Miniature lithium ion battery for implantable medical device applications. This project addresses National Research Priorities in the areas of breakthrough science, frontier technologies and promoting and maintaining good health. Substantial national benefit could be derived from this project: (i) Australia will innovate in an important and intensely active area in which the results will have long-lasting significance in implantable rechargeable battery development; (ii)The development of new sc ....Miniature lithium ion battery for implantable medical device applications. This project addresses National Research Priorities in the areas of breakthrough science, frontier technologies and promoting and maintaining good health. Substantial national benefit could be derived from this project: (i) Australia will innovate in an important and intensely active area in which the results will have long-lasting significance in implantable rechargeable battery development; (ii)The development of new scientific knowledge related to this project will place Australia at the forefront of an emerging domain of research body batteries; (iii) In the long term, the successful outcome of this research will lead to more reliable batteries for implantable devices, thereby promoting health care.Read moreRead less
Engineering Processable, Tough Hydrogels with Biological Activity. The project aims to design a new class of tough hydrogels to address issues in engineering complex soft and robust structures. These hydrogels have superior properties compared with current materials as they are biologically active, processable by various manufacturing techniques, elastic and have a capacity for rapid self-recovery that are ideal for soft tissues. Their physical property is tunable by modification of their compos ....Engineering Processable, Tough Hydrogels with Biological Activity. The project aims to design a new class of tough hydrogels to address issues in engineering complex soft and robust structures. These hydrogels have superior properties compared with current materials as they are biologically active, processable by various manufacturing techniques, elastic and have a capacity for rapid self-recovery that are ideal for soft tissues. Their physical property is tunable by modification of their compositions that enable construction of complex seamless structure such as valved conduit with anistropic property. Expected outcomes of this project include new insights into material design, multi-physics modelling, and multi-material additive manufacturing for broad applications in soft robotics and medical implants.Read moreRead less
Fibre-Polymer Composites With Graded Microstructure. This project concerns the development of a novel fibre-polymer functionally graded composite material that mimics the structure of the spinal disk. The spinal disk comprises a soft core (nucleus) and a tough fibrous periphery (annulus). The graded composite approach of this proposal represents a significant advance over spinal fusion, and over the current generation of spinal disk protheses (metal plates with springs/polymers as shock absorber ....Fibre-Polymer Composites With Graded Microstructure. This project concerns the development of a novel fibre-polymer functionally graded composite material that mimics the structure of the spinal disk. The spinal disk comprises a soft core (nucleus) and a tough fibrous periphery (annulus). The graded composite approach of this proposal represents a significant advance over spinal fusion, and over the current generation of spinal disk protheses (metal plates with springs/polymers as shock absorbers). Chronic back pain affects a significant proportion of the population and is primarily caused by failure of the spinal disk. Therefore a strong social and economic imperative exists to develop engineering solutions to this problem.Read moreRead less
Surface engineering of biomaterials for optimal bone bonding characteristics. The ideal bone-implant material is hydroxyapatite. Chemically similar to bone mineral, hydroxyapatite is capable of inducing bone ongrowth. An ideal surface coating for metal hip implants, plasma spraying has been the preferred commercial hydroxyapatite coating technique. Until recently, it was always presumed that the bioactivity of hydroxyapatite resulted from its surface chemistry. However, a recent study has shown ....Surface engineering of biomaterials for optimal bone bonding characteristics. The ideal bone-implant material is hydroxyapatite. Chemically similar to bone mineral, hydroxyapatite is capable of inducing bone ongrowth. An ideal surface coating for metal hip implants, plasma spraying has been the preferred commercial hydroxyapatite coating technique. Until recently, it was always presumed that the bioactivity of hydroxyapatite resulted from its surface chemistry. However, a recent study has shown that the bioactivity of HAp coatings strongly correlates with surface roughness on the scale of bone cells. This project will explore cell-attachment behaviour for hydroxyapatite coatings prepared by plasma spraying compared with engineered surface morphology/chemistry by microlithography and vapour coating.Read moreRead less
Functionally graded fibre-polymer composites: a novel material for spinal disk prostheses. Chronic back pain affects a significant proportion of the population and is primarily caused by failure of the spinal disk. A strong social/economic imperative exists to develop engineering solutions to this problem. This project concerns the development of a novel fibre-polymer functionally graded composite material that mimics the structure of the spinal disk. The spinal disk comprises a soft core (nucle ....Functionally graded fibre-polymer composites: a novel material for spinal disk prostheses. Chronic back pain affects a significant proportion of the population and is primarily caused by failure of the spinal disk. A strong social/economic imperative exists to develop engineering solutions to this problem. This project concerns the development of a novel fibre-polymer functionally graded composite material that mimics the structure of the spinal disk. The spinal disk comprises a soft core (nucleus) and a tough fibrous periphery (annulus). The graded composite approach of this proposal represents a significant advance over spinal fusion, and over the alternative spinal disk protheses in clinical use or in the patent literature.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0561186
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,967.00
Summary
Surface Mechanical Property Analysis Facility. The aim of this proposal is to develop a facility for the mechanical properties analysis of material surfaces. The facility will enable an understanding of the performance of materials in a wide range of contact and abrasion situations and in very small volumes such as thin films and components of multiphase composites. The unique features of the proposed facility are that it is capable of analysis down to exceptionally low sub-micron length scale, ....Surface Mechanical Property Analysis Facility. The aim of this proposal is to develop a facility for the mechanical properties analysis of material surfaces. The facility will enable an understanding of the performance of materials in a wide range of contact and abrasion situations and in very small volumes such as thin films and components of multiphase composites. The unique features of the proposed facility are that it is capable of analysis down to exceptionally low sub-micron length scale, under multiple forms of loading and over a range of temperatures. It is applicable to the design of abrasion resistant materials, characterisation of very thin surface films for applications such as microelectronics and biomedical implants and design of advanced composites.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
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH130100017
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing. ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing. The aim of this Research Hub is to develop breakthrough process and product innovations to enable the Australian steel industry to improve its global competitiveness. Based on an integrated, value chain-wide approach to innovation in the steel sector the Research Hub includes projects on innovation strategy and management, customer-focused product development, innovation in coating and surfa ....ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing. ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing. The aim of this Research Hub is to develop breakthrough process and product innovations to enable the Australian steel industry to improve its global competitiveness. Based on an integrated, value chain-wide approach to innovation in the steel sector the Research Hub includes projects on innovation strategy and management, customer-focused product development, innovation in coating and surface engineering technology, and economic and environmental sustainability of iron and steelmaking.Read moreRead less
Development of next generation smart sucker rod wear guides . In a natural gas wells, sucker rod guides protect the production tubing from wear by the rod string. Premature and erratic failures are costing the industry tens of millions every year. In collaboration with two local SMEs, this project aims to develop the next generation of smart and durable wear guides. The project seeks to understand the complex three body wear mechanisms that drive guide and tubing wear, then use this knowledge to ....Development of next generation smart sucker rod wear guides . In a natural gas wells, sucker rod guides protect the production tubing from wear by the rod string. Premature and erratic failures are costing the industry tens of millions every year. In collaboration with two local SMEs, this project aims to develop the next generation of smart and durable wear guides. The project seeks to understand the complex three body wear mechanisms that drive guide and tubing wear, then use this knowledge to develop new wear resistant compounds and develop a smart guide that provides feedback on its wear state. This will enable the industry partners to supply cutting edge technology to the global oil and gas industry that not only reduces well operation cost but also enhances well resilience.Read moreRead less