The UK National Centre for Advanced Materials 01 - 05 CONTENTS OUR VISION

The UK national centre for advanced materials 01 - 05 CONTENTS OUR VISION

THE ROYCE HAS BEEN SET UP TO ACCELERATE THE INVENTION AND TAKE UP OF NEW MATERIALS SYSTEMS THAT WILL MEET GLOBAL CHALLENGES, ENHANCE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTIVITY AND COMPETITIVENESS, AND SHAPE THE WORLD AROUND US. 01 WELCOME TO THE ROYCE

The Henry Royce Institute is the UK national centre for advanced materials.

From future cities and their energy supplies, to computing, manufacturing and medicine, the Royce’s research has the potential to have a significant impact that will be felt in people’s everyday lives. The Royce was established to ensure the UK can exploit its world-leading expertise in advanced materials and accelerate innovation from discovery to application.

With its hub in Manchester and with capability distributed across nine founding Partners, the Royce is making a step change to research capability in the UK. It is open to all and supports both academic and industry research. Working collaboratively, the Royce aims to create real solutions and make a fundamental difference to the UK economy.

The Royce has identified nine critical research themes on which to focus its initial activity, ranging from Nuclear Materials and Energy Storage, to Advanced Metals Processing and Biomedical Materials. Each is championed by one of our Partners, who work with the wider academic community and industry to shape the research landscape.

Our vision is to create an integrated research supply chain in order to design, make and test advanced materials systems, cost-effectively and at speed. Whether you are from a large company, an SME or an academic environment, the Royce may be able to help and we look forward to working with you.

Phil Withers, Regius Professor and Chief Scientist, Henry Royce Institute

ROYCE.AC.UK 05 02 | WORK WITH US 02 WORK WITH US

WORLD-LEADING CAPABILITY, SUPPORTING ACADEMIA SUPPORTING INDUSTRY OPEN TO ALL

The Henry Royce Institute has made Facilities at the Royce are open to all The Royce is open to businesses of all sizes, more than £330m of advanced materials UK academics regardless of institution, to help tackle materials challenges, exploit capability available to all UK academics using a fast access process. new opportunities, and accelerate research and to industry, with new facilities being and innovation. From equipment access for added monthly. All equipment is technically All Partners have technical and advisory commercially sensitive research, to long-term supported and can be made available using staff providing a single point of entry into partnerships, the Royce can work flexibly a range of access models. facilities across the Royce, enabling you and support a range of approaches and needs. to easily find the right contact. Facilities These include: The Royce works closely with a range of can be accessed using a variety of funding organisations, from Universities, Catapults sources, including research council grants. Ť 6KRUWWHUPFRQWUDFWUHVHDUFK and funding bodies, to SMEs and major In addition there is funding available solving specific challenges or capitalising multi-nationals. These collaborations to support proof-of-concept research, on opportunities, by accessing facilities are focused on accelerating innovation, and training and equipment use for PhD and expertise to translate discoveries to applications students. and real economic and societal benefits. Ť /RQJWHUPVWUDWHJLFUHVHDUFK The Royce represents much more than The Royce can support individual research programmes with broader simply state-of-the-art facilities; over 900 research projects as well as contribute to focus that may also involve PhD funding, academics from across the UK are already larger programme grants, manufacturing post-doctoral resource, consultancy part of the Royce community providing hubs, European projects and national and workshops a rich source of world-leading expertise challenge funding. to support research and innovation of Ť .QRZOHGJHWUDQVIHUWUDLQLQJ introducing advanced materials systems. knowledge and techniques into industry, its supply chain and SMEs

Ť ,QQRYDWLRQDQGURDGPDSSLQJZRUNVKRSV activity focusing on scientific £330M OF exploration of advanced materials challenges, foresighting and ADVANCED MATERIALS development of innovation strategies CAPABILITY OPEN The Royce is also able to fund SMEs TO ACADEMICS to undertake proof-of-concept work AND INDUSTRY and training. To find out more, or to be connected with the most relevant expertise and facilities at the Royce, contact [email protected]

06 ROYCE.AC.UK 07 03 OPEN ACCESS FACILITIES

Together, the Royce Partners have established a unique, FACILITIES integrated UK capability to design from the ‘atom to the component’. Over 900 pieces of equipment are available INCLUDE MAKE, at the Royce and include make, assemble, test, characterise and imaging capabilities – allowing the iterative design ASSEMBLE, TEST, of advanced materials systems with a wide range of applications across our research areas. These facilities CHARACTERISE support work across all Technology Readiness Levels AND IMAGING (TRLs) with a particular focus on early TRLs. Opening up a range of world-leading facilities is a CAPABILITIES significant investment in materials innovation in the UK. The Royce provides SMEs and spin-outs with access to research labs that were previously only available to major multi-nationals.

