Life Extension of Equipment Suffering Environmentally-Assisted Cracking: An Innovative Approach to Mitigation by Engineering of Materials in Service. Environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC) represents a serious threat to infrastructure exposed to caustic and chloride environments in process, marine, energy and chemical industries in Australia. Despite extensive research, there is no consensus mechanism for EAC. This project will investigate a fresh approach to life extension of in-service equipm ....Life Extension of Equipment Suffering Environmentally-Assisted Cracking: An Innovative Approach to Mitigation by Engineering of Materials in Service. Environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC) represents a serious threat to infrastructure exposed to caustic and chloride environments in process, marine, energy and chemical industries in Australia. Despite extensive research, there is no consensus mechanism for EAC. This project will investigate a fresh approach to life extension of in-service equipment suffering EAC, by developing and testing a mitigation measure reasonably independent of the EAC mechanisms. The task includes development of a consolidated strategy based on: accurate determination of the fundamental parameters for crack propagation, and in-situ thermomechnical treatment for local manipulation of material at and ahead of crack-tip, in order to retard/stop crack propagation.Read moreRead less
Exposure dating with manganese-53, neon-21 and beryllium-10: a new toolkit for studying long-term landscape evolution. Australia today is the driest inhabited continent but this was not always the case. Tens of millions of years ago the climate of Australia was considerably wetter. Then, several million years ago, aridity in Australia developed producing most of the desert features of the red Centre that we see today. The age of our deserts and other arid features are not, however, well known. T ....Exposure dating with manganese-53, neon-21 and beryllium-10: a new toolkit for studying long-term landscape evolution. Australia today is the driest inhabited continent but this was not always the case. Tens of millions of years ago the climate of Australia was considerably wetter. Then, several million years ago, aridity in Australia developed producing most of the desert features of the red Centre that we see today. The age of our deserts and other arid features are not, however, well known. This project will determine the age of desertification in Australia, thereby enhancing our understanding of such processes and the response of our landscape to changing climate.
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Single walled carbon nanotubes of one stereochemistry - material for the oncoming carbon age. Carbon nanotubes are finding application in nanotechnology. However currently they are prepared as a mixture of zig-zag, chiral and armchair isomers. Their properties could be improved if they could be prepared with one stereochemistry. The approach here is to use a nanocrystallisation and thermal maturation process involving stereo controlling additives. The new carbons are expected to have outstandin ....Single walled carbon nanotubes of one stereochemistry - material for the oncoming carbon age. Carbon nanotubes are finding application in nanotechnology. However currently they are prepared as a mixture of zig-zag, chiral and armchair isomers. Their properties could be improved if they could be prepared with one stereochemistry. The approach here is to use a nanocrystallisation and thermal maturation process involving stereo controlling additives. The new carbons are expected to have outstanding flexibility and strength and novel thermal and electrical properties. The new products could give Australia a lead in new battery, hydrogen storage, flat screen technology and nanoelectronics.Read moreRead less
Nanostructured Degradable Polymer for Drug Delivery. The success of synthesising nanostructured degradable polymers will position Australia at the world forefront in the field of nanotechnology, bioengineering and healthcare sectors in both fundamental and applied research. This multi-disciplinary research has the potential to generate patentable technologies with economic benefits to Australia. The project also involves fundamental research into surface chemistry, nanostructure, polymer science ....Nanostructured Degradable Polymer for Drug Delivery. The success of synthesising nanostructured degradable polymers will position Australia at the world forefront in the field of nanotechnology, bioengineering and healthcare sectors in both fundamental and applied research. This multi-disciplinary research has the potential to generate patentable technologies with economic benefits to Australia. The project also involves fundamental research into surface chemistry, nanostructure, polymer sciences and will be a meaningful contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge in Australia. All these will enhance the international competitive profile of Australia in the field of nanotechnology for drug delivery.Read moreRead less
Development of direct-write focussed electron beam processing techniques for nano-fabrication applications. The burgeoning disciplines of nanotechnology and biotechnology have the potential to deliver breakthroughs in science and engineering that will revolutionise many aspects of everyday life. Progress in these emerging fields, however, requires parallel advances in the techniques used to fabricate, manipulate and characterise materials and devices at the nanoscale. This project will provide s ....Development of direct-write focussed electron beam processing techniques for nano-fabrication applications. The burgeoning disciplines of nanotechnology and biotechnology have the potential to deliver breakthroughs in science and engineering that will revolutionise many aspects of everyday life. Progress in these emerging fields, however, requires parallel advances in the techniques used to fabricate, manipulate and characterise materials and devices at the nanoscale. This project will provide such enabling tools and fill a major gap in the research infrastructure urgently required by these exciting new technologies.Read moreRead less
