Fatigue in Lead-free Piezoceramics. This project aims are to achieve a fundamental understanding of the fatigue behaviour of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics which achieve high strain through phase transformations and then ascertain the effects of this behaviour on material degradation rates. The expected outcomes will facilitate replacement of toxic lead in commodity electronics. The focus will be on new lead-free bismuth-alkali-based piezoelectric ceramic systems which demonstrate exciting pot ....Fatigue in Lead-free Piezoceramics. This project aims are to achieve a fundamental understanding of the fatigue behaviour of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics which achieve high strain through phase transformations and then ascertain the effects of this behaviour on material degradation rates. The expected outcomes will facilitate replacement of toxic lead in commodity electronics. The focus will be on new lead-free bismuth-alkali-based piezoelectric ceramic systems which demonstrate exciting potential as alternate materials to lead zirconate titanate (PZT) materials. Successful optimisation of the materials' design and knowledge of their degradation rates are expected to facilitate their commercialisation through a profound reduction in the environmental challenges associated with manufacture and disposal of devices.Read moreRead less
An energetic approach to characterise fracture of soft matter by cutting. Cutting of soft materials is a common daily life experience (e.g. slicing of meat and cheese) and an essential operation in many industries, healthcare (e.g. surgery) and manufacturing (e.g. paint removal) among them. By measuring the cutting forces of the tool and examining the deformation mechanisms of the work-piece, this project aims to put the cutting process on a strong scientific and technological footing. It provid ....An energetic approach to characterise fracture of soft matter by cutting. Cutting of soft materials is a common daily life experience (e.g. slicing of meat and cheese) and an essential operation in many industries, healthcare (e.g. surgery) and manufacturing (e.g. paint removal) among them. By measuring the cutting forces of the tool and examining the deformation mechanisms of the work-piece, this project aims to put the cutting process on a strong scientific and technological footing. It provides an ingenious method to measure the fracture energy, i.e. specific resistance to cracking, of plastics, bulk and thin film polymer nanocomposites at different cut-depths. New knowledge gained from the project is expected to improve tool design and optimise cutting conditions to increase the cutting process efficiency.Read moreRead less
Aligning and Chaining Carbon Nanofillers in Fibre Composites: Synergistically Improving Damage Tolerance and Diagnosis. Recent studies reveal that alternating electric or magnetic fields can rotate conductive nanofillers in polymers. This project aims to advance a new concept of aligning nano-scale reinforcements (for example, graphene nano-sheets and carbon nanofibres) along the thickness direction of composite materials. The alignment of nano-sized reinforcement will address the perennial prob ....Aligning and Chaining Carbon Nanofillers in Fibre Composites: Synergistically Improving Damage Tolerance and Diagnosis. Recent studies reveal that alternating electric or magnetic fields can rotate conductive nanofillers in polymers. This project aims to advance a new concept of aligning nano-scale reinforcements (for example, graphene nano-sheets and carbon nanofibres) along the thickness direction of composite materials. The alignment of nano-sized reinforcement will address the perennial problem of through-thickness weaknesses of fibre-reinforced composites and, at the same time, improve the electrical conductivity of composites. The synergistic improvements in the mechanical and electrical properties will improve damage tolerance and diagnosis of composites, thus expanding their applications in transport and civil construction to help reduce carbon dioxide emission.Read moreRead less
Development of hierarchical carbon nanotube-glass fibre composites. Development of hierarchical carbon nanotube-glass fibre composites. This project aims to develop a new generation of hierarchical carbon nanotube-glass fibre reinforced composites, using a novel synthesis method that grafts carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto glass fibre and glass fabric. These hierarchical nano- and micro-fibre composites will have improved in-plane mechanical properties, enhanced fracture toughness and higher electri ....Development of hierarchical carbon nanotube-glass fibre composites. Development of hierarchical carbon nanotube-glass fibre composites. This project aims to develop a new generation of hierarchical carbon nanotube-glass fibre reinforced composites, using a novel synthesis method that grafts carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto glass fibre and glass fabric. These hierarchical nano- and micro-fibre composites will have improved in-plane mechanical properties, enhanced fracture toughness and higher electric conductivity. This project will use a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study to develop design tools for producing this new generation of composites. The anticipated outcome is lighter and stronger glass fibre composite structures, such as wind turbines in the renewable wind energy industry and boats in the marine industry.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