Our facilities are spread across the country and the Royce founding Partners, including equipment and expertise from: University of Cambridge Imperial College London University of Leeds University of Liverpool The University of Manchester National Nuclear Laboratory INTERESTED? University of Oxford The University of Sheffield UK Atomic Energy Authority FIND OUT MORE

You can find an overview of the Royce facilities relevant to each research area later in this guide or, to browse and search a more detailed inventory, visit UR\FHDFXN

Royce staff are available to discuss our facilities and equipment, based on your requirements, and can connect you with the relevant Partner institutions, technicians or academics.

00 www.royce.ac.ukROYCE.AC.UK 09 04 | RESEARCH AREAS 04 RESEARCH AREAS

OUR RESEARCH SUMMARY

SUPPORTS THE In order to focus the Royce’s research and ADVANCED METALS deliver maximum impact, each Partner 2D MATERIALS ATOMS TO DEVICES GOVERNMENT’S PROCESSING champions a core research area, providing leadership by working with related INDUSTRIAL organisations in the field and identifying STRATEGY TO new challenges and capability gaps. DRIVE GROWTH The Royce is aligned to the UK government Industrial Strategy and our research has the potential to transform the digital, engineering, energy and health sectors. Many of our research areas are complementary, and Royce Partner BIOMEDICAL CHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE institutions work collaboratively, sharing MATERIALS MATERIALS DESIGN facilities and expertise.

This section outlines at a high level the nine core research areas, their focus in terms of materials science and its application, and the most relevant equipment which is available to deliver these outcomes.

MATERIALS SYSTEMS MATERIALS NUCLEAR FOR DEMANDING FOR ENERGY MATERIALS ENVIRONMENTS EFFICIENT ICT

10 ROYCE.AC.UK ROYCE.AC.UK 11 04 | RESEARCH AREAS 2D MATERIALS

Royce Champion Professor Vladimir Falko, The University of Manchester

Two-dimensional materials are one-atom thick materials capable of being combined in nano-stacks to deliver unique functionality. By far the best known is graphene, pioneered in the UK, but there is a large and growing family of 2D materials that promise to revolutionise the materials world.

The Royce focuses on developing the key underpinning science needed for future product development in a range of areas, including membranes for filtration and THE ROYCE coatings, energy storage and functional composites. REPRESENTS THE UK The University of Manchester has established MATERIALS COMMUNITY a suite for functionalisation of 2D materials with in situ characterisation/testing capability AND COLLABORATES which, combined with existing infrastructure, will provide UK academic groups and WITH ACADEMICS companies with a single access point for the development, production and analysis of 2D AND INDUSTRY materials. These materials will be exploited in inks for printable electronics, enhanced composites, coatings and membranes, and in electrodes in fuels cells, lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors.

The National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester houses 1,500 square metres of class 100 and class 1000 cleanrooms – the largest academic space of its kind in the world dedicated to graphene research – as well as laser, optical, metrology and chemical labs and equipment.

ROYCE.AC.UK 13 04 | RESEARCH AREAS ADVANCED METALS ATOMS TO DEVICES BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS PROCESSING Royce Champions Royce Champion

