Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0347346
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$210,000.00
Summary
Electrochemical Atomic Force Microscope and Nano-Manipulation Facility. This new Facility will add the nano-dimension to the excellent electrochemical mapping facility established at the University of Wollongong over the past 2 years. The instrument we propose to install will allow us to probe electrochemical events and, in particular, the influence of these events on the structure of customised materials at the nano level. This new capability will impact on our research into the development o ....Electrochemical Atomic Force Microscope and Nano-Manipulation Facility. This new Facility will add the nano-dimension to the excellent electrochemical mapping facility established at the University of Wollongong over the past 2 years. The instrument we propose to install will allow us to probe electrochemical events and, in particular, the influence of these events on the structure of customised materials at the nano level. This new capability will impact on our research into the development of efficient artificial muscles, biosensors, corrosion protection coatings, polymeric photovoltaics and new surfaces for mammalian cell culturing.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453637
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$256,804.00
Summary
Multi-dimensional polymer characterization facility. The microstructure of polymers dominates their physical properties. This integrated facility will create a world-leading means of characterizing in multiple dimensions the microstructure of complex polymers, eg copolymers and branched polymers. The facility will yield information on the distributions of chain end-groups, monomer microstructure, and branches, as functions of molecular weight. The facility will provide otherwise unobtainable dat ....Multi-dimensional polymer characterization facility. The microstructure of polymers dominates their physical properties. This integrated facility will create a world-leading means of characterizing in multiple dimensions the microstructure of complex polymers, eg copolymers and branched polymers. The facility will yield information on the distributions of chain end-groups, monomer microstructure, and branches, as functions of molecular weight. The facility will provide otherwise unobtainable data for a set of projects exploring questions ranging from how new synthetic materials with tailor-made properties can be created, through to how our understanding of natural polymers can be advanced to improve crop utilization.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560981
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,940.00
Summary
Confronting the Challenges in Modern Spectroscopy of Polymers. Polymers and nanocomposites are increasingly being used in new, high value applications as diverse as medicine, structural engineering, optics and electronics. In order to control and understand polymer performance, a detailed knowledge of the chemical structure at all stages in their lifecycle is required - in the liquid, rubber and solid states and during degradation. This application seeks to establish a coordinated Polymer Spectr ....Confronting the Challenges in Modern Spectroscopy of Polymers. Polymers and nanocomposites are increasingly being used in new, high value applications as diverse as medicine, structural engineering, optics and electronics. In order to control and understand polymer performance, a detailed knowledge of the chemical structure at all stages in their lifecycle is required - in the liquid, rubber and solid states and during degradation. This application seeks to establish a coordinated Polymer Spectroscopy Network using new forms of infrared and NMR spectroscopy to probe samples (usually of an non-planar geometry) in a range of configurations. These will be used simultaneously with other techniques such as rheology or thermogravimetry, and will produce capabilities unique in Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0211003
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$125,000.00
Summary
A Facility for Probing Nanostructure in Polymers. The properties of a polymer are only partly determined by its molecular structure. It is now clear that the organization of molecular structure and phase morphology on a nano-scale has an equally important role in determining material behaviour. Increasingly this can be manipulated by judicious choice of formulation and processing variables. The polymer Nano-Structure Facility will bring together Australia's principal polymer experts in this a ....A Facility for Probing Nanostructure in Polymers. The properties of a polymer are only partly determined by its molecular structure. It is now clear that the organization of molecular structure and phase morphology on a nano-scale has an equally important role in determining material behaviour. Increasingly this can be manipulated by judicious choice of formulation and processing variables. The polymer Nano-Structure Facility will bring together Australia's principal polymer experts in this area of structure-property relations and provide them with shared access to the appropriate, modern analytical tools required to probe the nano-structure of such new materials with enhanced properties.Read moreRead less
Graft copolymers from starch and synthetic monomers. Polymer dispersions, manufactured as latexes in large quantities in Australia and elsewhere, have myriad applications, such as in adhesives, bitumen modifiers, paints and paper coatings. This project will create the enabling science to replace by starch the current synthetic products used to stop these dispersions from coagulating. This will create new uses for renewable resources and will reduce environmental insult by avoiding the leaching o ....Graft copolymers from starch and synthetic monomers. Polymer dispersions, manufactured as latexes in large quantities in Australia and elsewhere, have myriad applications, such as in adhesives, bitumen modifiers, paints and paper coatings. This project will create the enabling science to replace by starch the current synthetic products used to stop these dispersions from coagulating. This will create new uses for renewable resources and will reduce environmental insult by avoiding the leaching of biologically incompatible chemicals. By using starch from crops suited for Australia's arid climate, the new technology will reduce both our dependence on imported products and our greenhouse gas emissions.