Low-density high-performance proppants for hydraulic fracturing process . Australia has vast resources of unconventional oil/gas, which require hydraulic fracturing to stimulate production. This project aims to develop advanced low-density high-performance proppants from industry waste for hydraulic fracturing. This will be achieved by selecting purer SiO2 raw material, carefully designing the porous structure, and fully understanding its relationship with strength and pack conductivity. Low-den ....Low-density high-performance proppants for hydraulic fracturing process . Australia has vast resources of unconventional oil/gas, which require hydraulic fracturing to stimulate production. This project aims to develop advanced low-density high-performance proppants from industry waste for hydraulic fracturing. This will be achieved by selecting purer SiO2 raw material, carefully designing the porous structure, and fully understanding its relationship with strength and pack conductivity. Low-density means no chemicals in proppant transportation and application. Successful development of such high-performance proppants will significantly increase Australia oil/gas exploration and production with an environmental acceptable technology, a leap forward for the oil/gas industry in Australia and the world.Read moreRead less
DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND EXPERIMENTAL BASIS FOR MANUFACTURE OF BUILDING MATERIALS WITH SPECIAL PROPERTIES BASED ON GEOPOLYMERS. This project seeks to develop a new class of building materials based on geopolymers. These materials will have superior corrosion resistance, fire resistance, heat and noise insulating properties. The project will study in detail the effect of processing parameters on microstructure of these materials, and effect of structure and composition on properties. A good ....DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND EXPERIMENTAL BASIS FOR MANUFACTURE OF BUILDING MATERIALS WITH SPECIAL PROPERTIES BASED ON GEOPOLYMERS. This project seeks to develop a new class of building materials based on geopolymers. These materials will have superior corrosion resistance, fire resistance, heat and noise insulating properties. The project will study in detail the effect of processing parameters on microstructure of these materials, and effect of structure and composition on properties. A good understanding of this would result in environmentally friendly inexpensive inorganic materials with superior durability, chemical and fire resistance, heat and noise insulation properties that can substitute organic polymers and ordinary Portland cement concrete in special applications.Read moreRead less
Prediction of Time-dependent Deformations in Post-tensioned Concrete Suspended Slabs in Tall Buildings. The proposed project aims to develop an analytical model that can predict the time-dependent deformations in post-tensioned concrete slabs considering concrete shrinkage and creep, cracking, and bond-slip behaviour. Over the past several years, numerous cases have been reported in Australia and elsewhere, of flexural elements for which the calculated deflection is far less than the actual defl ....Prediction of Time-dependent Deformations in Post-tensioned Concrete Suspended Slabs in Tall Buildings. The proposed project aims to develop an analytical model that can predict the time-dependent deformations in post-tensioned concrete slabs considering concrete shrinkage and creep, cracking, and bond-slip behaviour. Over the past several years, numerous cases have been reported in Australia and elsewhere, of flexural elements for which the calculated deflection is far less than the actual deflection leading to serviceability problems. The significance of this investigation hence lies in its potential to provide a solution to more accurately predict service-life deflections in post-tensioned concrete suspended slabs and validate the model with real-life deflections monitored over time on a current building project.Read moreRead less
Flowable composite system with short S-glass fibre and halloysite nanotubes. Flowable composite system with short S-glass fibre and halloysite nanotubes. This project aims to design dental materials with reduced amalgams, using a strong but flowable composite with randomly distributed short S-glass fibres and a non-toxic natural nano-composite overlay. This alternative dental composite material is expected to meet international regulatory bodies’ intention to reduce amalgams. Using advanced phot ....Flowable composite system with short S-glass fibre and halloysite nanotubes. Flowable composite system with short S-glass fibre and halloysite nanotubes. This project aims to design dental materials with reduced amalgams, using a strong but flowable composite with randomly distributed short S-glass fibres and a non-toxic natural nano-composite overlay. This alternative dental composite material is expected to meet international regulatory bodies’ intention to reduce amalgams. Using advanced photonic and micro-mechanical techniques to make engineered material is also expected to enhance Australian manufacturing.Read moreRead less
