Transistor-based sensor technology for fast, reliable and accurate in situ monitoring of recycled wastewater. Water recycling is becoming critical for water supplies worldwide, due to declining natural supplies of fresh water, combined with increasing demand. The greatest community and industry concerns over recycled water are quality assurance and relative cost. Ensuring quality requires monitoring of contaminants, yet no single real-time technology exists to measure the myriad of potential con ....Transistor-based sensor technology for fast, reliable and accurate in situ monitoring of recycled wastewater. Water recycling is becoming critical for water supplies worldwide, due to declining natural supplies of fresh water, combined with increasing demand. The greatest community and industry concerns over recycled water are quality assurance and relative cost. Ensuring quality requires monitoring of contaminants, yet no single real-time technology exists to measure the myriad of potential contaminants. This project will develop technology using AlGaN/GaN-based transistors, sensitised to different contaminants, enabling multi-analyte real-time sensor arrays. In situ monitoring systems based on such arrays will be fast, accurate, reliable, low-cost, and applicable to a broad variety of water recycling projects.Read moreRead less
Securing Longevity of Reinforced Concrete Infrastructure Through Enhanced Cathodic Protection Design. The sustainability of Australia's extensive maritime infrastructure is impaired by corrosion, causing ongoing rehabilitation and reduced service life. Cathodic protection (CP) is most widely used to restore corrosion-damaged concrete, however the design principles are debated and uncertainty exists on how ongoing performance should be monitored. Australian Industry will benefit from: (i) Less ex ....Securing Longevity of Reinforced Concrete Infrastructure Through Enhanced Cathodic Protection Design. The sustainability of Australia's extensive maritime infrastructure is impaired by corrosion, causing ongoing rehabilitation and reduced service life. Cathodic protection (CP) is most widely used to restore corrosion-damaged concrete, however the design principles are debated and uncertainty exists on how ongoing performance should be monitored. Australian Industry will benefit from: (i) Less expenditure and disruption to operations of key infrastructure; (ii) More sustainable maritime infrastructure requiring less labour, time and capital expenditure on inspection, testing, maintenance and rehabilitation works;(iii)Availability of experts with advanced training in CP of reinforced concrete; (iv) Update Australian CP Standard AS 2832.5-2002Read moreRead less
Combining the soft with the hard: The assembly of artificial cell membranes on porous semiconductors. The platform technologies developed in this project will have a wide range of applications. They will reveal new insights into drug-membrane and drug-protein interactions underpinning development of a new generation of drugs acting on transmembrane proteins that are linked to a wide range of diseases. The development of membrane-based biosensing devices targeting ion channels, membrane active pe ....Combining the soft with the hard: The assembly of artificial cell membranes on porous semiconductors. The platform technologies developed in this project will have a wide range of applications. They will reveal new insights into drug-membrane and drug-protein interactions underpinning development of a new generation of drugs acting on transmembrane proteins that are linked to a wide range of diseases. The development of membrane-based biosensing devices targeting ion channels, membrane active peptides or toxins which can be applied to biomedical diagnostics, biotoxin detection, environmental and food control will be readily achievable. This international interdisciplinary nanobiotechnology programme and its outcomes will enhance Australia's abilities in frontier technologies and build research strength in nanobiotechnology.Read moreRead less
Scalable and Applicable Nanostructured Adsorbents for Arsenic Removal with High Performance. Arsenic contamination in groundwater and drinking water affects over 100 million people worldwide and causes severe health problems. This project aims to use a recently patented technology to develop a new generation of adsorbents with controlled nanostructure and morphology for arsenic removal. The novel low-cost adsorbents are expected to have superior performance for the treatment of water containing ....Scalable and Applicable Nanostructured Adsorbents for Arsenic Removal with High Performance. Arsenic contamination in groundwater and drinking water affects over 100 million people worldwide and causes severe health problems. This project aims to use a recently patented technology to develop a new generation of adsorbents with controlled nanostructure and morphology for arsenic removal. The novel low-cost adsorbents are expected to have superior performance for the treatment of water containing arsenic at both high and low concentrations. The engineered products will be tested in high-throughput wastewater treatment in pharmaceutical factories and as a household drinking water treatment device. This project aims to bring economic and social benefits to Australian industry and improve the quality of life for people all over the world.Read moreRead less
