Future Materials News

 

Companies need contracts as well as grants

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Research News
 

Using plasma to build better fuel cells

Imagine a black box in which hydrogen gas is fed in at one end and electricity comes out the other. There’s no noise, no dirty exhaust fumes; just clean electricity and a little water vapour at the flick of a switch. Sounds like magic but this black box has a name – it’s called a fuel cell. It’s not a new invention but, thanks to recent advances in the plasma processing of materials at the Australian National University, the age of the fuel cell may soon be opening.
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Tin Tacks
 

Building better oil rigs

How do you ensure the foundations of a huge load-bearing structure such as an oil-rig remain stable in poor soil conditions and a harsh climate where it could be battered by waves, strong currents and wind? It’s a question upon which people’s lives and billions of dollars may depend, and one that Professor Mark Cassidy is devoted to answering.
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Know your material
 

Plastic money

We take our polymer banknotes for granted these days but they’ve only been around since 1988. Prior to that all our banknotes were printed on rag-based paper and there was some scepticism about going over to plastic. However, the need for a more durable and secure material for our banknotes was increasingly evident.
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Sensational Materials
 

Polymer balls help bones grow

Biomedical engineering students at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have found new ways to deliver bone growth enhancers directly to broken or weakened bones.
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Twisting nanotubes into yarn

In 2004, CSIRO researchers demonstrated that carbon nanotubes could be twisted into a yarn in the same way as conventional fibres like wool and cotton. Now they are looking to develop this property for industry.
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Optimising fracture resistance

Mathematicians at the University of Queensland (UQ) are developing new computer models for designing objects to make them fracture resistant. The researchers are using a modelling process called topology optimisation to explore what is the best shape for a given material in a specific situation in order to minimise the chances of it fracturing.
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Sponsor
 

Shelston IP

Shelston IP is one of the largest and most respected intellectual property ("IP") firms in Australia and New Zealand, practising in both jurisdictions. Their team of specialist patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys and IP lawyers provide comprehensive and fully integrated IP services and advice, encompassing the protection, management, commercialisation and enforcement of IP, locally and internationally. "Mind to market" reflects a crucial difference between Shelston IP and other firms. Their thorough understanding of the processes involved in converting ideas and innovations into intellectual assets, and a deep appreciation of what it takes to successfully commercialise those assets, sets them apart. For further information go to www.shelstonip.com.au
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Archive News

Editor - David Salt