Design of tuneable microstructures for additive manufacturing. The project intends to develop methods to tune the microstructure of materials in additive manufacturing so that components can be manufactured with maximum productivity and properties. Additive manufacturing is leading the mass customisation of manufacturing. Designed tunable microstructures enable structure and properties to be tailored for specific applications. One of the greatest challenges, however, is how to control the scale ....Design of tuneable microstructures for additive manufacturing. The project intends to develop methods to tune the microstructure of materials in additive manufacturing so that components can be manufactured with maximum productivity and properties. Additive manufacturing is leading the mass customisation of manufacturing. Designed tunable microstructures enable structure and properties to be tailored for specific applications. One of the greatest challenges, however, is how to control the scale and morphology of the microstructure. This project aims to use the interdependence model of grain refinement to control and design grain sizes. The project first plans to investigate the near-rapid solidification conditions in aluminium alloys. It then plans to re-design the harder-to-manufacture titanium alloys to improve grain size control.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100002
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$808,191.00
Summary
A facility for laser-based automated manufacturing of carbon composites. This project aims to create an advanced manufacturing facility for carbon-composites research by integrating laser-based processing and robotic automation. It will enable fundamental research on rapid processing of high-performance thermoplastics and metal-composite hybrids, including functionalisation of the composite through nano-material coating technology, and new instrumentation for structural health monitoring. The fa ....A facility for laser-based automated manufacturing of carbon composites. This project aims to create an advanced manufacturing facility for carbon-composites research by integrating laser-based processing and robotic automation. It will enable fundamental research on rapid processing of high-performance thermoplastics and metal-composite hybrids, including functionalisation of the composite through nano-material coating technology, and new instrumentation for structural health monitoring. The facility will significantly enhance the research capability in the newly established ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites, which will engage with Australian industry to improve productivity and material performance for industry sectors such as aerospace, automotive, marine, and sport.Read moreRead less
Grown not extracted: high performance plant-based polymer packaging. This project aims to develop high performance, thermoformed paper-like materials to replace petroleum-derived plastic packaging. The materials are made using mechanically broken down waste cellulose fibres, which are then formed into shapes with added barrier layers. The grant aims to control the mechanical treatment for optimum performance, engineer the shape forming process and design laminate structures to produce packaging ....Grown not extracted: high performance plant-based polymer packaging. This project aims to develop high performance, thermoformed paper-like materials to replace petroleum-derived plastic packaging. The materials are made using mechanically broken down waste cellulose fibres, which are then formed into shapes with added barrier layers. The grant aims to control the mechanical treatment for optimum performance, engineer the shape forming process and design laminate structures to produce packaging materials, which have all the advantages of plastic packaging with none of the environmental drawbacks. The grant also aims to develop new methods to characterise these composites. The intended outcome is a new industry manufacturing renewable, biodegradable packaging in Australia.
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A systems materials engineering strategy for hybrid ion capacitors. This project aims to develop a data science-driven approach to allow the use of materials systems engineering strategy to quantify the cell-level design of electrochemical energy storage devices such as hybrid ion capacitors. The intended outcomes of this project include new dynamic equivalent circuit models and a new quantitative approach to make the electrodes pairing predictable and realise their optimal design against the ne ....A systems materials engineering strategy for hybrid ion capacitors. This project aims to develop a data science-driven approach to allow the use of materials systems engineering strategy to quantify the cell-level design of electrochemical energy storage devices such as hybrid ion capacitors. The intended outcomes of this project include new dynamic equivalent circuit models and a new quantitative approach to make the electrodes pairing predictable and realise their optimal design against the needs of the specific applications. It will also demonstrate a combined strategy of data science and discipline-specific experiments and theories to advance the emerging field of materials systems engineering. Read moreRead less
Understanding, controlling and patterning of ferroelectric domain arrays for advanced device applications. The aim of this project is to understand, fabricate and use patterned ferroelectric domain arrays on the fine scale for advanced materials applications. The resultant domain-patterned technology and processing approaches may significantly impact the development of integrated nonlinear optic devices used in information and communication technology.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL210100147
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,982,000.00
