Embrittlement-tolerant alloys for safe hydrogen transmission and storage. Hydrogen embrittlement in steels is a major impediment to a safe hydrogen economy. This project will determine how hydrogen affects the deformation behaviour of steel, providing the fundamental information that is required to develop alloys that can be safely used in infrastructure for a future Australian hydrogen industry. We will utilise new technologies that allow us, for the first time, to determine the position of hyd ....Embrittlement-tolerant alloys for safe hydrogen transmission and storage. Hydrogen embrittlement in steels is a major impediment to a safe hydrogen economy. This project will determine how hydrogen affects the deformation behaviour of steel, providing the fundamental information that is required to develop alloys that can be safely used in infrastructure for a future Australian hydrogen industry. We will utilise new technologies that allow us, for the first time, to determine the position of hydrogen atoms around micro-scale features and to compare it to local mechanical behaviour, determined by micro-mechanical tests. The systematic investigation of the effect of hydrogen on different micro-components within steel will allow the development of microstructure-guided alloy design principles.Read moreRead less
Mitigating hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels. Hydrogen wreaks havoc in many alloys, leading to embrittlement that can cause catastrophic failure. This is a very serious issue for any industry in which structures are exposed to hydrogen and is a limiting factor for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen in a potential hydrogen economy. However, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen in alloys is restricted by the difficulty of observing it. In this project we will ob ....Mitigating hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels. Hydrogen wreaks havoc in many alloys, leading to embrittlement that can cause catastrophic failure. This is a very serious issue for any industry in which structures are exposed to hydrogen and is a limiting factor for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen in a potential hydrogen economy. However, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen in alloys is restricted by the difficulty of observing it. In this project we will obtain accurate 3D maps showing the position of hydrogen atoms in steel by combining deuteration with cryogenic atom probe microscopy. In this way we will will elucidate how a proposed solution, hydrogen trapping, reduces hydrogen embrittlement, contributing to design criteria for hydrogen-resistant steels.Read moreRead less
Room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries for large-scale energy storage. This project aims to develop room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries for renewable energy storage. Sodium-sulfur batteries are ideal for large-scale energy storage, owing to high energy density and low cost. However, there are significant challenges in attaining practical sodium-sulfur batteries with high capacity and safety. By developing novel high capacity sulphur cathodes, dendrite-free sodium metal anodes and quasi-so ....Room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries for large-scale energy storage. This project aims to develop room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries for renewable energy storage. Sodium-sulfur batteries are ideal for large-scale energy storage, owing to high energy density and low cost. However, there are significant challenges in attaining practical sodium-sulfur batteries with high capacity and safety. By developing novel high capacity sulphur cathodes, dendrite-free sodium metal anodes and quasi-solid-state gel polymer electrolytes, this project expects to achieve high-performance sodium-sulfur batteries with high capacity, long cycle life and enhanced safety. Expected benefits will arise from deployment of sodium-sulfur batteries and advances in energy storage technologies that are efficient and cost-effective.Read moreRead less
Low cost aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries for grid-scale energy storage. This project aims to advance energy storage technology by developing high energy aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries, which are the most promising choice for large-scale electrical energy storage, in particular for smart electric grids, owing to their low cost, high safety, and eco-friendly features. The success of this project will advance our fundamental understanding of aqueous rechargeable batteries, provide techniqu ....Low cost aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries for grid-scale energy storage. This project aims to advance energy storage technology by developing high energy aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries, which are the most promising choice for large-scale electrical energy storage, in particular for smart electric grids, owing to their low cost, high safety, and eco-friendly features. The success of this project will advance our fundamental understanding of aqueous rechargeable batteries, provide techniques for the development of a low-cost, high energy, and long life system for renewable energy storage, and benefit Australia's environment, economy, and sustainability.Read moreRead less
Solar rechargeable batteries for wearable electronics. This project aims to develop a new solar battery as a sustainable power source for future wearable electronics. The research will develop solar rechargeable Zinc-Manganese oxide batteries based on new stretchable microelectrodes and materials engineering for the direct storage of solar energy. Expected outcomes include new classes of planar-type solar batteries, functional microelectrodes and energy materials, as well as new knowledge genera ....Solar rechargeable batteries for wearable electronics. This project aims to develop a new solar battery as a sustainable power source for future wearable electronics. The research will develop solar rechargeable Zinc-Manganese oxide batteries based on new stretchable microelectrodes and materials engineering for the direct storage of solar energy. Expected outcomes include new classes of planar-type solar batteries, functional microelectrodes and energy materials, as well as new knowledge generated from collaborations across materials science, photoelectrochemistry and nanotechnology disciplines. These will not only expand the applications of solar batteries to a new domain of wearable electronics, but also may eventually lead to new industry advances in functional materials for clean energy.Read moreRead less
