Triblock Copolymeric Structures As Novel Dispersants. ICI are one of the largest producers of surface-active compounds in the world. ICI are represented in Australia by National Starch & Chemicals who have significant manufacturing and research/development sites in Sydney and Melbourne. As the fastest growing market for dispersants is SE Asia, it is our intention that if the research is successful that scale up and manufacture will occur at both the Bristish and Australian sites.
Surface engineering of oriented nano-layers for performance control. This research project will deliver knowledge on how to graft oriented, self assembled films from a surface, develop structure-property relationships at a nano-scale, develop a means to control these properties and develop characterization techniques at nano-scales. This research project, if successful, will deliver the ability to tailor the properties of a surface in a manner and over a range of properties that is not even cont ....Surface engineering of oriented nano-layers for performance control. This research project will deliver knowledge on how to graft oriented, self assembled films from a surface, develop structure-property relationships at a nano-scale, develop a means to control these properties and develop characterization techniques at nano-scales. This research project, if successful, will deliver the ability to tailor the properties of a surface in a manner and over a range of properties that is not even contemplated today.
In addition to the scientific benefits, there are also immediate commercial applications in Australia and worldwide for ophthalmic products (e.g. anti-fog and easy to clean lenses), if the balance of properties can be obtained.
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Polymers for Novel Surfactants. The aim of the proposed research is to develop novel surface-active polymers with complex architectures and more efficient strategies for the synthesis of surface-active polymers in general. We will exploit the polymerization characteristics of the novel catalytic chain transfer and radical addition-fragmentation transfer polymerization techniques to achieve polymerization control that has been virtually impossible hitherto. The proposed research will thus make ....Polymers for Novel Surfactants. The aim of the proposed research is to develop novel surface-active polymers with complex architectures and more efficient strategies for the synthesis of surface-active polymers in general. We will exploit the polymerization characteristics of the novel catalytic chain transfer and radical addition-fragmentation transfer polymerization techniques to achieve polymerization control that has been virtually impossible hitherto. The proposed research will thus make accessible a wide range of novel surface-active polymers that have been impossible to synthesise to date, and which we expect to be more efficient and hence leads to greener technologies.
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Novel Nano Particles for Advanced Automotive and Industrial Coatings. In conjunction with our industrial partner (DuPont Australia), this project will develop a new generation of automotive and industrial coatings. The technology developed from this project can integrate into the existing system. The new coatings will be environmentally friendly and will make a significant contribution to solve the emission issue of volatile organic compound (VOC) faced by the industry. The novel nano particles ....Novel Nano Particles for Advanced Automotive and Industrial Coatings. In conjunction with our industrial partner (DuPont Australia), this project will develop a new generation of automotive and industrial coatings. The technology developed from this project can integrate into the existing system. The new coatings will be environmentally friendly and will make a significant contribution to solve the emission issue of volatile organic compound (VOC) faced by the industry. The novel nano particles developed from this project will provide unique properties for automotive paint and can be commercialized at an acceptable price. The science involved in this project represents the cutting edge of world leading technology and will bring polymer science into a new field.Read moreRead less
New-generation starch-based paper coatings. This project is to make a new hybrid biomaterial which encapsulates starch in a synthetic polymer latex for use in paper manufacture. A novel process has been devised for this by the parties. This project is the fundamental research and development needed to turn successful preliminary experiments into commercial reality; it involves a unique combination of cereal and polymer scientists and paper technologists. The product has the potential to set up a ....New-generation starch-based paper coatings. This project is to make a new hybrid biomaterial which encapsulates starch in a synthetic polymer latex for use in paper manufacture. A novel process has been devised for this by the parties. This project is the fundamental research and development needed to turn successful preliminary experiments into commercial reality; it involves a unique combination of cereal and polymer scientists and paper technologists. The product has the potential to set up a new industry to use starch from Australian cereal grains to replace imports and create new markets, as well as reducing environmental problems from paper manufacture.Read moreRead less
Effect of cane sugar juice composition on scaling rate and scale composition in sugar mills. The Australia sugar industry produces 1100 GWh of renewable electricity annually, abating ~1.1 M tonnes of CO2-equivalent of greenhouse gases. This can be increased if the juice evaporation performance, which largely determines the energy efficiency of the sugar factory, can be improved through reduced fouling of evaporators. This project will investigate the effect of juice composition on fouling of sug ....Effect of cane sugar juice composition on scaling rate and scale composition in sugar mills. The Australia sugar industry produces 1100 GWh of renewable electricity annually, abating ~1.1 M tonnes of CO2-equivalent of greenhouse gases. This can be increased if the juice evaporation performance, which largely determines the energy efficiency of the sugar factory, can be improved through reduced fouling of evaporators. This project will investigate the effect of juice composition on fouling of sugar factory evaporators so that a model to predict scale type and scale propensity can be developed. This will enable the development of better scale control strategies, resulting in reduced energy usage and reduced usage of the hazardous and polluting chemicals required to remove scale.Read moreRead less
Controlled Grafting of Polymer Surfaces for Biotechnology Applications. The aim of this project is to utilise novel polymerization methods to create highly functional polymer surfaces. We anticipate that the resultant structures will be useful for a number of applications including solid-phase organic synthesis and proteomics.
Novel Coatings For Steel. The aim of this project is to design coatings for steel that have high flexibility and high resistance to scatching and hardness. This will be achieved by the introduction of liquid crystalline phases in the coatings. The outcome will be a new generation of steel coatings with novel properties
Chemical listening devices: Novel sensors targeting the clandestine manufacture and transport of illicit drugs and explosives. There can be no doubt that protecting Australia's borders from the dual threats of terrorism and illicit drugs is of paramount importance to continuation of our well-being and way of life. Our chemical sensors are simple hand-held or remote chemical listening sensors, which will have the ability to sense the presence of characteristic chemical vapours associated with exp ....Chemical listening devices: Novel sensors targeting the clandestine manufacture and transport of illicit drugs and explosives. There can be no doubt that protecting Australia's borders from the dual threats of terrorism and illicit drugs is of paramount importance to continuation of our well-being and way of life. Our chemical sensors are simple hand-held or remote chemical listening sensors, which will have the ability to sense the presence of characteristic chemical vapours associated with explosives and illicit drugs. The simplicity and low cost of the chemical listening allows for installation at key locations -e.g. transport hubs, shipping containers, airports etc as well as placement within clandestine drug laboratories.Read moreRead less
Double Exposure Photoresists for the 32 and 22 nm Lithographic Nodes. The semiconductor industry is one of the largest world-wide, with annual revenue of $220B and employing over 1.5M people around the world. This project provides a unique opportunity for development within Australia of significant expertise in the field of double exposure lithography. The novel photoactive polymeric films to be developed are expected to support the next generation of microchips. A major outcome of this project ....Double Exposure Photoresists for the 32 and 22 nm Lithographic Nodes. The semiconductor industry is one of the largest world-wide, with annual revenue of $220B and employing over 1.5M people around the world. This project provides a unique opportunity for development within Australia of significant expertise in the field of double exposure lithography. The novel photoactive polymeric films to be developed are expected to support the next generation of microchips. A major outcome of this project will be establishment of Australia as a world-leader in this rapidly expanding field. Furthermore the technology can be applied broadly to many printing technologies.Read moreRead less