Wearable thermoelectrics for personal heat management. Thermoregulation has substantial implications for energy consumption and human comfort and health. This project aims to develop wearable thermoelectric materials and devices with high cooling performance for personal heat management. A novel assembly approach, coupled with device design and materials engineering strategies, will be developed to engineer flexible thermoelectric materials with unique structures and chemistry. The key breakthro ....Wearable thermoelectrics for personal heat management. Thermoregulation has substantial implications for energy consumption and human comfort and health. This project aims to develop wearable thermoelectric materials and devices with high cooling performance for personal heat management. A novel assembly approach, coupled with device design and materials engineering strategies, will be developed to engineer flexible thermoelectric materials with unique structures and chemistry. The key breakthrough is to design wearable thermoelectric devices with high flexibility and user comfort. The expected outcomes of this project will lead to an innovative cooling technology for personal heat management, which will place Australia at the forefront of wearable electronics and garment industry.Read moreRead less
Enabling Next-generation Rechargeable Aluminium-ion Batteries. This project aims to develop a new generation of high performance and low-cost cathode materials for rechargeable aluminium ion batteries. To address the low capacity issue of current cathodes, this project anticipates to generate new knowledge in the material design of novel graphene materials. By developing an innovative surface perforation technique coupled in a continuous production process, this project expects to produce scalab ....Enabling Next-generation Rechargeable Aluminium-ion Batteries. This project aims to develop a new generation of high performance and low-cost cathode materials for rechargeable aluminium ion batteries. To address the low capacity issue of current cathodes, this project anticipates to generate new knowledge in the material design of novel graphene materials. By developing an innovative surface perforation technique coupled in a continuous production process, this project expects to produce scalable and cost-effective graphene cathodes with a record-high capacity. Expected outcomes of this project include industrial adaptable manufacturing processing and advanced materials for aluminium ion batteries, thus increasing the competitiveness of the partner organisation in the rapid growing graphene market.
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Wearable thermoelectric textiles for portable microelectronics. Wearable thermoelectrics enable the power generation from the temperature difference between human body and ambient temperature by using thermoelectric effect. This project aims to design eco-friendly wearable thermoelectric textiles to realize high-efficiency solid-state power generation and meet individual needs with human comfort and health. The target is to achieve a power density in the as-designed thermoelectric textiles by th ....Wearable thermoelectric textiles for portable microelectronics. Wearable thermoelectrics enable the power generation from the temperature difference between human body and ambient temperature by using thermoelectric effect. This project aims to design eco-friendly wearable thermoelectric textiles to realize high-efficiency solid-state power generation and meet individual needs with human comfort and health. The target is to achieve a power density in the as-designed thermoelectric textiles by the optimization of materials and device design. The outcome will open up a new platform for the green and sustainable charge for portable microelectronics, which will lead to an innovative technology for energy management, which will place Australia at the forefront of wearable electronics and textile industry.Read moreRead less
Nanoarchitectured anti-corrosion coatings for zinc-plated steel. Zinc-plated steel is widely used in buildings, households and vehicles, but the long-term performance is limited due to corrosion resulting from exposure to high humidity or alkaline conditions. Currently, available chromium coatings are toxic, while polymeric coatings lack durability. This project aims to use nanotechnology to develop highly effective, multifunctional anti-corrosive coatings in which long-term protection is achiev ....Nanoarchitectured anti-corrosion coatings for zinc-plated steel. Zinc-plated steel is widely used in buildings, households and vehicles, but the long-term performance is limited due to corrosion resulting from exposure to high humidity or alkaline conditions. Currently, available chromium coatings are toxic, while polymeric coatings lack durability. This project aims to use nanotechnology to develop highly effective, multifunctional anti-corrosive coatings in which long-term protection is achieved by controlling the wettability and self-healing properties. The project is excepted to generate new knowledge in coating materials that limit corrosion and address environmental problems. This advanced manufacturing technology should be of high-value benefit to manufacturers and consumers of zinc-plated steel.Read moreRead less
Doped alumina with tailored material properties for battery applications. This project aims to develop tailored alumina materials for lithium ion battery separators through a novel in-situ approach that will: (1) produce uniform doped alumina for improved safety, (2) target specific surface and bulk material properties to increase the overall performance, and (3) reduce manufacturing costs by integrating the process with new technology developed for the production of high purity alumina. Signifi ....Doped alumina with tailored material properties for battery applications. This project aims to develop tailored alumina materials for lithium ion battery separators through a novel in-situ approach that will: (1) produce uniform doped alumina for improved safety, (2) target specific surface and bulk material properties to increase the overall performance, and (3) reduce manufacturing costs by integrating the process with new technology developed for the production of high purity alumina. Significant advances are proposed for overcoming current manufacturing limitations of doped alumina. Building research capacity and knowledge in battery material manufacturing will benefit a range of industries across Australia, whilst providing new opportunities for growth in local communities.Read moreRead less