Royce Champion Professor Neil Alford, Professor Sarah Cartmell, Professor Mark Rainforth, Imperial College London The University of Manchester University of Sheffield Professor Edmund Linfield, University of Leeds A new generation of “smart” biomaterials THE ROYCE WOULD The Royce is focused on creating is required to support novel medical alloys with higher performance, better The Atoms to Devices (A2D) area focuses approaches that improve human health LIKE TO GROW manufacturability, greater flexibility, lower on translating new materials systems from and well-being. The Royce will accelerate cost, and lower environmental impact. the atomic scale to operational devices. the discovery, manufacture and translation ITS PARTNERS TO Research is supported by a range of of these materials using state-of-the-art These new materials systems have a capabilities, such as the manufacture of facilities. INCLUDE AS MANY wide range of applications including: powders, deposition of functional films lightweight solutions for transport; net by vacuum or solution processes, and Two grand challenges have been identified: OF THE UK’S shape aerospace components; orthopaedic control of interfacial properties. This is restoring biological function with minimal applications; additive repair of high value complemented by theory and simulation invasiveness (e.g. regenerative medicine, LEADING MATERIALS components; and primary metals for capability, and facilities for structural, novel prosthetics and implants), and automotive and aerospace manufacturing. chemical and electrical characterisation. developing new therapies that reduce SCIENTISTS AS Our capability can make alloys at a scale The Royce, together with the wider UK patient risk, improve efficacy, and lower that is relevant to research and to upscaling academic and industry community, has cost (e.g. nanomedicine theranostics and POSSIBLE for industry needs. research excellence across the many personalised medicine). disciplinary areas required to create an The Translational Centre at the University integrated Atoms to Devices programme. Biomedical Materials focuses on providing of Sheffield acts as an open access centre direct patient benefit and improving of excellence, incorporating both existing The impact of innovation in this research medical testing and device production. and newly purchased state-of-the-art area covers many applications, including: Examples include replacing damaged powder manufacture and processing photonics, imaging and communication; tissues using only biodegradable facilities. The Centre enables Sheffield to semiconductors; cybersecurity; biomaterials, and creating more devices lead on advanced powder manufacturing thermoelectrics; sensor technology; energy that could be surgically inserted using and processing, and to transfer knowledge storage; and biomedical materials. minimally invasive techniques. In addition and experience to local SMEs active to having a significant global impact on in healthcare, energy, oil and gas, The new Bragg Centre at the University healthcare provision, biomedical materials manufacturing and construction of Leeds will be home to Royce facilities can create 3D in vitro tissues that improve supply chains. and foster a culture of inter-disciplinary pharmaceutical testing, and can also reduce working in the development of novel the need for animal testing. A second, new research centre, the Royce materials to address 21st Century Discovery Centre at the University’s challenges. Imperial College London is This research area is led by the University city campus will be focussed on early- also providing state-of-the-art facilities of Manchester, working with the University stage research in materials discovery and dedicated to the innovation of novel of Sheffield. Facilities at Manchester processing. The Translational Centre will multifunctional devices, where researchers provide a suite to make, characterise and then take these research discoveries and will have access to facilities for nano-scale test biomedical materials and devices. work with companies to help apply them thin film deposition, device patterning, This includes 3D printing, selective laser to their manufacturing challenges. and prototyping of nano-devices. melting for powder production, mechanical analysis, cytometry, and light-sheet microscopy (LSM).

14 ROYCE.AC.UK ROYCE.AC.UK 15 04 | RESEARCH AREAS CHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS SYSTEMS FOR MATERIALS DESIGN Royce Champion DEMANDING ENVIRONMENTS

