SYNTHESIS OF A NANO-STRUCTURED TITANIA SURFACE AND ITS APPLICATION IN PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION FOR WATER TREATMENT. Australia is facing severe freshwater crisis. Although there is an increasing public awareness of saving and using water efficiently, re-using water/wastewater has been neglected. In Australia, 97% of city runoff and 86% of effluent water is unproductive. How to recycle and re-use them becomes an urgent issue. This project attempts to develop novel titania based photocatalysts to c ....SYNTHESIS OF A NANO-STRUCTURED TITANIA SURFACE AND ITS APPLICATION IN PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION FOR WATER TREATMENT. Australia is facing severe freshwater crisis. Although there is an increasing public awareness of saving and using water efficiently, re-using water/wastewater has been neglected. In Australia, 97% of city runoff and 86% of effluent water is unproductive. How to recycle and re-use them becomes an urgent issue. This project attempts to develop novel titania based photocatalysts to convert organic contaminated water into reusable/potable freshwater. The project's innovation lies in the synthesis of highly reactive nano-structured titania surfaces in fixed form to solve downstream separation problem. Successful development of such photocatalysts will show significant environmental and socio-economic benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less
Tough bio-derived and biodegradable wood plastic composites. This project aims for the development of tough bio-based and biodegradable wood plastic composites (WPCs), directly addressing a key end-user demand that performance of bio-WPCs must be at least comparable with existing commercial WPCs. The project expects to generate key innovations such as developing a new, high performance, bio-based and biodegradable WPC by incorporating native spinifex-derived nano-cellulose fibres, ensuring excel ....Tough bio-derived and biodegradable wood plastic composites. This project aims for the development of tough bio-based and biodegradable wood plastic composites (WPCs), directly addressing a key end-user demand that performance of bio-WPCs must be at least comparable with existing commercial WPCs. The project expects to generate key innovations such as developing a new, high performance, bio-based and biodegradable WPC by incorporating native spinifex-derived nano-cellulose fibres, ensuring excellent, molecular-level dispersion with a novel low-cost and energy-efficient wet-mix technology. This will provide significant benefits as it will lead to new products and markets for the Australian forestry industry and for rural and indigenous Australia, maximising Australia’s competitive advantage in biomass-derived products.Read moreRead less
Transforming Australian bio-based industries through multiscale modelling. Agricultural and forestry biomass can be converted into feedstocks for production of biofuels and biomaterials via synthetic biology. A key challenge is the complex biomass microstructure renders it highly resistant to conversion, and pretreatment is crucial for enhancing process efficiency. Micro-CT imaging will enable particle characterisation and identification of changes in the fibre composition during pretreatment. T ....Transforming Australian bio-based industries through multiscale modelling. Agricultural and forestry biomass can be converted into feedstocks for production of biofuels and biomaterials via synthetic biology. A key challenge is the complex biomass microstructure renders it highly resistant to conversion, and pretreatment is crucial for enhancing process efficiency. Micro-CT imaging will enable particle characterisation and identification of changes in the fibre composition during pretreatment. This information will be used to create a virtual biomass particle model for an in silico investigation to inform optimal process design. The framework will transform the way biomass is processed, contributing to the growth of the Australian bio-manufacturing industry by making it more productive, profitable and sustainable.Read moreRead less
A fast, eco-friendly approach to the fabrication of low cost high performance titanium components. The purpose of this project is to develop an innovative manufacturing approach by which the cost of titanium components can be substantially reduced. This will significantly increase the commercial applications of titanium and its alloys.