Enhanced sensitivity of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Enhanced sensitivity of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. This project aims to enhance the sensitivity of nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nanoESI-MS) by an order of magnitude by simultaneously overcoming the two interdependent limitations in ion generation and transmission efficiency. This project will design glass capillaries and tubes with complex structures to enable both multiplexing ion generation fr ....Enhanced sensitivity of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Enhanced sensitivity of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. This project aims to enhance the sensitivity of nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nanoESI-MS) by an order of magnitude by simultaneously overcoming the two interdependent limitations in ion generation and transmission efficiency. This project will design glass capillaries and tubes with complex structures to enable both multiplexing ion generation from a single capillary and geometrically matching the bore of the tube collecting the emitted ion plume. NanoESI-MS has become an indispensable analytical tool for proteomics and synthetic chemistry. The significant enhancement of nanoESI-MS sensitivity in this project is expected to accelerate progress in disease research, biomarker discovery and drug development.Read moreRead less
Novel nanostructured alloy membranes for hydrogen permeation: Advanced materials technology for renewable energy. Hydrogen purification by alloy membranes is a key technology in maintaining the greenhouse gas emission low while using the fossil fuels including coal for energy generation. However, the alloys currently available for the membrane separation are mostly based on a costly precious metal palladium, making the application of the technology limited. The proposed non-equilibrium material ....Novel nanostructured alloy membranes for hydrogen permeation: Advanced materials technology for renewable energy. Hydrogen purification by alloy membranes is a key technology in maintaining the greenhouse gas emission low while using the fossil fuels including coal for energy generation. However, the alloys currently available for the membrane separation are mostly based on a costly precious metal palladium, making the application of the technology limited. The proposed non-equilibrium material processing will enable us to fabricate novel nanocomposite niobium-based alloys to which excellent hydrogen permeation characteristics are expected with high economic viability. Successful development of the proposed alloys could enhance the competitiveness of the Australian coal industry worldwide.Read moreRead less
A Novel Approach to Determine Permeability for Cost-Effective Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Matrix Composites. The permeability (resistance of a porous rigid body to a permeating fluid) is an essential parameter for predicting impregnation quality in processing of thermoplastic composite materials. No reliable method exists yet to estimate permeabilities without time-consuming and cost intensive experiments. The aim of the proposed research project is to obtain a basic knowledge in determining ....A Novel Approach to Determine Permeability for Cost-Effective Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Matrix Composites. The permeability (resistance of a porous rigid body to a permeating fluid) is an essential parameter for predicting impregnation quality in processing of thermoplastic composite materials. No reliable method exists yet to estimate permeabilities without time-consuming and cost intensive experiments. The aim of the proposed research project is to obtain a basic knowledge in determining permeabilities of fibre architectures by taking into account their stochastic properties. An innovative approach, based on characterisations of meso-structures of fibre network and simulation of computational fluid dynamics, will be developed to accurately determine permeabilities. The outcome will enable more cost-effective manufacturing of thermoplastic matrix composites.Read moreRead less
Toughening thermosets by highly ordered nanostructures. This research will develop a new technology to manufacture a class of novel ordered nanostructured thermosets. The outcome of this project will enable many existing and new engineering applications in the transportation, construction and microelectronics industries in Australia.
Development of advanced ceramic membranes: a robust solution to sustainable water treatment. Australia is one of the driest nations on Earth. While available fresh water supplies dwindle, options to treat 'used' water for reuse are gaining rapid popularity. Membranes are now state-of-the-art for water treatment, including all new desalination plants, but as they are polymeric based, they must be routinely cleaned with chemicals and replaced. The outcomes of this research will demonstrate innovat ....Development of advanced ceramic membranes: a robust solution to sustainable water treatment. Australia is one of the driest nations on Earth. While available fresh water supplies dwindle, options to treat 'used' water for reuse are gaining rapid popularity. Membranes are now state-of-the-art for water treatment, including all new desalination plants, but as they are polymeric based, they must be routinely cleaned with chemicals and replaced. The outcomes of this research will demonstrate innovative functional ceramic membranes which last longer and have lower requirement for cleaning chemicals and expert maintenance. This, in turn, will deliver water at lower cost and reduced environmental burden (chemical and membrane disposal), giving industry more sustainable solutions to treat water, which has now become an essential practice in society.Read moreRead less