Metal-air batteries with improved rate capability and safety for hearing applications. Hearing impairment affects on average 20% of the adult population in western society, with the impact being as high as 50% in older adults. Effective hearing devices require a significant amount of power, supplied by a battery, to support their function. Current batteries require very frequent replacement and represent a significant impediment to advances in the technology. This project will develop improved ....Metal-air batteries with improved rate capability and safety for hearing applications. Hearing impairment affects on average 20% of the adult population in western society, with the impact being as high as 50% in older adults. Effective hearing devices require a significant amount of power, supplied by a battery, to support their function. Current batteries require very frequent replacement and represent a significant impediment to advances in the technology. This project will develop improved energy and power density batteries which will lead to immediate implementation of more powerful signal processing algorithms, making hearing aids much more effective and appealing to the user. This, in turn, will improve recipient compliance and thus the quality of life for those with severe hearing impairment. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100311
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Multidirectional stretchable and wearable tactile sensors. This project aims to establish a new platform for multidirectional wearable tactile sensors with high sensitivity and stretchability based on rational material designs and structural engineering. Wearable tactile sensors with multidirectional force-sensing capabilities are of great importance in robotics, prosthetics, and rehabilitation devices. This novel form of tactile sensing will be developed through fundamental research into the wo ....Multidirectional stretchable and wearable tactile sensors. This project aims to establish a new platform for multidirectional wearable tactile sensors with high sensitivity and stretchability based on rational material designs and structural engineering. Wearable tactile sensors with multidirectional force-sensing capabilities are of great importance in robotics, prosthetics, and rehabilitation devices. This novel form of tactile sensing will be developed through fundamental research into the working mechanism of directional sensors to enable detection of different force intensities. Combined with new device fabrication techniques, and innovative material structural engineering, the expected outcome is a new multidirectional tactile sensor system with high sensitivity and stretchability.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100284
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,008.00
Summary
Stretchable strain sensors based on three-dimensional structured nano-carbon. This project aims to develop a class of stretchable strain sensors based on three-dimensionally (3D) structured carbon nanomaterials for wearable devices. The project plans to design and fabricate 3D-structured carbon with structures and physical properties for developing nanocomposites for strain sensing applications. The expected outcome is wearable sensors capable of monitoring human movements with potential applica ....Stretchable strain sensors based on three-dimensional structured nano-carbon. This project aims to develop a class of stretchable strain sensors based on three-dimensionally (3D) structured carbon nanomaterials for wearable devices. The project plans to design and fabricate 3D-structured carbon with structures and physical properties for developing nanocomposites for strain sensing applications. The expected outcome is wearable sensors capable of monitoring human movements with potential applications in personal health monitoring. These wearable devices could ultimately improve health care substantially while reducing its costs.Read moreRead less
Development of room temperature diluted magnetic semiconductors for spintronics devices application. Semiconductor spintronics is very likely to have a significant impact on future generations of devices. Until recently, Australian research groups have played a minor role in the field. The proposed program will lead to new discoveries or fundamental advances within semiconductor spintronics or have substantial impact on the progress in this field. The accomplishments of this project can great ....Development of room temperature diluted magnetic semiconductors for spintronics devices application. Semiconductor spintronics is very likely to have a significant impact on future generations of devices. Until recently, Australian research groups have played a minor role in the field. The proposed program will lead to new discoveries or fundamental advances within semiconductor spintronics or have substantial impact on the progress in this field. The accomplishments of this project can greatly increase the scientific understanding of diluted magnetic semiconductors and expand Australia's knowledge base in research in these materials. This program can also be an education platform to provide a number of scientific talents for Australia by intensively training high quality postgraduates at the international level.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0239650
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Advanced instrumentation for nano-scale imaging and analysis. It is widely accepted that the emerging fields of Nanotechnology and Nanoengineering will dominate research activity in a wide range of disciplines over the next decade. Progress in nanoscience and technology requires parallel development in nanocharacterisation and nanofabrication techniques. This proposal seeks to enhance the level of research infrastructure support for nano-scale microscopy and microanalysis at UTS and the Univer ....Advanced instrumentation for nano-scale imaging and analysis. It is widely accepted that the emerging fields of Nanotechnology and Nanoengineering will dominate research activity in a wide range of disciplines over the next decade. Progress in nanoscience and technology requires parallel development in nanocharacterisation and nanofabrication techniques. This proposal seeks to enhance the level of research infrastructure support for nano-scale microscopy and microanalysis at UTS and the University of Sydney by providing the following advanced instrumentation for nano-scale imaging, analysis and manipulation of materials:
- A Schottky field emission gun environmental scanning electron microscope
- Equipment kit for the rapid preparation of high quality transmission electron microscope specimens.Read moreRead less
High-resolution in situ annealing studies of sub-micron grain structures. The proposed research is an extension of considerable ongoing collaboration between the applicants and will utilise advanced characterisation techniques to provide a more fundamental understanding than that presently available of the thermal stability of particle-containing nanocrystalline alloys. The project will reinforce the strong collaboration between our research groups and will expose Australian researchers to cutti ....High-resolution in situ annealing studies of sub-micron grain structures. The proposed research is an extension of considerable ongoing collaboration between the applicants and will utilise advanced characterisation techniques to provide a more fundamental understanding than that presently available of the thermal stability of particle-containing nanocrystalline alloys. The project will reinforce the strong collaboration between our research groups and will expose Australian researchers to cutting-edge research techniques, with particular emphasis on broadening the training experience of early career researchers. Several joint journal papers are expected from this work.
