Ceramic matrix nanocomposites. Using a novel process developed by the applicant, this project will create and study ceramic matrix nanocomposites of two types: (i) those in which the nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed in alumina and (ii) functionally-graded nanocomposites of controlled heterogeneity, that is, nanocomposites in which the nanoparticles are distributed heterogeneously in glass. Homogeneous nanocomposites of alumina are potentially of great importance to the mining industry ....Ceramic matrix nanocomposites. Using a novel process developed by the applicant, this project will create and study ceramic matrix nanocomposites of two types: (i) those in which the nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed in alumina and (ii) functionally-graded nanocomposites of controlled heterogeneity, that is, nanocomposites in which the nanoparticles are distributed heterogeneously in glass. Homogeneous nanocomposites of alumina are potentially of great importance to the mining industry as they can increase the toughness and wear resistance of mining components. Heterogeneous nanocomposities have the potential to revolutionise the dental restoration industry by combining greatly increased toughness with the aesthetic benefit of controllable translucency.Read moreRead less
Crack Propagation within Graded Interfaces. Functionally graded interfaces are a technologically new way of joining materials in a wide range of biomedical and industrial applications. The reduction in the interfacial stresses resulting from the graded interface increases the structural integrity of the component, however, existing models do not fully address issues of plasticity and cyclic fatigue to their fracture. The intention of this study is to investigate how modifications to the ductil ....Crack Propagation within Graded Interfaces. Functionally graded interfaces are a technologically new way of joining materials in a wide range of biomedical and industrial applications. The reduction in the interfacial stresses resulting from the graded interface increases the structural integrity of the component, however, existing models do not fully address issues of plasticity and cyclic fatigue to their fracture. The intention of this study is to investigate how modifications to the ductile reinforcement phase and how the cyclic loading influence crack extension within a graded interface. These results will assist in future design and prediction of the in-service lifetime of components containing gradient interfaces.Read moreRead less
Some Outstanding Mechanics Problems in Layered Ferroelectromagnetic Composites with Enhanced Magnetoelectric Effect. The proposed research has high impact on both science and technology of ferroelectromagnetic materials. The outcomes will expand Australia's knowledge base and research capability in this emerging field. Relevant industries, such as smart materials and devices, can benefit from the results of this project. The theoretical, experimental and numerical results can be directly transfo ....Some Outstanding Mechanics Problems in Layered Ferroelectromagnetic Composites with Enhanced Magnetoelectric Effect. The proposed research has high impact on both science and technology of ferroelectromagnetic materials. The outcomes will expand Australia's knowledge base and research capability in this emerging field. Relevant industries, such as smart materials and devices, can benefit from the results of this project. The theoretical, experimental and numerical results can be directly transformed to design and application guidelines for the materials engineers and scientists to develop innovative and structurally/functionally reliable ferroelectromagnetic composites and their various devices and products.Read moreRead less
Surface Polymorphism of Hard Brittle Materials. The knowledge gained from this project will be of great value in creating components of hard brittle materials with enhanced properties and expanded margins of application. The outcome will have impact on the ultra-precision manufacturing giving a competitive edge to the Australian fabrication industry. The fundamental knowledge gained from this project has the potential to facilitate the development of new devices and techniques such as those requ ....Surface Polymorphism of Hard Brittle Materials. The knowledge gained from this project will be of great value in creating components of hard brittle materials with enhanced properties and expanded margins of application. The outcome will have impact on the ultra-precision manufacturing giving a competitive edge to the Australian fabrication industry. The fundamental knowledge gained from this project has the potential to facilitate the development of new devices and techniques such as those required for bio-medical, photonic and electronic technologies.Read moreRead less
Engineering of Crystalline Ternary Ceramic Precursors. Ti3SiC2 belongs to a large group of ternary carbides that exhibit an unique combination of high temperature ceramic properties, with the electrical and thermal conductivity of metals. A great number of potential applications have been identified, but are currently limited by residual intermediate compounds, that degrade the properties. This project will use crystal structure similarities between TiCx and Ti3SiC2 to engineer a crystalline pre ....Engineering of Crystalline Ternary Ceramic Precursors. Ti3SiC2 belongs to a large group of ternary carbides that exhibit an unique combination of high temperature ceramic properties, with the electrical and thermal conductivity of metals. A great number of potential applications have been identified, but are currently limited by residual intermediate compounds, that degrade the properties. This project will use crystal structure similarities between TiCx and Ti3SiC2 to engineer a crystalline precursor, Ti3C2, which circumvents intermediate compound formation. This innovative methodology will also reduce the cost and time of fabrication. Advanced in-situ neutron diffraction techniques will be used to quantify the synthesis kinetics and optimize the method.Read moreRead less
