Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101105
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$423,856.00
Summary
Probing the nanomechanics of single grain boundary with decorated solutes. Grain boundaries (GBs) are thermodynamically susceptible to attract solutes to reduce system energy. Elaborately manipulating the GB nanostructure and chemistry via segregation can essentially be conducive, rather than detrimental, to materials performance. However, the underlying mechanism of GB segregation and its detailed effect on material properties remain elusive due to the GB complexities in the polycrystals. Throu ....Probing the nanomechanics of single grain boundary with decorated solutes. Grain boundaries (GBs) are thermodynamically susceptible to attract solutes to reduce system energy. Elaborately manipulating the GB nanostructure and chemistry via segregation can essentially be conducive, rather than detrimental, to materials performance. However, the underlying mechanism of GB segregation and its detailed effect on material properties remain elusive due to the GB complexities in the polycrystals. Through correlative in-situ nanomechanical testing and atom probe tomography, this project aims to unravel the rationale of segregation behaviour of individual GBs and its effectiveness to enhance the material performance, and hence enable nanostructural design of advanced metallic materials with unprecedented properties.Read moreRead less
Mitigating hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels. Hydrogen wreaks havoc in many alloys, leading to embrittlement that can cause catastrophic failure. This is a very serious issue for any industry in which structures are exposed to hydrogen and is a limiting factor for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen in a potential hydrogen economy. However, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen in alloys is restricted by the difficulty of observing it. In this project we will ob ....Mitigating hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels. Hydrogen wreaks havoc in many alloys, leading to embrittlement that can cause catastrophic failure. This is a very serious issue for any industry in which structures are exposed to hydrogen and is a limiting factor for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen in a potential hydrogen economy. However, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen in alloys is restricted by the difficulty of observing it. In this project we will obtain accurate 3D maps showing the position of hydrogen atoms in steel by combining deuteration with cryogenic atom probe microscopy. In this way we will will elucidate how a proposed solution, hydrogen trapping, reduces hydrogen embrittlement, contributing to design criteria for hydrogen-resistant steels.Read moreRead less
Cryo atom probe tomography: an atomic-scale view of life. This project aims to develop workflows that allow the microscopy technique of atom-probe tomography to be applied to specimens that have been cryogenically cooled during preparation. The project will open up this powerful method, which has made an enormous impact in materials science over the last few decades, to new disciplines such as chemistry and the life sciences. The new types of specimens that can be analysed include vitrified biol ....Cryo atom probe tomography: an atomic-scale view of life. This project aims to develop workflows that allow the microscopy technique of atom-probe tomography to be applied to specimens that have been cryogenically cooled during preparation. The project will open up this powerful method, which has made an enormous impact in materials science over the last few decades, to new disciplines such as chemistry and the life sciences. The new types of specimens that can be analysed include vitrified biological matter, liquids (solutions), surface molecules (ligands), and hydrogen. In the long term, this project has the potential to lead to radical new discoveries in fields such as health and medicine, chemical processing and agriculture.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100025
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$468,000.00
Summary
Electron microscopy facilities for in-situ materials characterisation. This project aims to significantly strengthen our national capability in high resolution in-situ transmission electron microscopy through the introduction of special in-situ specimen holders and an imaging detector. The project expects to advance knowledge critical for the design of advanced materials with outstanding properties. Expected outcomes of this project will provide critical support for thorough understanding of how ....Electron microscopy facilities for in-situ materials characterisation. This project aims to significantly strengthen our national capability in high resolution in-situ transmission electron microscopy through the introduction of special in-situ specimen holders and an imaging detector. The project expects to advance knowledge critical for the design of advanced materials with outstanding properties. Expected outcomes of this project will provide critical support for thorough understanding of how the microstructures of materials affect their mechanical, thermal, electrical, and magnetic properties and will facilitate strategic collaborations among Australian scientists. This should promote Australia’s global leadership in materials research and advanced manufacturing.Read moreRead less
A Self-Repairing Entropy-Stabilized Oxide as a Protective Coating. All biological organisms, from plants to living creatures, can heal minor wounds and damages. Based on the recent breakthrough by the CI’s team, this project aims to design and develop a new oxide containing multiple elements in a form of (AlCoCrCu0.5FeNi)3O4 that can resist damages through a self-repairing mechanism. Fabricated by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering, this extraordinary self-repairing phenomenon makes this ....A Self-Repairing Entropy-Stabilized Oxide as a Protective Coating. All biological organisms, from plants to living creatures, can heal minor wounds and damages. Based on the recent breakthrough by the CI’s team, this project aims to design and develop a new oxide containing multiple elements in a form of (AlCoCrCu0.5FeNi)3O4 that can resist damages through a self-repairing mechanism. Fabricated by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering, this extraordinary self-repairing phenomenon makes this new material highly desirable as a coating to protect structures and machinery working in hash conditions. Therefore, it has broad applications in space technologies, nuclear power facilities and aerospace industry, as well as in shipbuilding industry. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100527
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
Novel high-performance copper-based materials via additive manufacturing. This project aims to develop novel high-performance copper-based materials produced by additive manufacturing for the electrification revolution, which will provide significantly higher mechanical performance, superior electrical and thermal properties and enable flexible complex shape options. Atomic-scale microstructural analysis using advanced microscopy techniques will reveal profound new insights into the process-stru ....Novel high-performance copper-based materials via additive manufacturing. This project aims to develop novel high-performance copper-based materials produced by additive manufacturing for the electrification revolution, which will provide significantly higher mechanical performance, superior electrical and thermal properties and enable flexible complex shape options. Atomic-scale microstructural analysis using advanced microscopy techniques will reveal profound new insights into the process-structure-property relationship. Expected outcomes include new understandings of the fundamental physics of new functional materials, eco-friendly products, and an ability to facilitate the increasingly widespread use of the copper-based materials for renewable electricity towards a more sustainable society and economy.Read moreRead less
Aberration-corrected atom probe tomography for materials engineering. Observing atomic-scale structure (AS) is key to unlocking advanced materials science and engineering (MSE).
Aims: We aim to (1) develop software that will enable the accurate observation of atoms in a material, and (2) apply this new software to additive manufactured alloys and quantum computing materials.
Significance: We expect to complete aberration-corrected atom probe tomography capability for the first time international ....Aberration-corrected atom probe tomography for materials engineering. Observing atomic-scale structure (AS) is key to unlocking advanced materials science and engineering (MSE).
Aims: We aim to (1) develop software that will enable the accurate observation of atoms in a material, and (2) apply this new software to additive manufactured alloys and quantum computing materials.
Significance: We expect to complete aberration-corrected atom probe tomography capability for the first time internationally. We intend to gain better insights into some longstanding questions in MSE that can only be answered by accurately observing AS.
Benefits: By making the outcomes commercially available, we aspire to improve consistency in the quality of products, and increased yield, that result from manufacturing processes.Read moreRead less