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The thermal stability of nanocrystalline alloys produced by severe plastic straining. An exciting class of materials has emerged with grain sizes two orders of magnitude finer than that produced by conventional processing. These nanocrystalline alloys are produced by intense plastic straining termed equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE). The aim of the project is to incorporate novel experimental techniques, using single crystals, in situ annealing and 3-D computer simulation to develop a fun ....The thermal stability of nanocrystalline alloys produced by severe plastic straining. An exciting class of materials has emerged with grain sizes two orders of magnitude finer than that produced by conventional processing. These nanocrystalline alloys are produced by intense plastic straining termed equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE). The aim of the project is to incorporate novel experimental techniques, using single crystals, in situ annealing and 3-D computer simulation to develop a fundamental understanding of microstructural stability during ECAE and subsequent thermal treatment. Such advances in our understanding of boundary mobility in fine-scale microstructures is important for evaluating their stability and, hence, the possible commercial exploitation of these materials.Read moreRead less
A 3D crystallographic framework for understanding the structure of deformed and annealed metals. A new 3D analysis technology will be developed into a powerful computational platform and used to explain several unresolved issues concerning the deformed and annealed state of metals. This technique is first of its kind in Australia and generates high resolution 3D images from most solid materials. There is enormous potential for its use in materials science and other research fields which is ben ....A 3D crystallographic framework for understanding the structure of deformed and annealed metals. A new 3D analysis technology will be developed into a powerful computational platform and used to explain several unresolved issues concerning the deformed and annealed state of metals. This technique is first of its kind in Australia and generates high resolution 3D images from most solid materials. There is enormous potential for its use in materials science and other research fields which is beneficial to Australia's standing in basic science. The project will provide an excellent research training environment for early career researchers who will develop an expertise that is expected to make a major contribution to future fundamental and applied research.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101454
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,446.00
Summary
High performance lead-free piezoelectrics based on polar nanoregions. This project aims to enhance the electro-mechanical couplings of lead free piezoelectrics via introducing polar nanoregions for medical transducers applications. This is expected to impact on the design and development of high-performance lead free piezoelectrics, and have environmental benefits through replacing lead based counterparts.
Texture enhancement by inoculation in strip-cast metallic sheet. A recent discovery by the applicants has shown the possibility of producing, by inoculation during a direct casting route, stainless steel strip that exhibits a remarkably strong crystallographic alignment of grains perpendicular to the sheet surface. The production of this so-called <001>//ND fibre texture in thin strip by direct casting represents a vastly simplified route for the possible production of iron-base strip suitable f ....Texture enhancement by inoculation in strip-cast metallic sheet. A recent discovery by the applicants has shown the possibility of producing, by inoculation during a direct casting route, stainless steel strip that exhibits a remarkably strong crystallographic alignment of grains perpendicular to the sheet surface. The production of this so-called <001>//ND fibre texture in thin strip by direct casting represents a vastly simplified route for the possible production of iron-base strip suitable for some magnetic applications. The principle aims of the project are to elucidate the mechanisms of formation of this highly textured steel sheet and to explore the feasibility of reproducing the texture in other metallic systems.Read moreRead less