High-performance magnesium hydroxide polymer composites for low carbon footprint, fire-resistant construction materials

High-performance magnesium hydroxide polymer composites for low carbon footprint, fire-resistant construction materials

 

Combustible building cladding represents a significant safety risk in densely populated urban areas and regions prone to bushfires. Conventional fire safety strategies reliant on limiting vertical fire spread through compartmentation have been challenged by the emergence of novel materials with limited understanding of fire risk.1 The core of cladding panels typically consists of lightweight, combustible materials such as polyethylene and polystyrene, which are highly flammable and release large quantities of toxic compounds when burned. As a result, composite panels comprised of metal oxides, hydroxides and carbonates have received focused attention in addressing the shortcomings of existing cladding materials.2 However, it remains unclear how volatile components (laminates, weatherproof membranes, and insulation) within these composite products contribute to overall system performance from a structure fire resilience standpoint.3 One approach to enhancing the fire resistance of cladding systems is to develop integrated composite materials that possess desirable fire safety, weather resistance and insulating properties from low carbon footprint, bio-inspired and non-toxic materials.4-5  There is a growing requirement for emerging construction materials to be derived from low carbon waste sources, aligning the built environment with a circular economy framework.

 

This PhD project involves the direct precipitation of Mg(OH)2 from Mg-rich waste brines for use in high-performance building cladding composite materials. Controlling the precipitation and post-treatment process imparts desirable material properties for integrating Mg(OH)2 within polymer matrices for fire-resistant building cladding systems. The incorporation of agri-waste to enhance the structural integrity of the composite material will also be investigated, aligned with circular economy framework principles. Developing a scientific understanding of how the formation and integration of these novel materials impact the composite performance is central to the project. The PhD candidate will work primarily with the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering’s ARC Training Centre for Fire Retardant Materials and Safety Technologies with support from the School of Chemical Engineering’s Particle and Catalysis Research Group (PARTCAT).

The CRC industry partner, EcoMag Ltd, has developed a proprietary treatment process to extract high-purity magnesium materials from wastewater brines.  The project involves formulating these newly developed materials into low carbon external cladding systems.

 

References

  1. McLaggan, M. S., Hidalgo, J. P., Carrascal, J., Heitzmann, M. T., Osorio, A. F., & Torero, J. L. (2021). Flammability trends for a comprehensive array of cladding materials. Fire safety journal, 120, 103133.
  2. Vaari, J. Paajanen, A. (2018) Evaluation of the reactive molecular dynamics method for research on flame retardants: ATH-filled polyethylene. Computational Materials Science. 153, 103-112.
  3. Yuen, ACY, Chen, TBY, Li, A, et al. (2021). Evaluating the fire risk associated with cladding panels: An overview of fire incidents, policies, and future perspective in fire standards. Fire and Materials. 45: 663– 689.
  4. Imrana I. Kabir, Charles C. Sorrell, Sajjad S. Mofarah, Wei Yang, Anthony Chun Yin Yuen, Muhammad Tariq Nazir & Guan Heng Yeoh (2021) Alginate/Polymer-Based Materials for Fire Retardancy: Synthesis, Structure, Properties, and Applications, Polymer Reviews, 61:2, 357-414.
  5. Yuen, A.C.Y., De Cachinho Cordeiro, I.M., Chen, T.B.Y. et al. (2022). Multiphase CFD modelling for enclosure fires—A review on past studies and future perspectives. Exp. Comput. Multiph. Flow 4, 1–25.

 

Academic Supervisor:

Dr Anthony Yuen (Mech Eng, UNSW)

A/Prof Jason Scott (Chem Eng, UNSW)

 

 

Research Environment:

The PhD candidate will work primarily with the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering’s ARC Training Centre for Fire Retardant Materials and Safety Technologies with support from the School of Chemical Engineering’s Particle and Catalysis Research Group (PARTCAT). Student will have access to well-equipped laboratories with comprehensive experimental facilities for photo/electrocatalysis research and will work in a multidisciplinary research environment and learn various functional skills.

The Candidate:

The candidate should have a passion in pursuing research in materials technology and, due to current international travel restrictions, preferably reside onshore.

Interested to apply?
Please visit the HDR Application page to understand the process and also send your CV, academic transcript and English test result (taken within 2  years) to Dr Mandalena  Hermawan.

Scholarship stipend is available for suitable candidate.