New Transparent Polymer Nanocomposite Coatings Using Multireactive Inorganic Cages. New polymeric nanocomposite coatings are proposed with enhanced abrasion resistance, toughness and optical functionality, suitable for the coating of optical plastic substrates. These composites contain inorganic cages, dispersed and chemically-coupled within the crosslinked organic matrix. In addition to good mechanical behaviour, high value properties such as colorisation on exposure to light and resistance to ....New Transparent Polymer Nanocomposite Coatings Using Multireactive Inorganic Cages. New polymeric nanocomposite coatings are proposed with enhanced abrasion resistance, toughness and optical functionality, suitable for the coating of optical plastic substrates. These composites contain inorganic cages, dispersed and chemically-coupled within the crosslinked organic matrix. In addition to good mechanical behaviour, high value properties such as colorisation on exposure to light and resistance to damage from high energy lasers will be achieved by attachment to the cages of chemical units with optical activity. These cages are of nanometre size and an important aspect of the project involves probing the resultant structure at the molecular level, using advanced characterisation techniques.Read moreRead less
Switchable interfaces. The discovery project will challenge some of the most demanding issues regarding adhesion and molecular separation: - Surfaces that can release/prevent bio-film formation can provide novel solutions for corrosion-protection, implants, anti-fouling in medical devices as well as in industrial piping and reactors. - Materials for separation on the molecular level, which can bring new possibilities for fast and selective processes to the pharmaceutical industry. The novel comb ....Switchable interfaces. The discovery project will challenge some of the most demanding issues regarding adhesion and molecular separation: - Surfaces that can release/prevent bio-film formation can provide novel solutions for corrosion-protection, implants, anti-fouling in medical devices as well as in industrial piping and reactors. - Materials for separation on the molecular level, which can bring new possibilities for fast and selective processes to the pharmaceutical industry. The novel combination of the two materials research fields - plasma-polymerisation and electroactive materials- will lead to an international capability at the forefront of separation and adhesion research.Read moreRead less
Nano-scale Modification of Paint Surfaces for Contamination Resistance. The main aim of this work is to develop a process to produce a dirt resistant paint surface. Dirt resistance is an important characteristic of prepainted steel sheets often used in architectural situations where dirt build-up is unsightly. To develop the process it will be necessary to understand the mechanism of dirt adhesion to paints and the modes of operation of current dirt resistant processes. In addition work will be ....Nano-scale Modification of Paint Surfaces for Contamination Resistance. The main aim of this work is to develop a process to produce a dirt resistant paint surface. Dirt resistance is an important characteristic of prepainted steel sheets often used in architectural situations where dirt build-up is unsightly. To develop the process it will be necessary to understand the mechanism of dirt adhesion to paints and the modes of operation of current dirt resistant processes. In addition work will be required on the rate of surface segregation of additives to the paint solution. We propose to combine experimental and theoretical modelling approaches to obtain a fundamentally sound practical solution.Read moreRead less
Nanoporous Epoxy Thermosets via Microphase Separation of Block Copolymers. This project has many expected outcomes and benefits to Australia: (1) Development of the first technology to produce nanoporous epoxy thermosets (i.e. epoxy nanofoams) that may have many applications in microelectronics, optical waveguides and biological separations; (2) Providing impetus for an advanced materials synthesis and manufacturing industry for Australia and contributing to the Frontier Technologies National Re ....Nanoporous Epoxy Thermosets via Microphase Separation of Block Copolymers. This project has many expected outcomes and benefits to Australia: (1) Development of the first technology to produce nanoporous epoxy thermosets (i.e. epoxy nanofoams) that may have many applications in microelectronics, optical waveguides and biological separations; (2) Providing impetus for an advanced materials synthesis and manufacturing industry for Australia and contributing to the Frontier Technologies National Research Priority-Advanced Materials Priority Goals; (3) The development of new niche markets with these new materials and the new technologies, which is an excellent vehicle for Australia to move to a high-value added industrial portfolio that maximises return and promotes job growth.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775684
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$230,000.00
Summary
The polymer pharmaceutical/drug characterization and processing facility. The Australian population is ageing, and this is leading to ever increasing burdens upon our health system. In addition new understanding of disease states has lead to a demand for improved materials for drug delivery and for tissue regeneration. This proposal will lead to novel biomaterials designed to meet these demands. Polymers are seen as essential elements for construction of such biomedical devices due to the myriad ....The polymer pharmaceutical/drug characterization and processing facility. The Australian population is ageing, and this is leading to ever increasing burdens upon our health system. In addition new understanding of disease states has lead to a demand for improved materials for drug delivery and for tissue regeneration. This proposal will lead to novel biomaterials designed to meet these demands. Polymers are seen as essential elements for construction of such biomedical devices due to the myriad forms in which they can be made, and the large number of different materials to choose from. This proposal will lead to the formation of the PolyPharma network which will produce polymeric biomaterials to benefit our health industries.Read moreRead less