Summary
Alloy alchemy: New paradigms in alloy science to promote a circular economy. Although metals are readily remelted and reused, Australia exports most of its alloy scrap. These exports represent an opportunity for Australia to create value on-shore via a supply source that is secure against disruption. The Laureate will promote new ways to tap into this resource. It will provide the science needed to disrupt the current advanced alloy recycling paradigm and open up new avenues to create high value ....Alloy alchemy: New paradigms in alloy science to promote a circular economy. Although metals are readily remelted and reused, Australia exports most of its alloy scrap. These exports represent an opportunity for Australia to create value on-shore via a supply source that is secure against disruption. The Laureate will promote new ways to tap into this resource. It will provide the science needed to disrupt the current advanced alloy recycling paradigm and open up new avenues to create high value alloys from intermingled metal stocks that are currently ‘down-cycled’ because they are too costly to separate. The Laureate will also pioneer a new additive manufacturing technology to convert metal scrap into high value components, saving up to 95% of the production energy used to create the virgin metal.Read moreRead less
Novel fuel-cell structures based on electroactive polymers. This project will tackle some of the challenges currently hindering progression of our society into a post-petroleum era via materials developments that will lead to in-expensive, more efficient fuel cell technologies. Specifically, a new class of organic catalysts and novel ion conducting membranes will be integrated into functional fuel-cells.
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH200100005
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Innovation. The Hub’s overarching goal is to support the transition of Australia’s steel manufacturing industry to a more sustainable, competitive and resilient position based on the creation of new, higher value-added products and more advanced manufacturing processes. It anticipates delivering original, innovative research designed to enable a necessary technological shift in the supply chain through integrating advanced enabling technologies in large and ....ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Innovation. The Hub’s overarching goal is to support the transition of Australia’s steel manufacturing industry to a more sustainable, competitive and resilient position based on the creation of new, higher value-added products and more advanced manufacturing processes. It anticipates delivering original, innovative research designed to enable a necessary technological shift in the supply chain through integrating advanced enabling technologies in large and small businesses, developing step-change performance in anti-corrosion treatments and coating lines, generating more functional and durable products, and increasing resource intensities. It expects to train a more skillful and diverse workforce that will be critical in achieving this transformation.Read moreRead less
Extremely lightweight and superelastic cellular materials. This project aims to synthesise a new generation of extremely lightweight, superelastic yet mechanically robust graphene-based cellular materials, develop new strategies to strengthen and functionalise them with other functional polymers or nanoparticles, and explore new techniques to characterise their unique mechanical, electrical and thermal properties for a range of potential applications. The new knowledge obtained would significant ....Extremely lightweight and superelastic cellular materials. This project aims to synthesise a new generation of extremely lightweight, superelastic yet mechanically robust graphene-based cellular materials, develop new strategies to strengthen and functionalise them with other functional polymers or nanoparticles, and explore new techniques to characterise their unique mechanical, electrical and thermal properties for a range of potential applications. The new knowledge obtained would significantly advance our understanding of extremely lightweight and multifunctional cellular materials as well as graphene-based bulk materials. Project outcomes are expected to help generate high value-added technological applications from natural graphite.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR180200051
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$497,638.00
Summary
Integrated platform technologies for remediation of PFAS contaminated water. This project aims to develop low cost platform technologies using our patented high capacity adsorbent material for the removal of perfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) from contaminated water sources in Australia. Our advanced adsorbent material is made from a novel sulfur co-polymer and activated carbon, both of which have high affinity for PFAS, but when combined as a composite provide significant advantages for PFAS remed ....Integrated platform technologies for remediation of PFAS contaminated water. This project aims to develop low cost platform technologies using our patented high capacity adsorbent material for the removal of perfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) from contaminated water sources in Australia. Our advanced adsorbent material is made from a novel sulfur co-polymer and activated carbon, both of which have high affinity for PFAS, but when combined as a composite provide significant advantages for PFAS remediation. This adsorbent will be applied in mobile water treatment plants for remediation of PFAS contaminated aquifers. We will also develop point-of-use water filters for individual, domestic use from the adsorbent, thus empowering individuals and local communities by delivering tangible solutions to Australia’s PFAS crisis.Read moreRead less