Emilija Zdraveva, junior researcher at the Department of Basic, Natural and Technical Sciences, joined Deakin University, Institute for Frontier Materials in Victoria, Australia, in the period from February to August 2013, to carry out part of her PhD thesis research. The Institute for Frontier Materials is situated at Geelong Campus of Deakin University. The Institute includes the Australian Future Fibers and Innovation Centre and the groups with research areas in: Computer Modelling, Corrosion Science, Electromaterials, Functional Nanomaterials, Metals and Light Metals, Micro and Nano Systems, Plasma and Polymers. Its main focus is in technology innovations and materials excellence.
With the support of the Institute Deputy Director and Director of the Australian Future Fibers and Innovation Centre, Alfred Deakin Professor Xungai Wang, as a visiting PhD student she has carried the main research in the group of nanofibers in the Lab of Electrospinning. This group is part of the Centre and it is led by Professor Tong Lin, Associate Director of the Centre. The group has 16 members including host or guest researchers, postdoc researchers or doctoral students.
Except in the Laboratory of Electrospinning the research was carried in the Thermal Lab, Chemical Lab and the Microscopy Lab. The research included nanofibers production, functionalization and evaluation of the structure and performance using: Zetasizer Nano-ZS, Scanning Electron Microscope, Differential Scanning Calorimetar, Thermogravimetrical Analyser and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometar, for which she has completed required trainings. She was supported from the group leader, rest of the members and the technical staff in the labs with their professional expertise. Knowledge, concerning electrospinning, gained from personal experience and through long-time experience of the nanofibers group is significant for future research progress.
Deakin University/Institute for Frontier Materials/Group of Nanofibers