Sodium borohydride for solid-state green hydrogen export. This project aims to develop a new method of producing, storing, and exporting green hydrogen using Australian resources. Sodium borohydride will be produced from borax using renewable energy and exported internationally to countries that desire hydrogen from renewable sources to replace fossil fuels. Green hydrogen will be released from sodium borohydride by adding water. The spent material will then be shipped back to Australia for recy ....Sodium borohydride for solid-state green hydrogen export. This project aims to develop a new method of producing, storing, and exporting green hydrogen using Australian resources. Sodium borohydride will be produced from borax using renewable energy and exported internationally to countries that desire hydrogen from renewable sources to replace fossil fuels. Green hydrogen will be released from sodium borohydride by adding water. The spent material will then be shipped back to Australia for recycling back to sodium borohydride, creating a closed-loop energy cycle using renewable energy. This will create a new export industry in Australia by expanding current mining expertise whilst harnessing our wealth of renewable energy to potentially deliver billions of dollars of revenue.Read moreRead less
In-situ biofunctionalisation for additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing that incorporates printing of live cells can create hierarchical, multi-component structures that mimic biology. However, an ability to include spatially segregated biological cues is currently lacking. This project will develop plasma pen modules to selectively functionalise surfaces and interfaces, as they are being printed, with robustly immobilised hydrogels and biological signalling molecules to direct cell beha ....In-situ biofunctionalisation for additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing that incorporates printing of live cells can create hierarchical, multi-component structures that mimic biology. However, an ability to include spatially segregated biological cues is currently lacking. This project will develop plasma pen modules to selectively functionalise surfaces and interfaces, as they are being printed, with robustly immobilised hydrogels and biological signalling molecules to direct cell behaviour. The expected outcome is a green technology enabling the fabrication of structures that replicate the native environments of cells in the body to provide optimal efficacy in drug discovery and regenerative medicine, and significant benefits for the Australian biomedical sector.Read moreRead less
Deciphering interactions of conducting polymers in agricultural soils. The project aims to improve agricultural efficiency, productivity and yield by advancing the understanding of polymer materials interacting with fertiliser. This project will test the key assumptions behind a new sensor for real-time in-ground monitoring of fertiliser. The expected outcome from this is the rapid synthesis of conducting polymers for stable sensing of fertiliser in a range of soil types and conditions. This sho ....Deciphering interactions of conducting polymers in agricultural soils. The project aims to improve agricultural efficiency, productivity and yield by advancing the understanding of polymer materials interacting with fertiliser. This project will test the key assumptions behind a new sensor for real-time in-ground monitoring of fertiliser. The expected outcome from this is the rapid synthesis of conducting polymers for stable sensing of fertiliser in a range of soil types and conditions. This should provide the pathway to a world first real-time in-ground fertiliser sensor, providing benefit for the sensor manufacturers, farmers, consumers and the environment.Read moreRead less
Developing high performance nanocomposite coatings for domestic appliances. Insufficient robustness and durability of the polymeric coatings on precoated metal sheets has resulted in unacceptably high product defects and reject rates. This project aims to develop novel and high performance nanocomposite multilayer coatings through the systematic optimisation of epoxy and polyester/ graphene and nanoclay systems. These complex coatings are expected to have considerably improved toughness, hardnes ....Developing high performance nanocomposite coatings for domestic appliances. Insufficient robustness and durability of the polymeric coatings on precoated metal sheets has resulted in unacceptably high product defects and reject rates. This project aims to develop novel and high performance nanocomposite multilayer coatings through the systematic optimisation of epoxy and polyester/ graphene and nanoclay systems. These complex coatings are expected to have considerably improved toughness, hardness and interfacial adhesion, thus enhancing formability and wear resistance of precoated metal sheets. Successful outcomes from this study will not only solve a long-standing problem in the manufacturing of precoated metals, but generate breakthrough technologies for next-generation nanocomposite coatings. Read moreRead less
Functional topological materials for superior thermoelectric applications. The efficient generation of electricity from waste heat remains a significant technological challenge, hampered by the absence of efficient materials for conversion. This project aims to develop functionalized topological materials with ultra-high thermoelectric and photothermal performance for harvesting heat into electricity. A recent breakthrough in device efficiency will be a game-changer and position Australian acade ....Functional topological materials for superior thermoelectric applications. The efficient generation of electricity from waste heat remains a significant technological challenge, hampered by the absence of efficient materials for conversion. This project aims to develop functionalized topological materials with ultra-high thermoelectric and photothermal performance for harvesting heat into electricity. A recent breakthrough in device efficiency will be a game-changer and position Australian academics and industries at the forefront of next generation of renewable power generation and refrigeration products. The outcomes will provide an advantage to end-users and industry, and will open a new market for advanced thermoelectric devices in multidisciplinary fields, communities and emerging industries.Read moreRead less