceramics with improved properties and better understanding biopolymer behaviour.Read moreRead less
Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Used Water. The project aims to address the pressing challenge of water scarcity in hydrogen production by developing an innovative approach of using used water as the feed for water electrolysis. The project will result in an in-depth understanding of the impacts of water impurities in used water on the performance and durability of water electrolysers, and develop guidelines for the design of highly durable water electrolysers and the operation and upgrade ....Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Used Water. The project aims to address the pressing challenge of water scarcity in hydrogen production by developing an innovative approach of using used water as the feed for water electrolysis. The project will result in an in-depth understanding of the impacts of water impurities in used water on the performance and durability of water electrolysers, and develop guidelines for the design of highly durable water electrolysers and the operation and upgrade of existing wastewater treatment plants. The project will advance the practical applications of water electrolysis for scalable and sustainable hydrogen production and help Australia secure a leading position in the global emerging hydrogen economy.Read moreRead less
Utilization of fly ash in manufacturing polypropylene composites: a fundamental study. A large amount of coal fly ash is generated from thermal power stations and only a small amount has found applications, causing a significant economic and environmental problem in Australia and worldwide. This project aims to develop techniques to use fly ash in the manufacture of polymer composite and, in particular, explore the underlying fundamentals by means of various advanced characterization and simulat ....Utilization of fly ash in manufacturing polypropylene composites: a fundamental study. A large amount of coal fly ash is generated from thermal power stations and only a small amount has found applications, causing a significant economic and environmental problem in Australia and worldwide. This project aims to develop techniques to use fly ash in the manufacture of polymer composite and, in particular, explore the underlying fundamentals by means of various advanced characterization and simulation techniques. The expected outcomes may lead to an environmentally sustainable and large quantity use of fly ash and bring about new business opportunities. This, together with the proposed research training, represents a useful contribution to the development of a more competitive Australia.Read moreRead less
Adhesive Bonding for LoadBearing Joints in Aluminium Fast Ferries. The aim of this project is to investigate new chemical pre-treatment techniques and new sensor technologies for specific use in adhesively bonding aluminium in the Australian Fast Ferry industry. These technologies are important in increasing the use of adhesives in ships, possibly leading to considerable weight savings, which, in turn increases the payload of the vessel. These advances in shipbuilding practice can help maintain ....Adhesive Bonding for LoadBearing Joints in Aluminium Fast Ferries. The aim of this project is to investigate new chemical pre-treatment techniques and new sensor technologies for specific use in adhesively bonding aluminium in the Australian Fast Ferry industry. These technologies are important in increasing the use of adhesives in ships, possibly leading to considerable weight savings, which, in turn increases the payload of the vessel. These advances in shipbuilding practice can help maintain the world-leading status of the Australian Fast Ferry industry. The technology also has the potential to expand the market for Australian-manufactured adhesives. The project also offers a stimulating learning environment for a PhD student.Read moreRead less
Novel plastics using renewable signal chemistry to remove bacteria in water. This project plans to develop synthetic plastic surfaces that continuously generate nitric oxide to deter the formation of biofilms. Plastic surfaces exposed to aqueous environments rapidly become covered by a film of bacteria, which can cause infection. Trace levels of generated nitric oxide can combat this problem by breaking up existing bacterial biofilms. Current research has developed plastics that continuously gen ....Novel plastics using renewable signal chemistry to remove bacteria in water. This project plans to develop synthetic plastic surfaces that continuously generate nitric oxide to deter the formation of biofilms. Plastic surfaces exposed to aqueous environments rapidly become covered by a film of bacteria, which can cause infection. Trace levels of generated nitric oxide can combat this problem by breaking up existing bacterial biofilms. Current research has developed plastics that continuously generate nitric oxide, but not for extended periods of time. This project’s approach is significant because it avoids bacterial resistance to the nitric oxide treatment. Applications of this technology may include removing biofilms from environments such as water filtration devices and consumable medical surfaces.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
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
High performance ultrasonically processed biodegradable alloy products. This project aims to develop new alloy processing technology to improve the material properties of biodegradable products such as plates, microclips and wound-closing devices. The project aims to understand and model the role of external fields such as ultrasonic treatment in the development of microstructure, including grain nucleation and formation processes, in biodegradable magnesium alloy components. The project plans t ....High performance ultrasonically processed biodegradable alloy products. This project aims to develop new alloy processing technology to improve the material properties of biodegradable products such as plates, microclips and wound-closing devices. The project aims to understand and model the role of external fields such as ultrasonic treatment in the development of microstructure, including grain nucleation and formation processes, in biodegradable magnesium alloy components. The project plans to fabricate and evaluate the performance of medical devices incorporating ultrasonically processed alloy products. Project outcomes are intended to be used to optimise the application of external fields for property and processing improvement.Read moreRead less
A Unified Approach to Determine Permeabilities of Fibre Preforms for Manufacturing Advanced Composite Structures. A unified framework is developed first time to determine 3-D permeabilities of fibre preforms for advanced fibre composites using homogenisation theories based on micro-, meso- and macro-structures of fibre preforms. Mechanistic models based on experimental studies, theoretical analyses and computational modelling are established to quantify permeabilities in different scales. It off ....A Unified Approach to Determine Permeabilities of Fibre Preforms for Manufacturing Advanced Composite Structures. A unified framework is developed first time to determine 3-D permeabilities of fibre preforms for advanced fibre composites using homogenisation theories based on micro-, meso- and macro-structures of fibre preforms. Mechanistic models based on experimental studies, theoretical analyses and computational modelling are established to quantify permeabilities in different scales. It offers a unique technique to determine 3-D permeabilities for manufacturing advanced composite structures using various novel technologies based on resin impregnation or infusion, such as VARTM and RI. The outcomes of the project will fill the gap in the essential knowledge for cost-effective manufacturing of advanced composite structures in practical applications.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100311
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Multidirectional stretchable and wearable tactile sensors. This project aims to establish a new platform for multidirectional wearable tactile sensors with high sensitivity and stretchability based on rational material designs and structural engineering. Wearable tactile sensors with multidirectional force-sensing capabilities are of great importance in robotics, prosthetics, and rehabilitation devices. This novel form of tactile sensing will be developed through fundamental research into the wo ....Multidirectional stretchable and wearable tactile sensors. This project aims to establish a new platform for multidirectional wearable tactile sensors with high sensitivity and stretchability based on rational material designs and structural engineering. Wearable tactile sensors with multidirectional force-sensing capabilities are of great importance in robotics, prosthetics, and rehabilitation devices. This novel form of tactile sensing will be developed through fundamental research into the working mechanism of directional sensors to enable detection of different force intensities. Combined with new device fabrication techniques, and innovative material structural engineering, the expected outcome is a new multidirectional tactile sensor system with high sensitivity and stretchability.Read moreRead less