Our Impact

Royce at the University of 91Ö±²¥ provides societal, environmental, and economic benefit through innovation in advanced materials processing.

'FAST-Forge' process could revolutionise production of titanium goods

FAST-Forge; The next generation of metal innovation

The City of Steel has brought forward a new metal revolution; Researchers at the University of 91Ö±²¥ are paving the way for more sustainable titanium production.

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Trucks in a mine setting, one is filling the other with mined material

Producing unique composite materials through FAST/SPS

Field Assisted Sintering Technology (FAST), also known as Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) densifies powder to form composite components. Working with the MARIOS team we've produced unique composites for mining applications.

FAST/SPS composites impact mining industries

Nano-satellite

Using 3D Printing to help us see into space

Nanosatellites offer a way to greatly increase access to space-based imaging. Whether these telescopes are looking to space for astronomical measurements, or to earth to track climate and weather, the costs are fraction of the large-scale satellites.

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Artificial hip joint (titanium) made using FAST-Forge

A new solid state approach to produce titanium hip joints from powder

Near net shape component production that also uses waste additive manufacturing powder is of increasing interest in the field of implant manufacturing.

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NanoMEGAS

Advanced Tribology and Wear Research at 91Ö±²¥ Using NanoMEGAS

The Sorby Centre for Electron Microscopy, School of Chemical Materials and Biological Engineering, 91Ö±²¥

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3d Printing - Acconity Mini

Finding out about Additive Manufacturing

Integral to our role here at Royce at the University of 91Ö±²¥ is outreach. This week we welcomed Lila on a work experience placement to the Royce Discovery Centre. She's been investigating a couple of facilities and this is what she's observed in the area of Additive Manufacturing with Dr. George Maddison.

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Electron micrograph and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy elemental colour maps

Optimised Powder Encapsulation Practice

Assessing the impact of encapsulation conditions on the quality of powder metal shaped parts consolidated by Hot Isostatic Pressing

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Alice Pyne has pioneered high resolution AFM imaging of DNA at the sub-molecular scale. [Pyne]
Alice Pyne has pioneered high resolution AFM imaging of DNA at the sub-molecular scale. [Pyne]

Topo-Stats: Making AFM Data More Accessible

Dr. Alice Pyne, a leading Royce researcher recently recognised for her commitment to open science and open data, leads a team of collaborators at the University of 91Ö±²¥ who have developed Topostats, a Python toolkit with an open licence.

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Image of JEOL JXA 8530F PLUS

Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA) unlocks a closer understanding of chemical distribution in engineering materials

Electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) provides a significantly enhanced means to obtain precise and accurate quantitative elemental compositional analysis of complex materials systems at the micron scale.

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SQUID RDC June 2021

Additive manufacturing magnetic materials for sensors/actuator applications

Producing sensors by manufacturing magnetostrictive materials using 3D printing technologies allows tuneable performance and design flexibility for many sectors including healthcare.

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CoMaSS: Construction Materials from Sand and Sun
Construction blocks printed by Aconity Mini and the CoMaSS system

CoMaSS: Construction Materials from Sand and Sun

A proof of concept project shows the potential to 3D print construction materials from desert sand and using sunlight to help combat desert expansion.

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Sully Khan
Sully Khan

Young's Modulus Measurement Techniques - Collaboration with Volkswagen Research

PhD researcher, Sully Khan, spent eight weeks at Volkswagen's research centre in Wolfsburg, Germany, with a view to obtaining accurate Young's modulus measurements for various samples.

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2D Strain map with different IMCs cluster size
2D Strain map with different IMCs cluster size

Microstructural Effect on the Formability of 6xxx Aluminium Alloys

Zhenjie Cao, PhD researcher at the Royce Hub at the University of Manchester has been investigating rolling, heat treatment and mechanical testing with 6xxx aluminium alloys.

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Image from Dr B. A. Rickinson's HIP Case Study
X Ray image of Hot Isostatic Pressed Powder Prototype

Powder and Hot Isostatic Processing for designer metallic structures

The application of Hot Isostatic Pressing together with specialised encapsulation of metal powders to develop novel near net shapes offers increasing potential to arena of near net shape manufacturing.

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Generated image of a tank
Generated image of a tank

Low-Cost Titanium Armour for Land Based Defence Platforms

Titanium alloys are high strength and low density, making them an ideal material for ballistic protection. Due to prohibitive costs of extraction and processing, their use in this sector has been restricted to weight-critical applications

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Illustration of the cycle of green hydrogen production
Illustration of the cycle of green hydrogen production

Producing Porous Titanium Structures for Green Hydrogen Electrolysis

Titanium is considered the optimal material for Green Hydrogen electrolysers, but new FAST technology developed in 91Ö±²¥ makes it financially viable.

