Corrosion of heat resisting alloys in steam/hydrogen-rich environment . Hydrogen is a clean fuel for energy future. Its production and utilisation unavoidably involve water vapour and hydrogen at high temperature which is however corrosive to materials used in the system. This project aims to investigate corrosion behaviour of heat resistant alloys in the presence of both hydrogen and water vapour, mechanisms of water transport in oxide scale, and the effect of hydrogen on water vapour corrosion ....Corrosion of heat resisting alloys in steam/hydrogen-rich environment . Hydrogen is a clean fuel for energy future. Its production and utilisation unavoidably involve water vapour and hydrogen at high temperature which is however corrosive to materials used in the system. This project aims to investigate corrosion behaviour of heat resistant alloys in the presence of both hydrogen and water vapour, mechanisms of water transport in oxide scale, and the effect of hydrogen on water vapour corrosion. Alloying effects on corrosion rates will be defined and methods of slowing or preventing water vapour corrosion in the presence of hydrogen will be devised. The results will provide a basis for improved design/selection of heat resisting alloys for hydrogen production and hydrogen utilisation industries.Read moreRead less
Kesterite solar cell coated architectural stainless steel. This project aims to develop cost-effective, high-performance kesterite architectural stainless steel coated with solar cells for application in roofing, skin and facades of smart buildings. The project will integrate expertise in producing kesterite solar cells with expertise in manufacturing new steel to eliminate toxic, scarce materials and high-cost processes employed in conventional solar-driven steel. The initial target of the proj ....Kesterite solar cell coated architectural stainless steel. This project aims to develop cost-effective, high-performance kesterite architectural stainless steel coated with solar cells for application in roofing, skin and facades of smart buildings. The project will integrate expertise in producing kesterite solar cells with expertise in manufacturing new steel to eliminate toxic, scarce materials and high-cost processes employed in conventional solar-driven steel. The initial target of the project would be to increase kesterite cell efficiency to beyond 10 per cent, and ultimately beyond 17 per cent, but still at a low cost.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100229
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$230,000.00
Summary
Carbon-free high temperature vacuum sintering facility. This facility will provide an extremely clean sintering environment for development of advanced materials free from imperfections for applications which range from energy conversion to medical components. It will ensure that Australia is an important international leader in both fundamental research and industrial innovation.
Efficient photovoltaic-electrochemical water splitting for clean hydrogen. This project aims to develop a novel, low cost and high performance monolithic photovoltaic-electrochemical (PV-EC) device for clean hydrogen production. This device tailors and integrates low cost and high performance thin film and tandem photovoltaics for water splitting with the aim of achieving high solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency towards 20%. Earth abundant and stable catalysts will be developed in this proje ....Efficient photovoltaic-electrochemical water splitting for clean hydrogen. This project aims to develop a novel, low cost and high performance monolithic photovoltaic-electrochemical (PV-EC) device for clean hydrogen production. This device tailors and integrates low cost and high performance thin film and tandem photovoltaics for water splitting with the aim of achieving high solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency towards 20%. Earth abundant and stable catalysts will be developed in this project to replace noble based catalysts, as well as novel architectures for electrical contacting, feed-through and catalyst integration in PV-EC devices. These innovations offer high performance and the potential for device costs 2 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than recent world record photoelectrochemical devices. Read moreRead less
Defect control for high-performance green kesterites energy materials. This project will tackle the fundamental challenge of defect control of the quaternary compound kesterite, revolutionizing the way we can understand the hidden defect-evolution process and design accordingly effective defect-control approaches. This will be realized by a systematic approach integrating multiscale materials characterization, process and materials modeling, and linking microscopic local chemical potential and m ....Defect control for high-performance green kesterites energy materials. This project will tackle the fundamental challenge of defect control of the quaternary compound kesterite, revolutionizing the way we can understand the hidden defect-evolution process and design accordingly effective defect-control approaches. This will be realized by a systematic approach integrating multiscale materials characterization, process and materials modeling, and linking microscopic local chemical potential and macroscopic processing conditions, and associated compound properties and device performance to control defects evolution. Successfully achieved, this project will realize full potential of kesterite in photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical applications, and leading to new discoveries in other compound energy materials.Read moreRead less
