ANSTO's research capabilities, led by the OPAL nuclear research reactor and associated instruments provide access to users investigating areas as diverse as materials, life sciences, climate change and mining/engineering.
Scientific Projects
The Food Science Project applies neutron and X-ray scattering methods to investigate fundamental and industrial problems of national significance in food science. The current interests of the group relate to determining structure-function relationships in food-based systems, such as proteins and polysaccharides, with direct applications to food processing and human nutrition.
Modern Diffraction Methods Applied to Thermo-Mechanical Processes in Materials Science.
This project will use diffraction methods to study deformation processes in metals, particularly related to high-temperature processing and performance under extreme conditions. This project brings together the experts of instrumentation, materials physics and mechanical engineering.
The main idea is to provide a more coherent focus to work on energy-related materials, using the neutron scattering tools at OPAL for studies which are well matched to the neutron method. This will necessarily involve strong collaboration with external parties like CSIRO, the universities, CRCs and industrial companies. We will focus almost entirely on the areas in which we are already strong: (1) gas-storage materials (mainly hydrogen); (2) battery materials; and (3) fuel-cell electrolytes.
The underlying purpose of the Magnetism Project is to raise the visibility of the diverse range of applications of neutron scattering, principally at OPAL, to the study of magnetism and superconductivity, both in fundamental research, and as a characterisation tool in the discovery and development of new magnets and magnetic materials of technological benefit.
The project also aims to train students and early-career researchers in such studies, and to build up appropriate technical and analytical support capability internally or in collaboration.