New directions to miniaturized power sources: Integrated all-solid-state rechargeable batteries. This project will lead to the development of safe integrated all-solid-state miniaturized lithium ion batteries for small autonomous devices, such as implantable medical devices, hearing aids, small autonomous devices with sensing and actuation, and for communications and rapid chemical/biological analysis. This will make a significant contribution to the nation in the areas of science, technology, h ....New directions to miniaturized power sources: Integrated all-solid-state rechargeable batteries. This project will lead to the development of safe integrated all-solid-state miniaturized lithium ion batteries for small autonomous devices, such as implantable medical devices, hearing aids, small autonomous devices with sensing and actuation, and for communications and rapid chemical/biological analysis. This will make a significant contribution to the nation in the areas of science, technology, health, and the economy. The development of new scientific knowledge related to this project will place Australia at the forefront of an emerging domain of research. The project will also provide excellent training for postgraduate students and young researchers to develop their skills in chemistry, materials science, and battery technology.Read moreRead less
Carbon nanotube fluidic channels for desalination - interplay of nanoscale confinement and electrostatics. Tiny tubes of carbon, ten thousand times smaller than human hair, allow water to pass through at extraordinary speed. This project aims to understand and improve their salt rejection properties using comprehensive experimental and theoretical approaches. This will provide the impetus and knowledge for developing advanced membranes for desalination
Electrically conductive elastomeric composites by nanomaterials. Electrically conductive elastomeric composites by nanomaterials. This project aims to develop electrically conductive, mechanically robust, cost-effective elastomeric composites, by exploring new processing methods and studying the synergy between graphene sheets and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Composites will be design, research and manufactured to suit the fabrication of rolling-resistance sensors that detect early-stage malfu ....Electrically conductive elastomeric composites by nanomaterials. Electrically conductive elastomeric composites by nanomaterials. This project aims to develop electrically conductive, mechanically robust, cost-effective elastomeric composites, by exploring new processing methods and studying the synergy between graphene sheets and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Composites will be design, research and manufactured to suit the fabrication of rolling-resistance sensors that detect early-stage malfunctioning idler rolls. This technology could prevent the breakage of conveyor belts which are essential to the mining, processing and transportation of loose bulk materials; and improve the design and manufacturing of flexible sensors.Read moreRead less
Low-density high-performance proppants for hydraulic fracturing process . Australia has vast resources of unconventional oil/gas, which require hydraulic fracturing to stimulate production. This project aims to develop advanced low-density high-performance proppants from industry waste for hydraulic fracturing. This will be achieved by selecting purer SiO2 raw material, carefully designing the porous structure, and fully understanding its relationship with strength and pack conductivity. Low-den ....Low-density high-performance proppants for hydraulic fracturing process . Australia has vast resources of unconventional oil/gas, which require hydraulic fracturing to stimulate production. This project aims to develop advanced low-density high-performance proppants from industry waste for hydraulic fracturing. This will be achieved by selecting purer SiO2 raw material, carefully designing the porous structure, and fully understanding its relationship with strength and pack conductivity. Low-density means no chemicals in proppant transportation and application. Successful development of such high-performance proppants will significantly increase Australia oil/gas exploration and production with an environmental acceptable technology, a leap forward for the oil/gas industry in Australia and the world.Read moreRead less
New-generation low-fouling coatings for membrane and metal surfaces for dairy processes. This project will create new coatings that provide high levels of resistance to membrane and metal surfaces fouling in the dairy industry. The project will enable the implementation of a family of readily applicable low-fouling membrane coatings that will significantly reduce operational costs.