Lithium-rich cathode materials for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. This project aims to develop lithium-rich cathode materials for a new generation of high-energy lithium-ion batteries. These innovative materials could double the capacity of commercial cathodes, thereby doubling the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. A further increase is anticipated from fundamental insights into anionic redox. Expected outcomes include materials with optimised architecture and chemistry, stabilisation ....Lithium-rich cathode materials for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. This project aims to develop lithium-rich cathode materials for a new generation of high-energy lithium-ion batteries. These innovative materials could double the capacity of commercial cathodes, thereby doubling the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. A further increase is anticipated from fundamental insights into anionic redox. Expected outcomes include materials with optimised architecture and chemistry, stabilisation of lithium-rich cathodes, identification of redox mechanism of lithium-rich cathode materials, technologies for producing lithium-rich cathode materials on a large scale and fabrication of new generation high-energy lithium-ion batteries. This project will have benefits especially in the transport and energy sectors. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101354
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,169.00
Summary
Novel Ion Exchange Membrane for High Performance Vanadium Flow battery. This project aims to design and synthesis novel ion exchange membrane with tailored ion selectivity and high proton conductivity for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). VRFB is a promising energy storage technology for large scale storing renewable energy due to its advantage of decoupled capacity and power, long lifetime. Currently, VRFB suffers from fast capacity decay and cyclic instability because of severe vanadium ion ....Novel Ion Exchange Membrane for High Performance Vanadium Flow battery. This project aims to design and synthesis novel ion exchange membrane with tailored ion selectivity and high proton conductivity for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). VRFB is a promising energy storage technology for large scale storing renewable energy due to its advantage of decoupled capacity and power, long lifetime. Currently, VRFB suffers from fast capacity decay and cyclic instability because of severe vanadium ion permeability of commercial membrane. The expected research outcomes in this project include stable, high ion selectivity membranes made of cost-effective aromatic polymer and robust nanofillers, enabling high performance VRFB. This will place Australia in the forefront of clean energy storage technologies.Read moreRead less
Sodium-Metal-Free, Safe and Sustainable Sodium-Ion Sulfur Batteries. This project aims to develop sodium sulfide cathodes via effective single-atom catalysts and elaborately regulate the solid-electrolyte interphase on the anode by using a new class of electrolytes. Thus, the obtained low-cost, high-energy, safe sodium-ion sulfur batteries can serve as a novel technique for large-scale stationary energy storage, especially for intermittent solar and wind energy storage in Australia. Expected out ....Sodium-Metal-Free, Safe and Sustainable Sodium-Ion Sulfur Batteries. This project aims to develop sodium sulfide cathodes via effective single-atom catalysts and elaborately regulate the solid-electrolyte interphase on the anode by using a new class of electrolytes. Thus, the obtained low-cost, high-energy, safe sodium-ion sulfur batteries can serve as a novel technique for large-scale stationary energy storage, especially for intermittent solar and wind energy storage in Australia. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive understanding and a breakthrough in advances of innovative and affordable battery storage technology, leading to significant scientific, economic, environmental, and social benefits to Australia by integrating this battery system with renewable energy.Read moreRead less
High temperature corrosion induced by multiple secondary oxidants . Heat resisting chromia-forming alloys passivate successfully in clean, dry air at temperatures up to about 950°C. However, this performance is degraded by secondary oxidants (carbon, sulphur, chlorine, water vapour), leading to corrosion failure in important industries. The project aims to investigate the effect of these secondary oxidants on corrosion behaviour of chromia-forming alloys, to identify interactions between multipl ....High temperature corrosion induced by multiple secondary oxidants . Heat resisting chromia-forming alloys passivate successfully in clean, dry air at temperatures up to about 950°C. However, this performance is degraded by secondary oxidants (carbon, sulphur, chlorine, water vapour), leading to corrosion failure in important industries. The project aims to investigate the effect of these secondary oxidants on corrosion behaviour of chromia-forming alloys, to identify interactions between multiple oxidants within the scale, to establish the mechanisms of oxide scale penetration by foreign species, and to evaluate scales on different alloy types. The results will provide a basis for improved design/selection of heat resisting chromia-forming alloys, key to power generation industries.Read moreRead less
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