Page 32 - Materials Australia - April 2019

UNIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT
The University of Sydney
Source: Sally Wood
Outside the Sydney Nanoscience Hub. Image credit: AINST.
The University of Sydney is one of Australia’s most celebrated learning institutions. It has enjoyed a storied history and presided over some of the greatest minds and discoveries made on this continent, including in the field of materials science and engineering.
The institution was founded in 1850. William Charles Wentworth imagined “the opportunity for the child of every class to become great and useful in the destinies of this country”. This value has continued to inspire the University, and it preceded both Oxford University and Cambridge’s Jesus College in admitting female students as early as 1881.
With the help of generous individuals, like John Henry Challis who bequeathed the equivalent of $32 million in 1880, the University has been able to provide its students and research teams with some of the finest equipment in the world.
The University of Sydney is ranked number one in Australia and number 30 in the world on the CWTS Leiden Rankings. These rankings are based on the Web of Science
scientific index and analyse the scientific performance of over 900 major universities from 54 countries. This high ranking shows the impact of the University on the sciences.
Centre for Advanced
Materials Technology
Since its establishment in 1989, the Centre for Advanced Materials Technology has provided high-quality fundamental research in materials science and technology, while also seeking to promote industry collaboration for advanced materials design, engineering, development and manufacturing.
The Centre conducts both fundamental studies, aimed at new discoveries, and applied research, focusing on the direct solutions to industrial problems.
Biomaterials and Functionally Graded Materials
This initiative features new research activities to develop fibre-polymer functionally graded materials and hydroxyapatite biomimetic coatings, ceramic matrix nanocomposites and metal-ceramic functionally graded materials for the aerospace and biomaterials industries.
Nanomechanics and Nanotribology
With the rapid development of applications of high-density information storage devices, micro-electro-mechanical systems, biomedical devices and wireless and fibre optic communication systems, the importance of nanomechanics and nanotribology is paramount. The University’s current research activities focus on the mechanical analysis of nanomaterials including carbon nanotubes, mechanisms nanowear and the effect of nano-cracks and shear bands.
Smart Materials and Structures
The University of Sydney builds ‘smart’ structures using active materials such as shape memory alloys and polymers, piezoelectric ceramics and polymers, and magnetostrictive composites. Their research includes development and characterisation of novel active materials with improved performance, development of active structures with surface mounted or embedded sensors, and actuators for vibration and damping control and
on-line health monitoring or non- destructive evaluation.
32 | APRIL 2019
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