Royce Champion Royce Champion Professor Peter Bruce, Professor Andrew Cooper, University of Oxford Professor Michael Preuss, University of Liverpool The University of Manchester The Energy Storage research area is The Royce will lead the discovery and critical to our future cities and transport, Corrosion is all around us, so understanding Facilities at the University of Manchester analysis of new materials by collaborating both in terms of cost and efficiency, and how materials systems behave in include a tribology lab and the with industry, and combining high- environmental impact. Better energy demanding environments is critical to multidisciplinary characterisation facility, performance computing and materials storage materials are required for the safety and productivity. The applications of allowing researchers to work between science. Our research in Chemical Materials electrification of transport and for the this research area are vast, covering energy different scales and modalities Design will have a significant impact on decarbonisation of the national grid. The production and the marine, aerospace and to investigate materials structure a wide range of industrial sectors, from Royce research area focuses on batteries, automotive sectors. Applications span a and failure mechanisms. nanofabrication to nuclear engineering. supercapacitors and thermoelectrics to range of scales too, from small biomedical Applications for these tailored, novel solve the material challenges involved in components that function in extreme and materials are wide ranging and include the the all-solid-state battery. unusual conditions, to heavy engineering creation of sustainable structures for components such as infrastructure and the power and transport industries. This research would transform the safety transport. of lithium-ion batteries and enable the use The research area is led by the University of lithium metal electrodes to deliver a step The Royce enables the full design lifecycle of Liverpool, providing access to the change in energy density. This work can for new materials systems, from design new Materials Innovation Factory (MIF), lead to safe electric vehicles with a greater to make, and then characterisation and and featuring open access laboratories than 300 mile driving range and faster testing. This area has a large research which can be used by both academics charging. The global market in lithium capability in nuclear fuel cladding and and industry. Liverpool is investing batteries is growing exponentially, reaching high-pressure, high-temperature research, £3m in automated robotic modules £50bn in 2020. including a large autoclave testing facility. for formulation, chemistry and analysis. The ‘Formulation Engine’ will transform the The University of Oxford is providing a suite A crucial aspect of developing these new process of testing and formulation, making of state-of-the-art facilities and equipment materials systems is to fully understand the it extremely affordable and accessible to focused on the analysis of energy materials relationship between the manufacturing industry and academic researchers. and the development of energy storage parameters and performance of the solutions. This includes thin film deposition, material; a cradle-to-grave approach. The MIF draws together world-leading UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light Imagine the benefit of turbine blade research and technologies, integrating scattering, impedance spectroscopy, and coatings which were self-healing, the computational and experimental models, electrochemical testing. The Royce is also environmental impact of errosion-resistant and houses £10m worth of measuring and collaborating with the Faraday Institution coated piping with sensor capability, testing equipment. Royce facilities at the (FI), a new independent institute for or the economic and human impact MIF include suites for chromatography, electrochemical energy storage science of nuclear fuel assemblies that could virtual reality and scanning electron and technology. A joint set of research withstand accident scenarios for hours microscopy (SEM), as well as a range of priorities, between the FI and Royce, will instead of minutes. spectroscopy, light and x-ray scattering be developed that exploits opportunities to equipment. their maximum potential.

16 ROYCE.AC.UK ROYCE.AC.UK 17 04 | RESEARCH AREAS MATERIALS FOR ENERGY NUCLEAR MATERIALS EFFICIENT ICT Royce Champions

Royce Champion Professor Francis Livens, Professor Sir Richard Friend, The University of Manchester University of Cambridge Jonathan Hyde, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) Current technologies, such as phones Martin O’Brien, and tablets, operate below the scientific UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) limits of performance. The Materials for Energy Efficient ICT research area focuses The Nuclear Materials research area can on innovation in energy generation, be split into two areas: nuclear fuels and storage and use, which can have a waste streams in the nuclear fuel cycle; and transformative effect on the devices we structural materials for fission and fusion use. The applications of this research energy. It will enable scientists and industry can lead to a range of benefits for users, to prepare, test and analyse radioactive including advanced solar coatings to create materials for fission and fusion applications, self-charging devices powered by their and substantial programmes of work on environment, reduced power consumption, authentic irradiated nuclear materials. and significant improvements in battery energy density, longevity and cost. Our researchers will deliver innovation in materials and understanding of their This area is led by the University of performance to reduce costs, underpin Cambridge but works closely with safety and increase productivity in current a number of Royce Partners, including and future nuclear programmes. Themes of Atoms to Devices for materials interest in this area include: fuel production nanofabrication, Chemical Materials Design and performance including accident for new functional materials, and large- tolerant fuel; waste conditioning and scale Energy Storage research in Oxford. disposal; novel nuclear structural materials; and mechanical properties and irradiation The £25.6m Maxwell Centre at The effects in engineered alloys. University of Cambridge is home to Royce facilities, and is the centrepiece The University of Manchester’s Dalton for industrial engagement on the West Cumbrian Facility provides access to ion Cambridge Science and Technology accelerator systems and a gamma irradiator Campus. The scale of industrial involvement to support a wide range of in situ and is already substantial and the Centre ex situ experiments. This is complemented provides working space and first class by capability at Manchester, the Culham laboratories including magnetic property Centre for Fusion Energy (UKAEA) and measurement, an electrical characterisation NNL for preparation and characterisation suite, electrochemical and energy storage of irradiated and non-irradiated materials. testing, UV lithography, and nanoscale Together our Partners provide world- magnetic and thermal imaging. leading expertise to help shape the UK’s nuclear research agenda, enabling the UK to be a top-tier nuclear nation.

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Contact the Royce to find out more about how we can help your organisation, and to discuss how our facilities and expertise can support your requirements.

To browse and search a detailed inventory of equipment, visit our website.

ROYCE.AC.UK E: [email protected] @RoyceInstitute HenryRoyceInstitute HenryRoyceInstitute

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