Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Used Water. The project aims to address the pressing challenge of water scarcity in hydrogen production by developing an innovative approach of using used water as the feed for water electrolysis. The project will result in an in-depth understanding of the impacts of water impurities in used water on the performance and durability of water electrolysers, and develop guidelines for the design of highly durable water electrolysers and the operation and upgrade ....Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Used Water. The project aims to address the pressing challenge of water scarcity in hydrogen production by developing an innovative approach of using used water as the feed for water electrolysis. The project will result in an in-depth understanding of the impacts of water impurities in used water on the performance and durability of water electrolysers, and develop guidelines for the design of highly durable water electrolysers and the operation and upgrade of existing wastewater treatment plants. The project will advance the practical applications of water electrolysis for scalable and sustainable hydrogen production and help Australia secure a leading position in the global emerging hydrogen economy.Read moreRead less
The development of novel geopolymers incorporating calcium and cellulosic material. Geopolymer technology transforms waste aluminosilicate materials into commercially viable products, which possess superior physical and chemical properties compared to ordinary concrete. These high-tech materials have novel acid and fire resistance applications, e.g. in construction and for the coating of optical fibres. Understanding the chemical relationship between geopolymers and other cementitious materials ....The development of novel geopolymers incorporating calcium and cellulosic material. Geopolymer technology transforms waste aluminosilicate materials into commercially viable products, which possess superior physical and chemical properties compared to ordinary concrete. These high-tech materials have novel acid and fire resistance applications, e.g. in construction and for the coating of optical fibres. Understanding the chemical relationship between geopolymers and other cementitious materials is pivotal to further advances in inorganic polymers. This project uses surface reactivity, spectroscopy, electronmicroscopy and electron diffraction to determine the role of calcium and cellulosic additives in the phase composition, microstructure and properties of geopolymers. Therefore, the factors distinguishing geopolymers from alkali-activated cement and ordinary concrete are identified.Read moreRead less
Fast stimuli-responsive polymer hydrogels as a new class of draw agent for forward osmosis desalination. The ability to extract fresh water from saline water can be important in areas such as desalination and other industrial applications. In this project new materials will be developed to perform this operation at a much lower energy cost than similar processes, whilst also improving the purity of the separated water.
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH130100017
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing. ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing. The aim of this Research Hub is to develop breakthrough process and product innovations to enable the Australian steel industry to improve its global competitiveness. Based on an integrated, value chain-wide approach to innovation in the steel sector the Research Hub includes projects on innovation strategy and management, customer-focused product development, innovation in coating and surfa ....ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing. ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing. The aim of this Research Hub is to develop breakthrough process and product innovations to enable the Australian steel industry to improve its global competitiveness. Based on an integrated, value chain-wide approach to innovation in the steel sector the Research Hub includes projects on innovation strategy and management, customer-focused product development, innovation in coating and surface engineering technology, and economic and environmental sustainability of iron and steelmaking.Read moreRead less
Carbon nanotube fluidic channels for desalination - interplay of nanoscale confinement and electrostatics. Tiny tubes of carbon, ten thousand times smaller than human hair, allow water to pass through at extraordinary speed. This project aims to understand and improve their salt rejection properties using comprehensive experimental and theoretical approaches. This will provide the impetus and knowledge for developing advanced membranes for desalination
A New Approach to Advanced Steels via Cluster and Precipitate Strengthening. Formation of interphase nanoparticles and clusters is a new approach to increase strength in advanced high strength steels. Exceptionally high strength levels can be achieved in alloys that only have solute clusters by controlling the temperature-time history. However, the exact mechanism for the formation of clusters and precipitates and the cluster strengthening mechanism are not understood, nor do we know how to cont ....A New Approach to Advanced Steels via Cluster and Precipitate Strengthening. Formation of interphase nanoparticles and clusters is a new approach to increase strength in advanced high strength steels. Exceptionally high strength levels can be achieved in alloys that only have solute clusters by controlling the temperature-time history. However, the exact mechanism for the formation of clusters and precipitates and the cluster strengthening mechanism are not understood, nor do we know how to control cluster formation. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the formation of clusters and nanoprecipitates and determine their contribution to strengthening and other mechanical properties using advanced characterisation techniques such as atom probe tomography and electron microscopy.Read moreRead less
Advanced high strength steels produced by energy efficient direct strip casting. Over one billion tonnes of steel is produced every year and one method of reducing the environmental footprint of this production is through strip casting. This process reduces the energy required to process liquid steel into thin sheet product by an astounding 90 per cent. This proposal aims to expand the application of this technology to new steel grades.
Self Assembling Polymers for Novel Packaging Products. Have you had wet paper bags rip or stacks of boxes collapse during shipping? Novel polymer strength agents will be combined with nanoparticles to develop very strong paper packaging meeting Australia's needs. We will produce very strong paper packaging resisting frequent moisture changes while remaining fully recyclable. These strength agents will be produced and used in Australia to manufacture the fibre packaging needed to ship our manufac ....Self Assembling Polymers for Novel Packaging Products. Have you had wet paper bags rip or stacks of boxes collapse during shipping? Novel polymer strength agents will be combined with nanoparticles to develop very strong paper packaging meeting Australia's needs. We will produce very strong paper packaging resisting frequent moisture changes while remaining fully recyclable. These strength agents will be produced and used in Australia to manufacture the fibre packaging needed to ship our manufactured and agriculture goods within Australia and for export. The Paper industry is the largest manufacturing industry in rural Australia with sales of $4 billion and 5,900 direct and 85,000 indirect jobs.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453732
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$726,164.00
Summary
Interactive network for plasma and surface analysis. Plasma-based materials synthesis and surface modification methods have great value because they allow a wide range of ion energies and processing conditions to be achieved. Accurate in-situ measurement of the plasma conditions is crucial to the development of reliable new processes. This proposal will establish unique capabilities for carrying out diagnostic studies of plasma surface treatment technologies. The proposal will link Australia's m ....Interactive network for plasma and surface analysis. Plasma-based materials synthesis and surface modification methods have great value because they allow a wide range of ion energies and processing conditions to be achieved. Accurate in-situ measurement of the plasma conditions is crucial to the development of reliable new processes. This proposal will establish unique capabilities for carrying out diagnostic studies of plasma surface treatment technologies. The proposal will link Australia's most advanced plasma processing and diagnostic equipment located at the University of Sydney and the ANU to advanced materials and surface analysis facilities at La Trobe and RMIT Universities in Melbourne, using interactive e-science links and vacuum sample-transfer facilities.Read moreRead less
Bioinspired interfaces for improved carbon fibre composite performance. Carbon fibre composites, where carbon fibres are embedded in a polymer matrix, are gradually replacing traditional materials such as steel. For example, composites make up 50 per cent of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, resulting in a 20 per cent improvement in fuel economy. There is significant scope for improving the damage tolerance of these materials. A fundamental lack of understanding around the fibre matrix interface currentl ....Bioinspired interfaces for improved carbon fibre composite performance. Carbon fibre composites, where carbon fibres are embedded in a polymer matrix, are gradually replacing traditional materials such as steel. For example, composites make up 50 per cent of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, resulting in a 20 per cent improvement in fuel economy. There is significant scope for improving the damage tolerance of these materials. A fundamental lack of understanding around the fibre matrix interface currently limits the development of new composite systems to overcome the problems with damage tolerance. This project takes inspiration from nature to develop a fundamental understanding of the interfaces within carbon fibre composites and optimise their behaviour via model-guided surface and interface engineering. Read moreRead less