Engineering quantum-size bioceramics: Photocatalytic / sonocatalytic ceria. This project aims to design and engineer photocatalytic ceria of systematically controlled grain sizes and morphologies, using doping methods to achieve pure and mixed quantum confinement (which enhances performance). The intended outcomes of the computation, fabrication, and validation approach are a fundamental knowledge of the processing-performance matrix and reproducible photocatalysts of optimised performance. Whil ....Engineering quantum-size bioceramics: Photocatalytic / sonocatalytic ceria. This project aims to design and engineer photocatalytic ceria of systematically controlled grain sizes and morphologies, using doping methods to achieve pure and mixed quantum confinement (which enhances performance). The intended outcomes of the computation, fabrication, and validation approach are a fundamental knowledge of the processing-performance matrix and reproducible photocatalysts of optimised performance. While these ceramics will be applied as bioceramics, which can be activated by ultraviolet light, X-rays and ultrasound, the benefits will be applicable in energy (solar cells, photoelectrodes) and the environment (air and water purification).Read moreRead less
Atomistic mechanisms of the mechanical behaviour of nanostructured silicon carbide films. Advanced silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics are leading candidates for applications in high-power, high-speed machining and high-temperature structural components. Superhardness and high ductility (or high fracture toughness), which have been realized in some nanostructured (ns) SiC films and nanowires, respectively, are desirable properties for many applications. This project aims to understand the mechanisms ....Atomistic mechanisms of the mechanical behaviour of nanostructured silicon carbide films. Advanced silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics are leading candidates for applications in high-power, high-speed machining and high-temperature structural components. Superhardness and high ductility (or high fracture toughness), which have been realized in some nanostructured (ns) SiC films and nanowires, respectively, are desirable properties for many applications. This project aims to understand the mechanisms behind the exceptional properties in ns SiC and to explore the possibility of realizing the two properties in the same ns SiC. The results obtained from this research will be very important for guiding the structural design of SiC with exceptional mechanical properties which will have a wide range of structural applications.Read moreRead less
Flotation separation of nanoparticles. This project deals with the separation of fine nanoparticles suspended in water, by attachment to small gas bubbles. It aims to find a way of removing nanoparticles from water, or of separating one species from another. The process could be used for simple solids such as metal oxides, and for biological materials such as large molecules, viruses and small bacteria. The work will be both theoretical and experimental. This ground-breaking project will build u ....Flotation separation of nanoparticles. This project deals with the separation of fine nanoparticles suspended in water, by attachment to small gas bubbles. It aims to find a way of removing nanoparticles from water, or of separating one species from another. The process could be used for simple solids such as metal oxides, and for biological materials such as large molecules, viruses and small bacteria. The work will be both theoretical and experimental. This ground-breaking project will build upon past successes of the applicant, whose invention in the field of resource recovery is contributing close to $1 billion a year to Australia's exports.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101103
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
Giant piezo responses in rare-earth doped eco-friendly relaxor perovskites. This project aims to design and fabricate superior eco-friendly substitutions for lead-based perovskites widely used in piezoelectric devices, to address the long-standing toxic concern of lead for human beings and the environment in the community. It is expected to surmount the fundamental limit of current approaches to reach giant room-temperature piezoelectric responses in lead-free perovskites through using a pioneer ....Giant piezo responses in rare-earth doped eco-friendly relaxor perovskites. This project aims to design and fabricate superior eco-friendly substitutions for lead-based perovskites widely used in piezoelectric devices, to address the long-standing toxic concern of lead for human beings and the environment in the community. It is expected to surmount the fundamental limit of current approaches to reach giant room-temperature piezoelectric responses in lead-free perovskites through using a pioneering route named rare-earth doped relaxor/morphotropic phase boundary crossover. Success of this project will not only meet the Australia’s ecological sustainability goals, but also provide commercial opportunities for Australia in the large market of piezoelectric devices (> 25 Billion USD annually).Read moreRead less
New dielectric materials: Improving storage density of high temperature multilayer ceramic capacitors to sustainably meet future energy demands. Electrical energy generation from renewable sources, such as solar, wind and geothermal, provide enormous potential for meeting future energy demands. However, the ability to store and control this energy for miniaturisation and modularisation in applications requiring a wide temperature usage range is a limiting factor that needs to be addressed. This ....New dielectric materials: Improving storage density of high temperature multilayer ceramic capacitors to sustainably meet future energy demands. Electrical energy generation from renewable sources, such as solar, wind and geothermal, provide enormous potential for meeting future energy demands. However, the ability to store and control this energy for miniaturisation and modularisation in applications requiring a wide temperature usage range is a limiting factor that needs to be addressed. This project aims to develop new bismuth-based lead-free dielectric materials for improving the storage density of high temperature multilayer ceramic capacitors for sustainable applications in the energy and vehicle industries, where high temperature stability and high volumetric efficiency are crucial.Read moreRead less