Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560705
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$825,000.00
Summary
Advanced Deformation Simulation Laboratory. For Australia to maintain its position as a world leader in the science of metals processing it must have the capability for state-of-the-art physical simulation. The present proposal is for the purchase and installation of two leading edge simulation tools: a high rate/short inter-pass hot deformation simulator and a hot equal channel angular extrusion press. Advanced hot deformation simulation is required for the development and optimisation of "fast ....Advanced Deformation Simulation Laboratory. For Australia to maintain its position as a world leader in the science of metals processing it must have the capability for state-of-the-art physical simulation. The present proposal is for the purchase and installation of two leading edge simulation tools: a high rate/short inter-pass hot deformation simulator and a hot equal channel angular extrusion press. Advanced hot deformation simulation is required for the development and optimisation of "fast" industrial processes and for understanding the complex microstructural reactions associated with them. High temperature extrusion is required for the development of ultra-fine and nano-grained light metals.Read moreRead less
Development of a New Type of Large-Area Robust Superhydrophobic Surfaces (MWN). Electrochemical manipulation will be used to produce robust metal surfaces of controlled roughness and characteristic size of the surface features in the 10-1000 nanometre range. Subsequent surface modification (e.g. self-assembled monolayers, silane chemisorption, plasma polymer deposition) will render these surfaces superhydrophobic. The surfaces will have highly depressed adhesion properties and hence a significan ....Development of a New Type of Large-Area Robust Superhydrophobic Surfaces (MWN). Electrochemical manipulation will be used to produce robust metal surfaces of controlled roughness and characteristic size of the surface features in the 10-1000 nanometre range. Subsequent surface modification (e.g. self-assembled monolayers, silane chemisorption, plasma polymer deposition) will render these surfaces superhydrophobic. The surfaces will have highly depressed adhesion properties and hence a significantly improved chemical resistance and corrosion stability. A viable procedure for the making of polymer imprints from the metal surfaces will be developed. This will form the basis of a new method for cheap fabrication of various superhydrophobic surfaces with large areas and specific functionality.Read moreRead less
Nanolayer Degradation Deposits on Cold Rolled Steel Strip: The Influence of Rolling Oil Emulsions in Sequential Oxidative and Reductive Environments. Cold rolled steel strip, produced by BHP Steel, is a precursor material for production of internationally recognised Australian products ZINCALUMER Steel and COLORBONDR Steel. Lubricating oils supplied by Quaker Chemical are used during the cold rolling process. When exposed to the direct fired annealing process, nanolayer surface residues can de ....Nanolayer Degradation Deposits on Cold Rolled Steel Strip: The Influence of Rolling Oil Emulsions in Sequential Oxidative and Reductive Environments. Cold rolled steel strip, produced by BHP Steel, is a precursor material for production of internationally recognised Australian products ZINCALUMER Steel and COLORBONDR Steel. Lubricating oils supplied by Quaker Chemical are used during the cold rolling process. When exposed to the direct fired annealing process, nanolayer surface residues can develop from rolling oil films and adversely affect subsequent steel surface wetting by the molten zinc alloy. This collaborative research project will investigate the fundamental nature of nanolayer residue formation, using advanced thermal and surface analysis techniques, with the aim of determining the factors influencing residue formation and reducing their impact.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346888
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$288,000.00
Summary
3-D Optical Surface Profiler. Establishing a state-of-the-science 3-D optical surface profiler will enable macroscopic, microscopic and nanoscopic profiling of surfaces over a very broad range of research programs including, laser cleaning and surface modification, laser precision microfabrication, surface, materials and device characterisation and optical physics applications. The importance and significance of these projects has already been established by the projects having competitive fundi ....3-D Optical Surface Profiler. Establishing a state-of-the-science 3-D optical surface profiler will enable macroscopic, microscopic and nanoscopic profiling of surfaces over a very broad range of research programs including, laser cleaning and surface modification, laser precision microfabrication, surface, materials and device characterisation and optical physics applications. The importance and significance of these projects has already been established by the projects having competitive funding. The instrument will undoubtedly support many additional research programs. It is similar to an Atomic-Force-Microscope or stylus profilometer but has significant additional capabilites. These include profiling much larger areas at sub-nanometre resolution and the non-contact nature of the technique. These features will enable surface characterisation that can not be achieved by other means.Read moreRead less