The Synthesis and Evaluation of White Nano Particles that Reinforce the Mechanical Properties of Elastomers. This project will introduce admicellar polymerization technique to produce a bound polymer layer on the surface of fillers used for reinforcement of elastomers. The novel approach in this project will provide advanced material with excellent mechanical properties. Such composites can be used in various high performance elastomer applications such as rubber for tyres in automotive vehicles ....The Synthesis and Evaluation of White Nano Particles that Reinforce the Mechanical Properties of Elastomers. This project will introduce admicellar polymerization technique to produce a bound polymer layer on the surface of fillers used for reinforcement of elastomers. The novel approach in this project will provide advanced material with excellent mechanical properties. Such composites can be used in various high performance elastomer applications such as rubber for tyres in automotive vehicles. Products based on this new technology will produce significantly improved properties. The development of this new technology will not only advance polymer science, it will also provide great opportunities for new elastomer applications in a number of industries.Read moreRead less
Characterization of star nanogels by advanced transmission electron microscopy. This project will provide an excellent opportunity to combine research expertise from The Polymer Science Group at The University of Melbourne and The Polymer Morphology Group at North Carolina State University (NCSU) to develop and characterize novel star nanogels with unique macromolecular architectures. The success of the project will reveal the absolute structures of these molecules and the proposed studies are b ....Characterization of star nanogels by advanced transmission electron microscopy. This project will provide an excellent opportunity to combine research expertise from The Polymer Science Group at The University of Melbourne and The Polymer Morphology Group at North Carolina State University (NCSU) to develop and characterize novel star nanogels with unique macromolecular architectures. The success of the project will reveal the absolute structures of these molecules and the proposed studies are both intellectually challenging in the cutting-edge of leading research in the field and important to provide vital information for the design of new structures of these new materials for their application in many areas, such as drug delivery, new membrane formation, advance high density memory chips and possibly the next generation of automotive coating.Read moreRead less
Novel network polymers with photoinduced plasticity. The production of crosslinked polymers (thermosets and rubbers) is a multi-billion dollar industry and these polymers are irreplaceable in their use in numerous applications in the household goods, medical, electronics, automotive and construction industries. However, they shrink during solidification causing internal stresses which weaken them and they can not be reshaped, repaired or recycled. This study will develop a novel range of cros ....Novel network polymers with photoinduced plasticity. The production of crosslinked polymers (thermosets and rubbers) is a multi-billion dollar industry and these polymers are irreplaceable in their use in numerous applications in the household goods, medical, electronics, automotive and construction industries. However, they shrink during solidification causing internal stresses which weaken them and they can not be reshaped, repaired or recycled. This study will develop a novel range of crosslinkable polymers which can change shape on irradiation by light (or by heating) for use in applications ranging from repairable composites, stress-free lens, non-shrinking dental filling materials and light-sensitive actuators which will have significant benefit to industry.Read moreRead less
High efficiency photoinitiators for novel photopolymerization processes. The radiation curing industry is worth several billion dollars world-wide with an Australian market of ca. $100 million and an even greater market in the Asian region. One of the main factors controlling the expansion of this industry is the development of new photoinitiator systems with improved performance. This project aims to combine the skills of three leading scientists in the photocuring field to develop more efficie ....High efficiency photoinitiators for novel photopolymerization processes. The radiation curing industry is worth several billion dollars world-wide with an Australian market of ca. $100 million and an even greater market in the Asian region. One of the main factors controlling the expansion of this industry is the development of new photoinitiator systems with improved performance. This project aims to combine the skills of three leading scientists in the photocuring field to develop more efficient, environmentally-friendly systems by controlling the initiation and polymerization mechanisms in (meth)acrylate, cyclic ether, cyanate and vinyl ethers. This should benefit local manufacturers exporting into the printing, adhesive, dental, lithography, composite industries and to the photopolymer industry generally.Read moreRead less
Organic Optoelectronic Materials: Next Generation Semiconductors. Designed conjugated organic and polymeric materials will be prepared and evaluated as the active layer in optoelectronic devices, particularly light emitting displays (LEDs), field effect transistors (FETs) and solar cells. Improved materials with stable blue emission will be developed. Advanced organometallic conjugated polymers will harness the lost triplet energy as phosphorescence in LEDs and so raise potential device effici ....Organic Optoelectronic Materials: Next Generation Semiconductors. Designed conjugated organic and polymeric materials will be prepared and evaluated as the active layer in optoelectronic devices, particularly light emitting displays (LEDs), field effect transistors (FETs) and solar cells. Improved materials with stable blue emission will be developed. Advanced organometallic conjugated polymers will harness the lost triplet energy as phosphorescence in LEDs and so raise potential device efficiency in the vicinity of 100%. Active layer materials in FETs will have improved supramolecular order and processibility to improve charge mobility, while the photovoltaic materials will be developed to show non-dispersive hole transport properties. The patterned deposition of materials for plastic electronics will be developed using a revolutionary deposition technique involving supercritical carbon dioxide.Read moreRead less