Ultrathin III-V Solar Cells via Crack-Assisted Layer Exfoliation. III-V semiconductors are excellent photovoltaic materials with highest demonstrated solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies, but find limited usage in terrestrial applications due to high material and fabrication costs. This project aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of III-V solar cells by developing ultrathin III-V semiconductors via crack-assisted layer transfer approach and epitaxy-free fabrication via heterojunction ....Ultrathin III-V Solar Cells via Crack-Assisted Layer Exfoliation. III-V semiconductors are excellent photovoltaic materials with highest demonstrated solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies, but find limited usage in terrestrial applications due to high material and fabrication costs. This project aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of III-V solar cells by developing ultrathin III-V semiconductors via crack-assisted layer transfer approach and epitaxy-free fabrication via heterojunction architectures, paving the way for cost-effective, high-efficiency, flexible solar cells. The expected outcomes include a disruptive technology for integrated photovoltaics, novel contact and passivation materials, as well as new knowledge generated in materials science and optoelectronics disciplines.Read moreRead less
Efficient, durable and green chalcopyrite solar powered building steel. This project aims to develop a long-life, stable, high-performance, and green chalcopyrite solar powered building steel, which is expected to offer a shapable truly green building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) product for building deployment. This will be realized by synergising multidiscipline expertise, integrating established technologies of steel surface treatment, steel and solar cell integration and shaping, high-effi ....Efficient, durable and green chalcopyrite solar powered building steel. This project aims to develop a long-life, stable, high-performance, and green chalcopyrite solar powered building steel, which is expected to offer a shapable truly green building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) product for building deployment. This will be realized by synergising multidiscipline expertise, integrating established technologies of steel surface treatment, steel and solar cell integration and shaping, high-efficiency chalcopyrite, identified strategies for tackling its durability and toxicity, and advanced macro-to-micro characterizations. The project completion will accelerate the transition to the zero-emission building, establish Australia's excellence in green steel for BIPV, and access a share in the soaring BIPV market.Read moreRead less
Liquids to semiconductors: the formation of solution-processed electronics. This project aims to understand and control the formation of solution-processed organic semiconductors. This project will create unique experimental methodologies to study, in situ, the evolution of the structure and the emergence of electrical transport all the way from the initial solution to the final film. These findings will be used to formulate design rules and principles that will accelerate the development of sol ....Liquids to semiconductors: the formation of solution-processed electronics. This project aims to understand and control the formation of solution-processed organic semiconductors. This project will create unique experimental methodologies to study, in situ, the evolution of the structure and the emergence of electrical transport all the way from the initial solution to the final film. These findings will be used to formulate design rules and principles that will accelerate the development of solution-processed semiconductors beyond current trial-and-error approaches. This will provide significant benefits, such as unlocking the potential of soft and flexible semiconductors for new technologies based on sustainable manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100141
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$326,367.00
Summary
Thermo-gravimetric infra-red imaging system for functional materials study. This proposal seeks to establish a multi-functional system for investigating surface, interface, and thermal properties of functional materials. The instrumentation features thermo-gravimetric, infra-red imaging hyphenated with gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry. The expected benefits are an enhanced research capability in solid-electrolyte-interphase and electrolyte decomposition on electrodes being used in alkaline-i ....Thermo-gravimetric infra-red imaging system for functional materials study. This proposal seeks to establish a multi-functional system for investigating surface, interface, and thermal properties of functional materials. The instrumentation features thermo-gravimetric, infra-red imaging hyphenated with gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry. The expected benefits are an enhanced research capability in solid-electrolyte-interphase and electrolyte decomposition on electrodes being used in alkaline-ion batteries, which could potentially pose risks during manufacturing and application. The system will not only facilitate high-quality research and impact the training of young researchers, but also provide a platform from which to enhance Australian materials research capabilities.Read moreRead less