Advanced Intramedullary Nailing Systems. The proposed project is aimed at developing advanced orthopaedic implants (intramedullary nails and associated locking screws) commonly used for bone fracture repair. These new generation metallic implants will be developed using a comprehensive research approach centred on physico-chemical and mechanical properties investigations. A new generation of intramedullary nailing systems with superior design and mechanical properties (small diameter and high st ....Advanced Intramedullary Nailing Systems. The proposed project is aimed at developing advanced orthopaedic implants (intramedullary nails and associated locking screws) commonly used for bone fracture repair. These new generation metallic implants will be developed using a comprehensive research approach centred on physico-chemical and mechanical properties investigations. A new generation of intramedullary nailing systems with superior design and mechanical properties (small diameter and high strength) and improved bone fixation is the key expected outcome. The knowledge generated in the project is expected to lead to the growth of the Industry Partner (Austofix). Training of a world class researcher in the multidisciplinary field of biomaterials will be an additional outcome.Read moreRead less
Cluster hardening of metastable steel alloys produced by thin strip casting. The goal of this project is to generate sufficient knowledge to apply strip casting to a wider range of steel grades and reduce the global energy cost of steel sheet production. Over 1 billion tonnes of steel is produced every year. Direct strip casting is an emerging green technology that reduces the energy required to process liquid steel into thin sheet product by up to 90 per cent. This study plans to use advanced a ....Cluster hardening of metastable steel alloys produced by thin strip casting. The goal of this project is to generate sufficient knowledge to apply strip casting to a wider range of steel grades and reduce the global energy cost of steel sheet production. Over 1 billion tonnes of steel is produced every year. Direct strip casting is an emerging green technology that reduces the energy required to process liquid steel into thin sheet product by up to 90 per cent. This study plans to use advanced atomic-scale characterisation techniques such as atom probe tomography and high-resolution electron microscopy to understand the non-equilibrium microstructures that develop as a result of the extremely rapid cooling rates experienced during strip casting.Read moreRead less
New-generation low-fouling coatings for membrane and metal surfaces for dairy processes. This project will create new coatings that provide high levels of resistance to membrane and metal surfaces fouling in the dairy industry. The project will enable the implementation of a family of readily applicable low-fouling membrane coatings that will significantly reduce operational costs.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668504
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$648,000.00
Summary
Real-time Observation of Thermal and Mechanical Response at the Nano Level. The requested facility is an electron microscope dedicated to observing, in real-time, the nano-scale mechanisms that control the response of materials to stress and temperature. The insight provided by this facility is needed for the development of the next generation of materials, particularly "nano" materials based on particles, fibres, whiskers, nano-tubes, thin films and other micro-formed parts. These materials wil ....Real-time Observation of Thermal and Mechanical Response at the Nano Level. The requested facility is an electron microscope dedicated to observing, in real-time, the nano-scale mechanisms that control the response of materials to stress and temperature. The insight provided by this facility is needed for the development of the next generation of materials, particularly "nano" materials based on particles, fibres, whiskers, nano-tubes, thin films and other micro-formed parts. These materials will underpin the next generation of technological advances and new applications such as nano-machines. The facility will also be used to train the future scientists who will develop these exciting new technologies.Read moreRead less
Monitoring, Calibration and Control of a Micro Assembly Process with Machine Vision Systems. A machine vision system will be developed and applied to monitor, calibrate, and control a novel surgical product assembly process of microscale. The machine vision system will benchmark the volumetric information of the needles, calibrate the position of the components, and control the assembly procedures. The successful implementation of the system will assist the production of finer surgical product ....Monitoring, Calibration and Control of a Micro Assembly Process with Machine Vision Systems. A machine vision system will be developed and applied to monitor, calibrate, and control a novel surgical product assembly process of microscale. The machine vision system will benchmark the volumetric information of the needles, calibrate the position of the components, and control the assembly procedures. The successful implementation of the system will assist the production of finer surgical products.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238096
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
Upgrade of Advanced Materials: Processing, Rheology and Thermal Analysis Facility. Material use is fundamental to all manufacturing operations. The proposed equipment extends the existing capability to explore and characterise the nanomaterials. The smart application of these techniques will significantly enhance manufacturing efficiency, and improve product quality and reliability. The unique national facility proposed in this application will cover primarily advanced material processing, ch ....Upgrade of Advanced Materials: Processing, Rheology and Thermal Analysis Facility. Material use is fundamental to all manufacturing operations. The proposed equipment extends the existing capability to explore and characterise the nanomaterials. The smart application of these techniques will significantly enhance manufacturing efficiency, and improve product quality and reliability. The unique national facility proposed in this application will cover primarily advanced material processing, characterisation and completes the analysis capability of what is Australia's foremost material, surface and thermal analysis laboratory. Many new materials require specific processing and analysis methods, which ultimately determines the materials performance. The fully integrated facility will foster substantial industrial collaboration through research activities of truly international standard.
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