Sustainable Solar Hydrogen Production from Waste Water. The world energy demand, expected to triple by 2100, must be met from sustainable and non-polluting sources. Sunlight is the largest available carbon-neutral energy source, with enough energy striking the planet in one hour to satisfy our current requirements for about a year. With the novel catalysts designed in this project, we will use this energy to simultaneously generate hydrogen and destroy organic pollutants by oxidation. The hydr ....Sustainable Solar Hydrogen Production from Waste Water. The world energy demand, expected to triple by 2100, must be met from sustainable and non-polluting sources. Sunlight is the largest available carbon-neutral energy source, with enough energy striking the planet in one hour to satisfy our current requirements for about a year. With the novel catalysts designed in this project, we will use this energy to simultaneously generate hydrogen and destroy organic pollutants by oxidation. The hydrogen can then be used as a clean source of sustainable energy and the water recycled. Our climate, proximity to major economies of the future, and long commercial and research experience in solar energy make Australia an ideal location for a hydrogen production industry.Read moreRead less
How does biodiesel fuel burn? Revealing the chemical processes of methyl ester decomposition and oxidation. It is increasingly likely that a major proportion of the next-generation transport fuels will be derived from biological sources. Biodiesel is already an attractive prospect due to measured reductions in carbon monoxide and fine-particle emission along with its potential as a carbon-neutral fuel source. Impeding the rapid deployment of biodiesel-based engines is our limited understanding o ....How does biodiesel fuel burn? Revealing the chemical processes of methyl ester decomposition and oxidation. It is increasingly likely that a major proportion of the next-generation transport fuels will be derived from biological sources. Biodiesel is already an attractive prospect due to measured reductions in carbon monoxide and fine-particle emission along with its potential as a carbon-neutral fuel source. Impeding the rapid deployment of biodiesel-based engines is our limited understanding of the combustion processes at the molecular level. The purpose of this study is to reveal the underlying chemical processes of biodiesel-droplet burning using laser techniques, synchrotron radiation and mass spectrometry. The ensuing results will flow into modelling studies of biodiesel combustion systems and find practical application by guiding engine design.
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Principles, synthesis, and evaluation of molecular electronic devices. This project is at the forefront of modern science and technology. It involves exploration of the operation and means of fabrication of devices on the nanoscale. Future advances in silicon-chip manufacture will require development of new technologies such as molecular electronics, technologies in which Australia is well placed to play a significant role. This project will generate the first method for the integration and con ....Principles, synthesis, and evaluation of molecular electronic devices. This project is at the forefront of modern science and technology. It involves exploration of the operation and means of fabrication of devices on the nanoscale. Future advances in silicon-chip manufacture will require development of new technologies such as molecular electronics, technologies in which Australia is well placed to play a significant role. This project will generate the first method for the integration and construction of complex molecular devices on silicon with atomic control and precision, and advances in solar electricity and solar-powered hydrogen production. It provides advanced training in important areas in nanotechnology including nanoscale synthesis, measurement, and computation.Read moreRead less
Redox processes in Bayer liquors. Alumina, and the aluminium produced from it, are amongst Australia's most important mineral commodities, earning about $8 billion p.a. in exports. However, ongoing technological improvements are needed for Australian producers to remain globally competitive. This project addresses a key problem in alumina production - the behaviour of organic impurities - which will help to increase industrial productivity and reduce energy consumption. Insights gained from this ....Redox processes in Bayer liquors. Alumina, and the aluminium produced from it, are amongst Australia's most important mineral commodities, earning about $8 billion p.a. in exports. However, ongoing technological improvements are needed for Australian producers to remain globally competitive. This project addresses a key problem in alumina production - the behaviour of organic impurities - which will help to increase industrial productivity and reduce energy consumption. Insights gained from this research will also minimize the environmental and occupational health impacts of various process emissions, making the industry more sustainable.Read moreRead less
Heat capacities of Bayer liquors to 300C. Alumina refining is one of Australia's most important industries, earning ~$6 billion per year export income. However, major productivity gains are required for Australian producers to remain globally competitive. More accurate thermodynamic calculations, covering the full plant operating range, are seen by the industry as an important way to increase productivity, minimise energy consumption and cut greenhouse emissions. To achieve these aims, we must e ....Heat capacities of Bayer liquors to 300C. Alumina refining is one of Australia's most important industries, earning ~$6 billion per year export income. However, major productivity gains are required for Australian producers to remain globally competitive. More accurate thermodynamic calculations, covering the full plant operating range, are seen by the industry as an important way to increase productivity, minimise energy consumption and cut greenhouse emissions. To achieve these aims, we must extend current theoretical understanding and establish an experimental capability, hitherto unavailable in Australia, for measuring heat capacities and densities of solutions to temperatures as high as 300 C.Read moreRead less
