UniSQ’s manufacturing and fertiliser development projects secures funding 

The University of Southern Queensland has received an award subsidising from the Australian Department of Education to help two research extends that look to foster elective items for major enterprises that can moderate ozone-depleting greenhouse gas emissions. 

One of the award recipients Dr Omar Alajarmeh, a senior research fellow from the Centre for Future Materials, will focus on the improvement of bendable thermoplastic glass fibre-supported polymer composites – a greener and less expensive manufacturing option. 

“These high-performing and low-cost composites are made by pultruding glass fibres and infusing them with waste thermoplastics. 

These composites will offer a sustainable solution for the construction and resource sectors by increasing the service life of critical infrastructures, as well as having lower C02 emission and less energy consumption compared to traditional manufacturing methods,” Alajarmeh said. 

“The proposed lignite-based products not only have the potential to overcome the cost barrier of market-ready polymer-embedded SRFs but can also remove the use of polymer coating plus the release of microplastics from the fertiliser industry,” said Associate Professor Lei Ge. 

The second project to get the award tries to utilise Lignite or “brown coal” in slow-delivery fertilisers to assist with facilitating greenhouse gas emissions, upgrade compost viability, and essentially decrease supplement run-off to the waterways. 

Industry partners for this task incorporate Omnia Specialities, Sustainable Solutions Global, APIED, and Australian Engineering.