Evolution of Contact Damage in Layer Structures. Brittle layer structures (eg brittle coating on ceramic substrate) can be much more damage tolerant than their constituent material components - cracks tend to remain contained within the coating. Very little is known about the factors that control this behaviour. This project will exploit unique local expertise in modelling damage evolution to fill a niche in a large study being carried out at the National Institute of Standards (NIST) in the U ....Evolution of Contact Damage in Layer Structures. Brittle layer structures (eg brittle coating on ceramic substrate) can be much more damage tolerant than their constituent material components - cracks tend to remain contained within the coating. Very little is known about the factors that control this behaviour. This project will exploit unique local expertise in modelling damage evolution to fill a niche in a large study being carried out at the National Institute of Standards (NIST) in the U.S.A. An understanding of the factors that maximise the containment of cracks is essential to the design and development of the next generation of advanced layer composites for many biomechanical and other engineering applications.Read moreRead less
Designs of Periodic Microstructure Materials with Prescribed Multiphysical Properties. The evolutionary structural optimization (ESO) is an Australian initiative, which has made a significant impact on modern structural optimization. In advanced materials areas, Australia has well-established infrastructure and world-class expertise. Exploitation of ESO to advanced materials design will be of "exclusive significance" to Australia. More importantly, the new material design technology will present ....Designs of Periodic Microstructure Materials with Prescribed Multiphysical Properties. The evolutionary structural optimization (ESO) is an Australian initiative, which has made a significant impact on modern structural optimization. In advanced materials areas, Australia has well-established infrastructure and world-class expertise. Exploitation of ESO to advanced materials design will be of "exclusive significance" to Australia. More importantly, the new material design technology will present to Australia an opportunity to lead in this rapidly-growing area, which will definitely underpin Australia's standing as a major contributor and developer in a global materials market. It is expected that fresh classes of futuristic materials can be developed in a cost-effective fashion and add great economic benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less
A Novel Approach to Determine Permeability for Cost-Effective Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Matrix Composites. The permeability (resistance of a porous rigid body to a permeating fluid) is an essential parameter for predicting impregnation quality in processing of thermoplastic composite materials. No reliable method exists yet to estimate permeabilities without time-consuming and cost intensive experiments. The aim of the proposed research project is to obtain a basic knowledge in determining ....A Novel Approach to Determine Permeability for Cost-Effective Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Matrix Composites. The permeability (resistance of a porous rigid body to a permeating fluid) is an essential parameter for predicting impregnation quality in processing of thermoplastic composite materials. No reliable method exists yet to estimate permeabilities without time-consuming and cost intensive experiments. The aim of the proposed research project is to obtain a basic knowledge in determining permeabilities of fibre architectures by taking into account their stochastic properties. An innovative approach, based on characterisations of meso-structures of fibre network and simulation of computational fluid dynamics, will be developed to accurately determine permeabilities. The outcome will enable more cost-effective manufacturing of thermoplastic matrix composites.Read moreRead less
Comparative Study of MnAs and Co-Based Magnetoelastic Functional Materials. Magnetoelastic materials are an emerging new class of functional materials with great potential in a wide range of innovative applications including smart structures, sensors and actuators, microelectronics, micro-electromechanical systems, and medical engineering. The study of magnetoelastic materials is still in its infancy and a great effort is required to develop them into practical materials for engineering applicat ....Comparative Study of MnAs and Co-Based Magnetoelastic Functional Materials. Magnetoelastic materials are an emerging new class of functional materials with great potential in a wide range of innovative applications including smart structures, sensors and actuators, microelectronics, micro-electromechanical systems, and medical engineering. The study of magnetoelastic materials is still in its infancy and a great effort is required to develop them into practical materials for engineering application. This study aims to investigate two promising candidate materials: CoNi and MnAs. Expected outcomes include the characterisation of their functional properties and understanding of the mechanisms of magnetoelasticity in these materials. Such understanding is expected to contribute to the development of practical magnetoelastic materials and their applications.
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