Modelling Bayer Plant Liquors for Industrial Process Simulations. Alumina refining is one of Australia's most important industries but it exists within an increasingly competitive global market. More meaningful computer simulations of the Bayer process, covering conditions far beyond current plant operating ranges, are seen by Australian producers as an important way to increase future productivity, minimise energy consumption and cut greenhouse emissions. To achieve these aims, we must develop ....Modelling Bayer Plant Liquors for Industrial Process Simulations. Alumina refining is one of Australia's most important industries but it exists within an increasingly competitive global market. More meaningful computer simulations of the Bayer process, covering conditions far beyond current plant operating ranges, are seen by Australian producers as an important way to increase future productivity, minimise energy consumption and cut greenhouse emissions. To achieve these aims, we must develop hitherto unavailable modelling capabilities for predicting the behaviour of Bayer plant liquors. The more robust thermodynamic models developed in this project will enable more realistic simulations, which are a prerequisite for innovative process design and optimisation.Read moreRead less
Disorder and Dynamics in Superionic Conductors. This project will pursue a powerful new approach to superionic conductors, an important class of advanced materials that are critical to the development of clean-energy technologies, such as solid-oxide fuel cells. This will be a new direction for Australian science in the theoretical treatment of material properties. The project will also make significant progress in the computer-aided design of advanced materials, and in the simulation methods th ....Disorder and Dynamics in Superionic Conductors. This project will pursue a powerful new approach to superionic conductors, an important class of advanced materials that are critical to the development of clean-energy technologies, such as solid-oxide fuel cells. This will be a new direction for Australian science in the theoretical treatment of material properties. The project will also make significant progress in the computer-aided design of advanced materials, and in the simulation methods themselves, contributing to pure science in the form of our understanding of the physics and chemistry of materials at the most fundamental level. Read moreRead less
Polymerization of amyloid fibrils and electroactive hybrid nanowires using ionic liquids. The electronics world is constantly shrinking with devices being miniaturised and increasing levels of complexity built in. To maintain this trend, new technologies and new device fabrication approaches are required. APD Byrne, will develop new materials based on amyloid fibrils by their facile conversion to a range of novel high strength electroactive nanoscopic wires with application in many electronic d ....Polymerization of amyloid fibrils and electroactive hybrid nanowires using ionic liquids. The electronics world is constantly shrinking with devices being miniaturised and increasing levels of complexity built in. To maintain this trend, new technologies and new device fabrication approaches are required. APD Byrne, will develop new materials based on amyloid fibrils by their facile conversion to a range of novel high strength electroactive nanoscopic wires with application in many electronic devices. One such device that will benefit from these nanowires is organic solar cells. Solar is a clean renewable energy source that can reduce Australia's dependence on fossil fuels. The development of new approaches and materials aimed at increasing solar cell efficiencies is an important outcome for Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0345760
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$210,000.00
Summary
Nanoscale Interaction Forces in Particulate and Molecular Systems. We seek to establish a world-class facility for the measurement of nanoscale interaction forces. The ability to measure forces between particles, polymers, emulsion droplets, bubbles, proteins and powders will augment our research capabilities in minerals and material processing, thin film technology, structured surfaces, and in molecular and bio-technology (eg. proteins, DNA, cells, bone, bio-implants). A Molecular Force Probe ....Nanoscale Interaction Forces in Particulate and Molecular Systems. We seek to establish a world-class facility for the measurement of nanoscale interaction forces. The ability to measure forces between particles, polymers, emulsion droplets, bubbles, proteins and powders will augment our research capabilities in minerals and material processing, thin film technology, structured surfaces, and in molecular and bio-technology (eg. proteins, DNA, cells, bone, bio-implants). A Molecular Force Probe (Asylum Research) instrument will allow precise and flexible force measurements on the nano-metre scale. The proposed multi-disciplinary facility will advance research in the areas of engineering, chemistry, pharmacology and biotechnology.
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Cellular and network basis of information processing in the mammalian visual system. The project aims to discover the strategies by which cells in the brain interact with each other to code the sensory input efficiently. It is expected that simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurones from the visual cortex of anaesthetised cats during visual stimulation will reveal how the biophysics of synaptic integration combined with excitatory and inhibitory inputs from different sources sculpt ....Cellular and network basis of information processing in the mammalian visual system. The project aims to discover the strategies by which cells in the brain interact with each other to code the sensory input efficiently. It is expected that simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurones from the visual cortex of anaesthetised cats during visual stimulation will reveal how the biophysics of synaptic integration combined with excitatory and inhibitory inputs from different sources sculpts the output of individual neurones. The experiments will be extended to the study of possible interactions between different areas of the brain and the study of mechanisms by which the cortical network and higher cognitive factors such as attention and memory might influence the coding of sensory information in awake animals.Read moreRead less