Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560705
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$825,000.00
Summary
Advanced Deformation Simulation Laboratory. For Australia to maintain its position as a world leader in the science of metals processing it must have the capability for state-of-the-art physical simulation. The present proposal is for the purchase and installation of two leading edge simulation tools: a high rate/short inter-pass hot deformation simulator and a hot equal channel angular extrusion press. Advanced hot deformation simulation is required for the development and optimisation of "fast ....Advanced Deformation Simulation Laboratory. For Australia to maintain its position as a world leader in the science of metals processing it must have the capability for state-of-the-art physical simulation. The present proposal is for the purchase and installation of two leading edge simulation tools: a high rate/short inter-pass hot deformation simulator and a hot equal channel angular extrusion press. Advanced hot deformation simulation is required for the development and optimisation of "fast" industrial processes and for understanding the complex microstructural reactions associated with them. High temperature extrusion is required for the development of ultra-fine and nano-grained light metals.Read moreRead less
Unravelling mechanisms in plasma growth of polymers. Surface engineering broadens the breadth of applications for many materials, and enhances the performance and value of current and emerging technologies. Surface engineering is particularly important to maintaining the competitiveness of manufacturing in developed economies such as Australia, that can not compete on a cost basis with emerging economies. Plasma coating replaces (alternative) environmentally-questionable surface treatments. This ....Unravelling mechanisms in plasma growth of polymers. Surface engineering broadens the breadth of applications for many materials, and enhances the performance and value of current and emerging technologies. Surface engineering is particularly important to maintaining the competitiveness of manufacturing in developed economies such as Australia, that can not compete on a cost basis with emerging economies. Plasma coating replaces (alternative) environmentally-questionable surface treatments. This project enhances Australian competitiveness; it cuts across industrial sectors and will deliver the new knowledge required to enhance material/technology functionality/performance. A PhD student will receive a multi-disciplinary training in a frontier technology and advanced analytical tools.Read moreRead less
Development of advanced lithium ion battery and battery management system for electric /hybrid electric vehicle applications. This project represents a significant scientific and economic development for Australia as it aims to create advanced, high performing, energy storage devices with a focus on safety, that will provide enormous benefits for the environment. An added advantage will be the establishment of local and national expertise in the area of electrochemical energy storage systems, th ....Development of advanced lithium ion battery and battery management system for electric /hybrid electric vehicle applications. This project represents a significant scientific and economic development for Australia as it aims to create advanced, high performing, energy storage devices with a focus on safety, that will provide enormous benefits for the environment. An added advantage will be the establishment of local and national expertise in the area of electrochemical energy storage systems, that will place Australia at the forefront of lithium ion battery research and development. Flow-on benefits will also be created for Australian organizations involved in the manufacturing of electric vehicles and portable devices.Read moreRead less
The development of super-toughened epoxies using a novel nanomaterial. Epoxy resins are widely used as structural adhesives and coatings in engineering structures. This project will address the problem of the intrinsic brittleness of epoxy by making it significantly tougher with superior performance and cost-effectiveness. Our technology for producing super-toughened epoxy will lead to a wide range of applications for new and existing products in the construction, automotive, aerospace, adhesive ....The development of super-toughened epoxies using a novel nanomaterial. Epoxy resins are widely used as structural adhesives and coatings in engineering structures. This project will address the problem of the intrinsic brittleness of epoxy by making it significantly tougher with superior performance and cost-effectiveness. Our technology for producing super-toughened epoxy will lead to a wide range of applications for new and existing products in the construction, automotive, aerospace, adhesive and microelectronics industries.Read moreRead less
Novel Waterborne Multifunctional Sealer for Asphalt Pavement. One of the long-term challenges and most serious problems faced by the asphalt surfacing and road construction industry is the rapid deterioration of asphaltic surfaces to the extent that they become unfit/unsafe for use in short time. The length of the Australian local government road system is approximately 810,000 kilometres and currently approximately $2,460 million/year is spent on road maintenance; the replacement value of ....Novel Waterborne Multifunctional Sealer for Asphalt Pavement. One of the long-term challenges and most serious problems faced by the asphalt surfacing and road construction industry is the rapid deterioration of asphaltic surfaces to the extent that they become unfit/unsafe for use in short time. The length of the Australian local government road system is approximately 810,000 kilometres and currently approximately $2,460 million/year is spent on road maintenance; the replacement value of the road asset exceeds $106,000 million. Thus providing satisfactory tough protective shield on asphalt pavements that locks out destructive elements and provide long-term protection is of enormous economic importance and national/community benefit.Read moreRead less
