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Corin (United Kingdom)

Corin (United Kingdom)

7 Projects, page 1 of 2
  • Funder: UK Research and Innovation Project Code: EP/E040551/1
    Funder Contribution: 515,959 GBP

    Summary: A novel laboratory scale continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS) system has been developed for the controlled synthesis of inorganic nano-materials (particles <100nm) with potential commercial applications from sunscreens and battery materials to fuel cell components and photocatalysts. The CHFS system has many advantages; it is a green technology (using supercritical water as the reagent), which utilises inexpensive precursors (metal nitrate salts) and can controllably produce high quality, technologically important functional nano-materials in an efficient single step (or fewer steps than conventionally). This project seeks to move the existing laboratory scale CHFS system (developed over the past few years at QMUL) towards a x10 pilot scale-up (nano-powder production of up to 500g per 12h depending on variables). The proposed research will initially compare the ability to control particle characteristics of the CHFS system at the laboratory scale over a large range of process variables (flow rates, temperatures, pressures, etc), building full operational envelopes that will describe reactor variables versus particle properties for each material. In particular, we will utilise process analytical technology (PAT)and the data will help develop univariate and multivariate understanding of the temporal operational spaces and interactions between process variables and product quality. PATand chemometrics incorporated with combined computational fluid dynamics modelling of hydrodynamics/mixing and population balance modelling of particle size evolution via nano-precipitation will be used to study alternative nozzles designs and other potential bottleneck factors. This will lead to a generic strategy for scaling up and controlled manufacture of nanomaterials with consistent, reproducible and predictable quality. The scale up quantities of nano-powders from the pilot plant will allow industrial partners to perform prototyping or comprehensive commercial evaluation of nano-powders in a range of applications which they have hitherto not been able to conduct due to lack of sufficient high quality material. Importantly, the know-how acquired on the project and the proposed feasibility studies will reduce the risk and commercial barriers for industry that might consider building a larger industrial scale CHFS plant in the future.

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  • Funder: UK Research and Innovation Project Code: EP/S010076/1
    Funder Contribution: 1,080,780 GBP

    X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) is a scanning technique that enables full 3D visualisation and interrogation of internal and external geometries. It has become popular within industry (particularly manufacturing) and academic research as it enables us to see more than ever before at a variety of length scales and is completely non-destructive. The time taken to obtain this wealth of data is prohibitive to a number of applications with a single scan taking tens of minutes, up to a few hours. The equipment outlined in this proposal will enable high-resolution scans in tens of seconds, and even faster with some fundamental research. This is a UK first that will generate a wealth of scientific advancement. There have been a small countable number of "dynamic" experiments using lab based XCT scanners where a sample such as a novel material is sequentially loaded (e.g. compression) and scanned at each loading step. Here one can observe the changes in the material through time, identifying failure mechanisms, highlighting potential manufacturing improvements and aids in determining material properties. The reason for so few studies is that the number of scans required can lead to acquisition time of days. The substantial gain in speed with this equipment will reduce the total scan time to a matter of minutes with a continuously acquired dataset. The sample can then be evaluated at discrete points in time, and concentrate around the critical onset of failure observed. Scientific advancement in the development of new polymers, ceramics and metal alloys will be considerably accelerated with this unique characterisation capability. Manufacturing applications are often limited to a few high-value components because of the time taken to scan. The significant step change in speed will allow for high-throughput scanning that is desirable within the manufacturing line. This is the first step in a major revolution that will require big data analytics powered by machine learning algorithms to deliver accept/reject decisions in a reasonable time scale. Together this will be a driver for change in achieving 100% inspection of large component batches, at high resolution and at relevant cycle times.

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  • Funder: UK Research and Innovation Project Code: EP/E040624/1
    Funder Contribution: 493,408 GBP

    Summary: A novel laboratory scale continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS) system has been developed for the controlled synthesis of inorganic nano-materials (particles <100nm) with potential commercial applications from sunscreens and battery materials to fuel cell components and photocatalysts. The CHFS system has many advantages; it is a green technology (using supercritical water as the reagent), which utilises inexpensive precursors (metal nitrate salts) and can controllably produce high quality, technologically important functional nano-materials in an efficient single step (or fewer steps than conventionally). This project seeks to move the existing laboratory scale CHFS system (developed over the past few years at QMUL) towards a x10 pilot scale-up (nano-powder production of up to 500g per 12h depending on variables). The proposed research will initially compare the ability to control particle characteristics of the CHFS system at the laboratory scale over a large range of process variables (flow rates, temperatures, pressures, etc), building full operational envelopes that will describe reactor variables versus particle properties for each material. In particular, we will utilise on-line measurement of dynamic laser light scattering particle sizing, and at-line analytical methods. This data will help develop univariate and multivariate understanding of the temporal operational spaces and interactions between process variables and product quality. On-line sensing and chemometrics incorporated with combined computational fluid dynamics modelling of hydrodynamics/mixing and population balance modelling of particle size evolution via nano-precipitation will be used to study alternative nozzles designs and other potential bottleneck factors. This will lead to a generic strategy for scaling up and controlled manufacture of nanomaterials with consistent, reproducible and predictable quality. The scale up quantities of nano-powders from the pilot plant will allow industrial partners to perform prototyping or comprehensive commercial evaluation of nano-powders in a range of applications which they have hitherto not been able to conduct due to lack of sufficient high quality material. Importantly, the know-how acquired on the project and the proposed feasibility studies will reduce the risk and commercial barriers for industry that might consider building a larger industrial scale CHFS plant in the future.

