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This research enables longer component lives for industrial gas turbines and jet engines, and development of new protective coating systems. Siemens and Rolls Royce have improved their selection of materials systems used in components in the hot gas paths e.g. blades, vanes, discs, and seals. Degradation mechanisms in operating turbines, or anticipated in future materials systems, limit the lives of these components and the efficiencies of systems. New functionally graded coatings were created that are highly resistant to hot corrosion and oxidation. Methodology has been adopted in ISO standards BS ISO 26146:2012, BS ISO 14802:2012 and ISO/CD 17224.
The unique application of combinatorial chemistry in materials science at Southampton has directly underpinned the success of University spin-out, Ilika Technologies. Since 2008, the breadth of applications of the research has allowed Ilika:
Between 2008 and 2012, Ilika enjoyed considerable growth, doubling employment to 35 staff, increasing turnover by approximately 25% annually, and floating on the AIM with a market capitalisation of £18.7 million.
Ehiasarian and Hovsepian of the Materials and Engineering Research Institute (MERI) have achieved significant economic impact through industrial uptake of their innovations in High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS). Exploiting these innovations, HIPIMS treatments have been used by manufacturers to enhance the surface properties of millions of pounds worth of products. Applications include industrial blades, components within jet turbines, replacement hip joints, metallised semiconductor wafers and satellite cryo-coolers. Patents based on Ehiasarian and Hovsepian's research have achieved commercial success. In the REF impact period, HIPIMS machines equipped to deliver MERI''s HIPIMS surface pre-treatment have achieved sales of over £5m, and income generated through SHU's HIPIMS-related licences has totalled £403,270. In 2010 Ehiasarian's group established the Joint Sheffield Hallam University-Fraunhofer IST HIPIMS Research Centre, the first such Centre in the UK. This has broadened the industrial uptake of MERI's HIPIMS technologies and stimulated a network of sub-system providers.
Cranfield has improved modelling and simulation capability in the infrared and radio frequency regions of the electro-magnetic spectrum. This research has been exploited by Chemring in:
Cranfield's research has also contributed to a major new Chemring hardware product called the Centurion launcher, by informing the development of the software algorithms to control the launcher in operation.
Since the mid-1990s, the Materials and Structures Research Group has been conducting research into materials-joining processes, including metal-ceramic joining for high-temperature applications. The group's research on metal-ceramic interfacial relationships and metal-ceramic joining subsequently assisted Cambridge-based C4 Carbides to optimise metal-to-diamond brazing and develop cutting tools with improved quality and longer lifetimes. Since 2010 the company has also [text removed for publication]
This continuing collaboration has helped C4 Carbides secure a TSB smart award and begin its strategic shift from niche SME to mainstream supplier.
The investigators of this impact case study have utilised their expertise in materials engineering, theoretical/numerical modelling and product development to achieve significant economic, social and environmental impacts in a range of fields through developing a systematic methodology for innovative product design and optimisation. Through several industrial projects and collaborations, significant impacts have been witnessed including new products creating several million pounds in revenue annually for businesses in different sectors and green manufacturing technologies in repair and reclamation of components. All the described impacts were results of investigation in the Mechanical Engineering and Materials Research Centre (MEMARC) over the assessment period.
Research at Manchester has led to the development of a new class of high performance magnesium alloys based on the addition of rare-earth alloying elements. The new alloys combine low density and the highest strength of any magnesium alloy. Used to substitute for aluminium in aerospace and automotive they produce weight savings of 35% improving performance and reducing fuel consumption. Commercialisation of these alloys by Magnesium Elektron (ME), the international leader in magnesium alloy development, contributes over $20m per annum to company revenue. This includes development of the first commercial product available for bioresorbable magnesium implants, SynermagTM, launched in 2012.
Nanoforce Technology Ltd. is a spin-out company wholly owned by QMUL, active in the field of polymeric and ceramic materials. Bridging the gap between academic research and industrial applications, Nanoforce has done business with over 100 companies since 2008, providing the key research expertise and specialist facilities to enable the development of new materials and commercial products, including Sugru® a room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber, Zelfo® a self-binding cellulose material, and BiotexTM a range of high-performance yarns, fabrics and pre- consolidated sheets based renewable resources such as PLA and natural flax fibres. Nanoforce has been promoting the development and commercialisation of spark plasma sintering (SPS) since 2006, which resulted in Kennametal recently opening the first commercial SPS facility in the UK to produce advanced ceramic armour. Nanoforce's clients have included large multi-nationals such as DSM, Dow Chemical, General Electric, SABIC, L'Oreal, Shell, Sibelco, governmental agencies such as Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and a large number of SME's.
Components built using 3D composite manufacturing methods developed by Cranfield are now flying on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. This is the first use of structural composites in commercial aircraft landing gear. The prototypes were assembled and reinforced using robot automated technology developed at Cranfield.
Cranfield's work has extended the use of composite materials into critical landing-gear systems, allowing Messier-Bugatti-Dowty to contribute to the use of 50% composite materials for the airframe of the new 787, delivering weight reduction and better fuel economy.
The University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry has developed a novel method of incorporating thermally or chemically labile biologically active substances into polymers. This has been achieved by using supercritical carbon dioxide as a medium for the synthesis and modification of polymeric materials. The method has been employed as the basis for new drug-delivery devices whose viability in the healthcare sphere has been confirmed by patient trials. The spin-out company, Critical Pharmaceuticals Ltd, has delivered a range of economic benefits, including job creation, the securing of millions of pounds' worth of investment and a number of revenue-generating research collaborations.