Strong and Durable Flame-Retarding Composites by Multi-scale Encapsulation and Reinforcement. Fires cause approximately $100 million damage to Australian buildings each year. The effects of fire can be significantly reduced through microencapsulation of fire-retarding chemicals in composites used in the building industry. This project aims to encapsulate such chemicals in natural microtubules and develop cost-effective polymer/microtubule/graphene oxide composites that combine superior fire resi ....Strong and Durable Flame-Retarding Composites by Multi-scale Encapsulation and Reinforcement. Fires cause approximately $100 million damage to Australian buildings each year. The effects of fire can be significantly reduced through microencapsulation of fire-retarding chemicals in composites used in the building industry. This project aims to encapsulate such chemicals in natural microtubules and develop cost-effective polymer/microtubule/graphene oxide composites that combine superior fire resistance with high durability in a wide range of applications.Read moreRead less
Materials Engineering Solutions for Tomorrow's Water Resources. This proposal concerns the development of advanced technologies informed by knowledge management systems to ensure the continued provision of high-quality drinking water to Australian. This is particularly important as we see the impacts from climate change and extreme weather variability with catastrophic consequences such as recently seen in Victoria and in Queensland on water catchments and water quality and supply. The challenge ....Materials Engineering Solutions for Tomorrow's Water Resources. This proposal concerns the development of advanced technologies informed by knowledge management systems to ensure the continued provision of high-quality drinking water to Australian. This is particularly important as we see the impacts from climate change and extreme weather variability with catastrophic consequences such as recently seen in Victoria and in Queensland on water catchments and water quality and supply. The challenges of adequate water resourcing, both in quantity and quality, for Australians who wish to lead healthy and productive lives are serious and require collaboration between industry, government and research providers such as is proposed here. Read moreRead less
A Novel Approach to Polymer/Nanosheet Composites and Their Fundamentals. Multifunctional Polymer/nanosheet composites have not yet been widely scaled up in polymer processing and composite industries mainly due to cost and inhaling hazard. This project proposes a novel methodology which embeds nanosheet preparation within polymer melt to both remove the inhaling hazard and lower the cost; the key is to develop two groups of nanosheet intercalation compounds which can expand at the polymer proces ....A Novel Approach to Polymer/Nanosheet Composites and Their Fundamentals. Multifunctional Polymer/nanosheet composites have not yet been widely scaled up in polymer processing and composite industries mainly due to cost and inhaling hazard. This project proposes a novel methodology which embeds nanosheet preparation within polymer melt to both remove the inhaling hazard and lower the cost; the key is to develop two groups of nanosheet intercalation compounds which can expand at the polymer processing temperature, to exfoliate and disperse nanosheets in polymers. It is expected to generate new knowledge of the structure-property relationships and fracture mechanisms of these composites, for industry to scale up this technology and to develop new product.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101069
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Two-dimensional inorganic nanostructures for hydrogen evolution reaction. This project aims to synthesise highly active electrochemical catalysts of two-dimensional (2D) inorganic nanostructure for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The electrocatalysis of water to produce hydrogen gas could generate clean energy, but the platinum catalyst’s cost and low activity make it impractical. This project will develop 2D inorganic nanosheets with tuneable pores and electronic band structures, hybridised ....Two-dimensional inorganic nanostructures for hydrogen evolution reaction. This project aims to synthesise highly active electrochemical catalysts of two-dimensional (2D) inorganic nanostructure for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The electrocatalysis of water to produce hydrogen gas could generate clean energy, but the platinum catalyst’s cost and low activity make it impractical. This project will develop 2D inorganic nanosheets with tuneable pores and electronic band structures, hybridised with organic and/or inorganic semiconductor nanomaterials for HER, and use density functional theory calculation to investigate these hybridised nanosheets’ mechanisms for HER. These highly efficient and low-cost catalysts are expected to generate clean energy and create opportunities for Australian industries.Read moreRead less
Fundamentals of Electrically Conductive Elastomer Composites. This project aims to address the performance instability of stretchable/flexible electronics and devices, by developing mechanically resilient, electrically conductive patterns of nanomaterials to be encased in elastomers. It expects to generate new knowledge in the field of composite processing, to provide fundamentals for composite industry to develop novel strain gauges and conductors. Expected outcomes include a methodology for st ....Fundamentals of Electrically Conductive Elastomer Composites. This project aims to address the performance instability of stretchable/flexible electronics and devices, by developing mechanically resilient, electrically conductive patterns of nanomaterials to be encased in elastomers. It expects to generate new knowledge in the field of composite processing, to provide fundamentals for composite industry to develop novel strain gauges and conductors. Expected outcomes include a methodology for stabilising the cyclic performance of electrically conductive elastomer composites. This project is anticipated to provide significant long-term benefits not only for underwater infrastructure condition monitoring but for remote and personalised health-monitoring.Read moreRead less