A new generation high crash energy absorbing barrier for improved road safety. The new, high energy absorbing road safety barrier developed in this project will provide better protection for all road users than current barriers by reducing the severity of car crashes. Current road barriers result in an average loss of 1600 lives in Australia annually, including a disproportionate number of young lives. The new barrier will be highly efficient in absorbing collisions from vehicles travelling at s ....A new generation high crash energy absorbing barrier for improved road safety. The new, high energy absorbing road safety barrier developed in this project will provide better protection for all road users than current barriers by reducing the severity of car crashes. Current road barriers result in an average loss of 1600 lives in Australia annually, including a disproportionate number of young lives. The new barrier will be highly efficient in absorbing collisions from vehicles travelling at speeds between 60 to over a 100 kilometres per hour. Installation of the new road safety barrier systems in high accident zones will save lives by reducing the severity of accidents involving road barriers. This will significantly benefit the community by reducing injury, medical, rehabilitation and property damage costs, and improve quality of life for all road users.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL180100053
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,162,000.00
Summary
Re-discovering liquid metals from core to surface. This project aims to investigate and make new discoveries on the unique properties of liquid metals. Liquid metals have traditionally been used in mining, for switches, barometers, heat transfer units, and coolers and heaters. However, recent discoveries have indicated that liquid metals have untapped potential in applications for creating systems with extraordinary physical and chemical properties. This project will expand our knowledge of liqu ....Re-discovering liquid metals from core to surface. This project aims to investigate and make new discoveries on the unique properties of liquid metals. Liquid metals have traditionally been used in mining, for switches, barometers, heat transfer units, and coolers and heaters. However, recent discoveries have indicated that liquid metals have untapped potential in applications for creating systems with extraordinary physical and chemical properties. This project will expand our knowledge of liquid metals by exploring liquid metals as electron rich solvents and investigating new properties to develop future applications in electronics, optics, catalysts, thermal devices and bio systems.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101247
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Rational design of a new generation magnesium diboride superconducting rotor coil suitable for offshore low-cost wind turbine generators. New developments in wind power technologies provide opportunities in the next decade to deliver renewable energy. The present and future low cost magnesium diboride superconducting technology, coupled with renewable energy sources, has the potential to provide a long-term solution to the energy crisis and global warming threat.
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
A surface modification techniques for wafers of semiconductor materials. The research will develop an innovative technique for producing large wafers of semiconductor materials with a superfine surface finish. This technique will combine the advantages of ultra-precision grinding and polishing into a single operation. An effective superfinishing technique for the new generation of large-size wafers of semiconductor materials is essential because they are one of the most important materials for i ....A surface modification techniques for wafers of semiconductor materials. The research will develop an innovative technique for producing large wafers of semiconductor materials with a superfine surface finish. This technique will combine the advantages of ultra-precision grinding and polishing into a single operation. An effective superfinishing technique for the new generation of large-size wafers of semiconductor materials is essential because they are one of the most important materials for information technology, integrated circuit technology and fabrication of micro-machines.Read moreRead less
Engineering the trafficking of nanoparticles within cells. This project aims to engineer responsive nanoparticles capable of trafficking efficiently within cells. The site of release of therapeutic cargo has importance for improving the efficacy of many treatments, for example vaccine delivery. Therefore fundamental understanding of how nanoparticle structure can be engineered to control cellular behaviour is necessary. The project will engineer new polymeric nanomaterials and investigate the im ....Engineering the trafficking of nanoparticles within cells. This project aims to engineer responsive nanoparticles capable of trafficking efficiently within cells. The site of release of therapeutic cargo has importance for improving the efficacy of many treatments, for example vaccine delivery. Therefore fundamental understanding of how nanoparticle structure can be engineered to control cellular behaviour is necessary. The project will engineer new polymeric nanomaterials and investigate the impact of their structure on biological properties. The benefits of this project will include new fundamental insights into improving nanoparticle design for vaccine delivery, as well as the expansion of Australia’s knowledge base in the area of biodegradable polymers.Read moreRead less