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of nanocomposite polymers with targeted properties. This project aims to synthesise novel nanocomposite polymers by living radical polymerisation in water and to understand the way polymer microstructure and nanomorphology control material properties. This will provide the enabling science so that nanomaterials with targeted properties can be tailor-made for biomedical and speciality-coatings applications, and thus dispense with the current trial-and-error methodology. The innovations ....Synthesis of nanocomposite polymers with targeted properties. This project aims to synthesise novel nanocomposite polymers by living radical polymerisation in water and to understand the way polymer microstructure and nanomorphology control material properties. This will provide the enabling science so that nanomaterials with targeted properties can be tailor-made for biomedical and speciality-coatings applications, and thus dispense with the current trial-and-error methodology. The innovations in this project are the novel synthesis of complex polymer architectures in water, and the first quantitative and qualitative structure-property correlations for such materials. This will also result in a deepened understanding of the mechanisms governing the formation of these nanocomposites.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668517
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$220,000.00
Summary
Hyphenated techniques in polymer science and engineering. The collaborator's research capabilities will be greatly enhanced because the equipment will allow simultaneous measurements of various properties which can provide much more information than sequential experiments. Students will be able to undertake research with state-of-the-art equipment which will enhance their research careers and employment prospects. The resulting information will be invaluable to the development of polymer blends ....Hyphenated techniques in polymer science and engineering. The collaborator's research capabilities will be greatly enhanced because the equipment will allow simultaneous measurements of various properties which can provide much more information than sequential experiments. Students will be able to undertake research with state-of-the-art equipment which will enhance their research careers and employment prospects. The resulting information will be invaluable to the development of polymer blends with optimized morphology and mechanical properties; improved polymer processing techniques linked to how the structure and orientation develops; the development of new materials, including novel human tissue implants, from studies of the rheology and phase structure of a polymer during photopolymerization.Read moreRead less
New Fluorescent Probes to Elucidate Complex Oxidation Mechanisms. From medicine to manufacturing, polymers ("plastics") are a major component in the materials we use in our modern society, yet the manner by which they degrade and break down is often not well understood. Controlling the lifetime of polymers by either accelerating degradation on the one hand or preventing, or limiting, it on the other, will have significant benefits to society but this can only be achieved by reaching a thorough u ....New Fluorescent Probes to Elucidate Complex Oxidation Mechanisms. From medicine to manufacturing, polymers ("plastics") are a major component in the materials we use in our modern society, yet the manner by which they degrade and break down is often not well understood. Controlling the lifetime of polymers by either accelerating degradation on the one hand or preventing, or limiting, it on the other, will have significant benefits to society but this can only be achieved by reaching a thorough understanding of the degradation process. This project makes use of a unique, Australian-designed additive which stabilises polymeric materials, provides a marker for degradation levels and also provides information about the nature of the degradation processes occurring within polymers.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775592
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$388,000.00
Summary
A High Resolution Analytical Scanning Electron Microscope for South-East Queensland. Scanning electron microscopy is the major visualization tool for a diverse range of research disciplines. This new generation of instrument will be able to image features close to atomic resolution and obtain quantitative analytical information from regions only a few atoms across. Because of the nature of the way the electron beam is produced, the new instrument will be able to examine particularly sensitive ma ....A High Resolution Analytical Scanning Electron Microscope for South-East Queensland. Scanning electron microscopy is the major visualization tool for a diverse range of research disciplines. This new generation of instrument will be able to image features close to atomic resolution and obtain quantitative analytical information from regions only a few atoms across. Because of the nature of the way the electron beam is produced, the new instrument will be able to examine particularly sensitive materials, such as soft bio-materials, without any loss in resolving power. This machine will be unique in Australia and be available to researchers from diverse fields of study working towards building and transforming Australian Industries and underpinning scientific discovery in nanotechnology, materials science and bioengineering.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0561247
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$168,810.00
Summary
An advanced scanning probe microscopy facility. The development of advanced materials with high performance and functionality for applications such as medical implants, solar energy, drug delivery and gas separation is facilitated by the availability of sophisticated characterisation methods. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) has become an essential tool in materials science, biomaterials development, nanotechnology and biology. The aim of this proposal is to provide a high performance SPM system ....An advanced scanning probe microscopy facility. The development of advanced materials with high performance and functionality for applications such as medical implants, solar energy, drug delivery and gas separation is facilitated by the availability of sophisticated characterisation methods. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) has become an essential tool in materials science, biomaterials development, nanotechnology and biology. The aim of this proposal is to provide a high performance SPM system as an enabling technology to advance the excellent research being performed at the collaborating universities.Read moreRead less