Engineering models for inland atmospheric corrosion of steel infrastructure considering microbiological and environmental influences. Some 2-3% of Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be lost every year to corrosion and by measures to counteract it. Of this a significant proportion relates to steel infrastructure, which includes buildings, bridges, transmission towers, ships, offshore and coastal structures, tanks and pipelines. Better understanding and modelling of corrosion will improve our ....Engineering models for inland atmospheric corrosion of steel infrastructure considering microbiological and environmental influences. Some 2-3% of Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be lost every year to corrosion and by measures to counteract it. Of this a significant proportion relates to steel infrastructure, which includes buildings, bridges, transmission towers, ships, offshore and coastal structures, tanks and pipelines. Better understanding and modelling of corrosion will improve our capability for assessing the long-term safety and serviceability of infrastructure. It may also be useful in improving the composition of steel to resist rusting and in the formulation of protective coatings. This project will contribute to better understanding of the likely involvement of bacteria in the longer-term corrosion of steel exposed to various inland environments.Read moreRead less
Mathematical and mechanical modeling of nano particulate flow. Nano particulates are the basis for many new technologies, including coatings in the electronics industry, composite materials and medical and pharmaceutical applications. Worldwide industrial competition is increasingly determined by our capacity to handle such highly cohesive materials, and to exploit their novel physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics. Devising handling mechanisms and understanding nano particulate flows ....Mathematical and mechanical modeling of nano particulate flow. Nano particulates are the basis for many new technologies, including coatings in the electronics industry, composite materials and medical and pharmaceutical applications. Worldwide industrial competition is increasingly determined by our capacity to handle such highly cohesive materials, and to exploit their novel physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics. Devising handling mechanisms and understanding nano particulate flows depends on formulating accurate mathematical models which reflect the correct underlying physics. This APF proposal will utilise advanced continuum mechanics to develop the correct underlying conceptual ideas to resolve fundamental nanomechanical particulate flows, which will lead to the next generation of engineering tools.
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Scaling-up microstructured fibres for terahertz radiation. Terahertz radiation is the last region of the electromagnetic spectrum to be fully utilised. Many applications have been identified but their practicality has been limited by a lack of low-loss flexible waveguides. The waveguides to be developed in this project will build on Australia's existing international lead and investments in photonics as well as extend the dynamic field of microstructured optical fibres, indentified as the 'futur ....Scaling-up microstructured fibres for terahertz radiation. Terahertz radiation is the last region of the electromagnetic spectrum to be fully utilised. Many applications have been identified but their practicality has been limited by a lack of low-loss flexible waveguides. The waveguides to be developed in this project will build on Australia's existing international lead and investments in photonics as well as extend the dynamic field of microstructured optical fibres, indentified as the 'future' of optical fibres. Low-loss flexible waveguides will enable imaging and spectroscopy applications that can reveal and object's internal structure and composition. This will have immediate applications in security, quality control, medical imaging and other safety or industrial applications.Read moreRead less
Nanoparticle fluorescent labels as a platform for high throughput data gathering. Recent developments in genomics require gathering of vast amounts of information in a rapid and cost-effective fashion. To this aim we will develop a new fluorescent labelling technology with adequate throughput and high level of multiplexing. We will exploit recent advances in nanoparticle science combined with our own discoveries concerning rare earth ions as fluorescence activators. Our approach promises a combi ....Nanoparticle fluorescent labels as a platform for high throughput data gathering. Recent developments in genomics require gathering of vast amounts of information in a rapid and cost-effective fashion. To this aim we will develop a new fluorescent labelling technology with adequate throughput and high level of multiplexing. We will exploit recent advances in nanoparticle science combined with our own discoveries concerning rare earth ions as fluorescence activators. Our approach promises a combination of great technological simplicity, low fabrication costs, cutting edge performance and gives an additional time-resolved modality. Our fluorescent labels will be field-tested to search for yet unknown microorganisms.Read moreRead less
Development and Use of Ionic Liquids in Metal Recovery from Ores, Concentrates and Mattes. Ionic liquids, which are liquid over a wide temperature range and can dissolve a wide range of solutes to high concentrations, promise new and yet unexplored approaches in processing ores. We aim to prepare ionic liquids and apply these to increase the intensity of copper and gold sulfide processing, and to explore more efficient separation of platinum group metals from mattes. New oxidative leaching techn ....Development and Use of Ionic Liquids in Metal Recovery from Ores, Concentrates and Mattes. Ionic liquids, which are liquid over a wide temperature range and can dissolve a wide range of solutes to high concentrations, promise new and yet unexplored approaches in processing ores. We aim to prepare ionic liquids and apply these to increase the intensity of copper and gold sulfide processing, and to explore more efficient separation of platinum group metals from mattes. New oxidative leaching techniques will be developed to diminish ore passivation and enhance recovery; high current electrowinning of copper in ionic liquids will be probed. Evolving technology should yield economic and environmental benefits for a nationally important industry.Read moreRead less