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH120100032
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
Commercial development of rock lobster culture systems: the cutting edge of aquaculture. Commercial development of rock lobster culture systems: the cutting edge of aquaculture. This Research Hub will develop unique aquaculture systems, using novel engineering manufacture to mass produce lobster seed stock. A reliable, large-scale supply of seed will enable seacage culture, evaluation of wild stock enhancement and lead to sustainable food production.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101687
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Nanostructure Tailoring of Inorganic Membranes by Rapid Thermal Processing. This project aims to produce inorganic membranes with desired nanostructures using a Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) technique for gas separation applications. The key concept of the research is that the RTP will be able to achieve thin-film membrane layer with a finer microstructure and pore size control without heat stress-induced cracking. RTP aims to deliver superior membrane performance with less than 10 per cent of ....Nanostructure Tailoring of Inorganic Membranes by Rapid Thermal Processing. This project aims to produce inorganic membranes with desired nanostructures using a Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) technique for gas separation applications. The key concept of the research is that the RTP will be able to achieve thin-film membrane layer with a finer microstructure and pore size control without heat stress-induced cracking. RTP aims to deliver superior membrane performance with less than 10 per cent of the fabrication time compared to normal slow calcination. The outcomes of this new technology aims to make inorganic membranes a commercial reality and maximize the membrane manufacturing capability and productivity of petrochemcial, chemical and clean coal/energy industries.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100003
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,000.00
Summary
Flexible forming facility for low cost light weight applications. Flexible forming facility for low-cost light-weight applications: This project will establish Australia’s first flexible roll forming facility. The facility will be unique in the world, being specifically designed to roll form the most advanced high strength alloys into complex three-dimensional shapes and investigate their material behaviour under a wide range of loading conditions. This technology represents a step change in com ....Flexible forming facility for low cost light weight applications. Flexible forming facility for low-cost light-weight applications: This project will establish Australia’s first flexible roll forming facility. The facility will be unique in the world, being specifically designed to roll form the most advanced high strength alloys into complex three-dimensional shapes and investigate their material behaviour under a wide range of loading conditions. This technology represents a step change in commercial processing and has the capacity to form materials with high strength and limited ductility. This will lead to the development of new techniques for the manufacture of new advanced materials including advanced high strength steels, composites, nano structured metals and light metal alloys for automotive and aerospace applications.Read moreRead less
AM of MAX Phase parts for applications in extreme environments. This project aims to develop techniques to synthesize MAX Phase compound materials in-situ using laser additive manufacturing. The project expects to increase jet engine fuel efficiency and thrust, and to fabricate longer-lasting parts for supersonic speed applications. The expected outcomes include well-developed additive manufacturing processes to make high performance engineering components with shape complexity for extreme envir ....AM of MAX Phase parts for applications in extreme environments. This project aims to develop techniques to synthesize MAX Phase compound materials in-situ using laser additive manufacturing. The project expects to increase jet engine fuel efficiency and thrust, and to fabricate longer-lasting parts for supersonic speed applications. The expected outcomes include well-developed additive manufacturing processes to make high performance engineering components with shape complexity for extreme environment applications, and new methods to increase the 3D printability of brittle materials. This should provide significant benefits to aerospace and defense industries through solving their long standing bottleneck material and processing problems. The outcomes also enhance Australia’s manufacturing capacity.Read moreRead less
Theoretical model that predicts the grain size of alloys inoculated with micro- and nano- particle master alloys and cast under an external field. The aim of this project is to develop a theoretical model that predicts grain size when components are cast under the influence of external fields (electromagnetic, ultrasonic, pulsed electric current and melt shearing treatments) and with the addition of nano-particle master alloys. Refining microstructures by available master alloys is reaching a li ....Theoretical model that predicts the grain size of alloys inoculated with micro- and nano- particle master alloys and cast under an external field. The aim of this project is to develop a theoretical model that predicts grain size when components are cast under the influence of external fields (electromagnetic, ultrasonic, pulsed electric current and melt shearing treatments) and with the addition of nano-particle master alloys. Refining microstructures by available master alloys is reaching a limit and this limits further improvement in mechanical properties to meet the challenge of new applications requiring, for example, high temperature properties or light weighting (for example, use of less material). The outcomes will be a new theoretical model, validated numerical models, new casting technologies and highly refined alloys with greater than 25 per cent improvement in mechanical properties. Read moreRead less