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  • Funder: UK Research and Innovation Project Code: EP/L015862/1
    Funder Contribution: 3,859,110 GBP

    The Centre for Doctoral Training in "Molecular Modelling and Materials Science" (M3S CDT) at University College London (UCL) will deliver to its students a comprehensive and integrated training programme in computational and experimental materials science to produce skilled researchers with experience and appreciation of industrially important applications. As structural and physico-chemical processes at the molecular level largely determine the macroscopic properties of any material, quantitative research into this nano-scale behaviour is crucially important to the design and engineering of complex functional materials. The M3S CDT offers a highly multi-disciplinary 4-year doctoral programme, which works in partnership with a large base of industrial and external sponsors on a variety of projects. The four main research themes within the Centre are 1) Energy Materials; 2) Catalysis; 3) Healthcare Materials; and 4) 'Smart' Nano-Materials, which will be underpinned by an extensive training and research programme in (i) Software Development together with the Hartree Centre, Daresbury, and (ii) Materials Characterisation techniques, employing Central Facilities in partnership with ISIS and Diamond. Students at the M3S CDT follow a tailor-made taught programme of specialist technical courses, professionally accredited project management courses and generic skills training, which ensures that whatever their first degree, on completion all students will have obtained thorough technical schooling, training in innovation and entrepreneurship and managerial and transferable skills, as well as a challenging doctoral research degree. Spending >50% of their time on site with external sponsors, the students gain first-hand experience of the demanding research environment of a competitive industry or (inter)national lab. The global and national importance of an integrated computational and experimental approach to the Materials Sciences, as promoted by our Centre, has been highlighted in a number of policy documents, including the US Materials Genome Initiative and European Science Foundation's Materials Science and Engineering Expert Committee position paper on Computational Techniques, Methods and Materials Design. Materials Science research in the UK plays a key role within all of the 8 Future Technologies, identified by Science Minister David Willetts to help the UK acquire long-term sustainable economic growth. Materials research in UCL is particularly well developed, with a thriving Centre for Materials Research, a Materials Chemistry Centre and a new Centre for Materials Discovery (2013) with a remit to build close research links with the Catalysis Technology Hub at the Harwell Research Complex and the prestigious Francis Crick Institute for biomedical research (opening in 2015). The M3S will work closely with these centres and its academic and industrial supervisors are already heavily involved with and/or located at the Harwell Research Complex, whereas a number of recent joint appointments with the Francis Crick Institute will boost the M3S's already strong link with biomedicine. Moreover, UCL has perhaps the largest concentration of computational materials scientists in the UK, if not the world, who interact through the London-wide Thomas Young Centre for the Theory and Simulation of Materials. As such, UCL has a large team of well over 100 research-active academic staff available to supervise research projects, ensuring that all external partners can team up with an academic in a relevant research field to form a supervisory team to work with the Centre students. The success of the existing M3S CDT and the obvious potential to widen its research remit and industrial partnerships into topical new materials science areas, which lie at the heart of EPSRC's strategic funding priorities and address national skills gaps, has led to this proposal for the funding of 5 annual student cohorts in the new phase of the Centre.

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  • Funder: UK Research and Innovation Project Code: EP/N005309/1
    Funder Contribution: 234,928 GBP

    Additive manufacturing has the potential to impact on the life of everyone through the manufacturing of complex parts in a single process. Additive manufacturing involves building parts layer by layer, rather than cutting away material which happens with conventional manufacturing processes. To fully realise the potential of additive manufacturing new ways of undertaking engineering design need to be developed. The conventional way of educating engineering designers limits the opportunities additive manufacturing offers. The overall aim of this project is to develop new design processes based on human development for additive manufacturing. There are many similarities between human development and additive manufacturing and this project will exploit these similarities to develop new design rules. In the project a study will be undertaken to understand how the medical device industry currently designs implants and determine their uptake of additive manufacturing processes and the barriers to using the technology. The analogy between human development and additive manufacturing will then be investigated to help create a new set of design rules for additive manufacturing. Finally the new design rules will be tested. The main output from this project will be a new set of design rules for additive manufacturing that can be used to produce cost-effective parts.

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