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
The development of novel geopolymers incorporating calcium and cellulosic material. Geopolymer technology transforms waste aluminosilicate materials into commercially viable products, which possess superior physical and chemical properties compared to ordinary concrete. These high-tech materials have novel acid and fire resistance applications, e.g. in construction and for the coating of optical fibres. Understanding the chemical relationship between geopolymers and other cementitious materials ....The development of novel geopolymers incorporating calcium and cellulosic material. Geopolymer technology transforms waste aluminosilicate materials into commercially viable products, which possess superior physical and chemical properties compared to ordinary concrete. These high-tech materials have novel acid and fire resistance applications, e.g. in construction and for the coating of optical fibres. Understanding the chemical relationship between geopolymers and other cementitious materials is pivotal to further advances in inorganic polymers. This project uses surface reactivity, spectroscopy, electronmicroscopy and electron diffraction to determine the role of calcium and cellulosic additives in the phase composition, microstructure and properties of geopolymers. Therefore, the factors distinguishing geopolymers from alkali-activated cement and ordinary concrete are identified.Read moreRead less
Fast stimuli-responsive polymer hydrogels as a new class of draw agent for forward osmosis desalination. The ability to extract fresh water from saline water can be important in areas such as desalination and other industrial applications. In this project new materials will be developed to perform this operation at a much lower energy cost than similar processes, whilst also improving the purity of the separated water.