Advanced Materials

Research > Advanced Materials

Advanced Materials is leading the way in research, development and innovation to create a clean and green future with industry through the development, characterisation and analysis of materials.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Key services and activities that the Advanced Materials Group provides include:

Materials Development
Materials Characterisation
Additive Manufacturing
Fusion Materials and Testing
Geopolymers and Sustainable Cements
Testing and Analysis
Casting Support

Materials Development

The Advanced Materials Development Centre aims to reduce the time scales and costs associated with materials development and work with clients to identify future requirements to have solutions to future predicted service issues.

Materials Characterisation

The Advanced Materials Characterisation Centre provides an over-arching facility within the Institute offering support to the Circular Economy and Industrial Decarbonisation Groups. The centre is a regional and national focal point for steels and metals characterisation and investigation (including failure and forensic analysis), as well as research and development. It is also a national facility for the characterisation of powders (with reference to Additive Manufacture).

Additive Manufacturing

Development of technologies and processes to create efficiencies and improve additive manufacturing, combined with characterisation capabilities to optimise powder feedstock applicability.

Fusion Materials and Testing

A range of equipment and research capabilities to support the testing and development of materials to be used in fusion technologies.

Geoploymers and Sustainable Cements

The Advanced Materials works with clients and collaboration partners in the design and development of low carbon cementitious materials. The group houses advanced thermal, chemical, and physical properties characterisation equipment to support clients and partners in product development and quality control.

Testing and Analysis

There are five primary activities and assets to support materials testing and analysis:

Metallurgical examination laboratory (including sample preparation)
Thermal analysis (up to 2400°C)
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Powders laboratory
Chemical analysis laboratory

Casting Support

Process and materials analysis and improvements to support the development of highly efficient steel casting production.

Equipment Guide

Thermal Analysis

A suite of instruments offering quantitative analysis of how the mass of material changes over time as temperature changes and analysis of gases emitted from the material during the heating cycle.

Find out more

Scanning Electron Microscopy

A suite of high-resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopes (FE-SEM) offering quality analytical capability of materials.

Find out more

Micro Examination

A suite of microscopes with high performance optics and digital cameras. The microscopes are used for quantitative measurements for materials science and industrial applications.

Find out more

Analytical Chemistry

A suite of analytical instruments offering quantitative analysis of materials. These instruments allow accurate analysis of light elements, ambient and high temperature crystallographic assessment and elemental analysis on a wide variety of alloy bases.

Find out more

3D Homogenisation and Surface Area Analysis

A suite of equipment that can assess surface area, porosity and mix materials using three-dimensional homogenisation technology.

Find out more

Hardness Testing

Fully automatic hardness testing machine which can perform Knoop, Vickers & Brinell hardness testing.

Find out more

Sample Preparation

A suite of sample equipment to ensure consistent quality of samples for ongoing microstructural examination via light optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Find out more

Artificial Ageing Chambers

A suite of temperature and humidity controlled artificial ageing chambers enabling the assessment of the effect of ageing on a materials property.

Find out more

Laser Powder Bed Fusion Machine

The Laser Powder Bed Fusion system uses a Direct Metal Laser Melting additive manufacturing process, whereby lasers are used to melt ultra-thin layers of metal powder, to build a three-dimensional object.

Find out more

Particulate Material Characterisation

A suite of instruments to assess a particulate materials’ properties in relation to storage, transportation, and performance in processing such as metal additive manufacturing.

Find out more

Research & Development Centres

Advanced Materials Characterisation Centre

Characterisation of materials is the cornerstone to developing advanced materials, developing processes to reduce carbon emissions, and developing processes that maximise refurbishing and recycling.

Find out more

Advanced Materials Development Centre

Materials development takes place where existing materials are not able to meet current or future expected service requirements. Materials development can be a lengthy and expensive process taking typically 20 years from conception to full component exploitation.

Find out more

Green Steel Centre

Steelmaking is one of the most carbon intensive industries in the world, responsible for 7% of global CO₂ emissions. But its future is Green.

Find out more

Circular Economy Development Centre

A circular economy helps ensure sustainable growth over time through the optimisation of resources, a reduction in the consumption of raw materials, the recovery of waste and recycling.

Find out more