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Sam Lister stands next to an industrial hammer at W. H. Tildesley
Sam Lister stands next to an industrial hammer at W. H. Tildesley

Collaboration with W.H. Tildsley revolutionises sub-sea junction production

"We believe die life is extended from 200-300, up to 1000 parts conservatively [by the FAST-forge process], in other words, increases die life by at least 300%" - David Lunn, W.H. Tildesley, Wolverhampton

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The Researcher Concordat and 91Ö±²¥

Dr Alice Pyne, Future Leaders Fellow, Head of our Nano Characterisation Lab, and Senior Lecturer, shares what the Researcher Concordat means to them.

Elizabeth Davis-Fowell in front of Panalytical Empyrean

Investigating Rare-Earth Free Permanent Magnetic Materials for Applications in Electric Motors

Elizabeth Davis-Fowell, PhD Researcher based at 91Ö±²¥, Partners with Volkswagen Materials Group to discover novel alternatives to existing magnetic alloys in use in the automotive sector.

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FAST - Processing Route

Solid-State Processing of Surplus Aluminium Alloy Powders through a Combination of Field Assisted Sintering Technology and Hot Rolling

The 91Ö±²¥ Titanium Alloy Research [STAR] group partners with ECKART GmbH to convert surplus aluminium alloy powders from atomisation into sheet material in two solid-state steps for use in aerospace applications.

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Ella Hudson and image of hair strands under a microscope
Ella Hudson and image of hair strands under a microscope

Investigating the Nanomechanical Properties of the Surface Layers of Hair Fibres

Ella Hudson, PhD Researcher at 91Ö±²¥, makes use of the Hysitron TI Premier Nanoindenter to ascertain the contribution of the hair cuticle to the mechanical properties of the whole fibre.

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Photo of Lucy Farquhar and a sample from her research

Designing Additively Manufactured High Entropy Alloys to Increase Efficiency and Sustainability of Aerospace Components

Lucy Farquhar, PhD Researcher based at 91Ö±²¥, Partners with Boeing UK to establish a novel additive manufacturing solution to develop high entropy alloys able to operate under high temperatures for jet engine applications.

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Image of Josiah Cherian Chekou

Additive Manufacturing of Novel Shape Memory Alloys for Clean Energy Applications

Josiah Cherian Chekotu, PhD Researcher based at Dublin City University, aims to reduce carbon emissions within the cooling and refrigeration industry through additively manufactured novel shape memory alloys for green energy solutions.

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AFRC NEWS IMAGE

Digital Twins for High-Value Components

Digital twin usage is growing apace. A group of researchers at the UK’s Advanced Forming Research Centre and 91Ö±²¥ explore its role in forging high-value components.

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Figure 3

Investigating the behaviour of Ti-Fe binary alloys produced from elemental powders during the HIP'ing process

The project aims to gain fundamental understanding of consolidation for developing novel, low-cost, near-net-shape Titanium alloys, while avoiding the chemical segregation observed in the difficult to cast Ti alloys.

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Image of Nuclear Power Plant

Contributing Towards Nuclear Waste Management

Radiological Hot Isostatic Pressing at 91Ö±²¥: A case study by the NucleUS Immobilisation Science Laboratory into the Management of the UK Plutonium Inventory.

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Quintus hot isostatic pressing facility - Nuclear AMRC

Building Confidence in Powder Metallurgy

Components made from austenitic stainless steel powder can meet the material requirements of the civil nuclear industry, Nuclear AMRC researchers have shown.

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Material Scientists observing the FAST machine

Swarf Titanium to Engine Parts in 3 Steps

Lower-cost access to lightweight titanium alloys will be a game-changer for the automotive industry, enabling manufacturers to reduce the emissions their cars create, while keeping them affordable.

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Group of images showing BiFeO3-SrTiO3 based multilater ceramic capacitors

Development of High Energy Density Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors

The Functional Materials and Devices Group aims to improve the operating voltage and energy storage density of high energy density capacitors.

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An image of steel being melted and cast into a mould
Casting into a mould

The Influence of Nanoprecipitation on Microalloyed Steels for the Automotive Industry

Extensive research into the introduction of new high-strength steels, based on microalloyed concepts for automotive applications, aims to reduce weight and emissions from vehicles.

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An image of raw tungsten-tantalum alloy

Investigating the Effect of Helium Fusion Plasmas on Tungsten-Tantalum Alloys

Researchers utilised the Royce Discovery Centre facilities, to produce tungsten-tantalum alloys in complete solid solution using a novel processing method.

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A graphic of a microscope in a grey circle

Nuclear Waste Containers: Does the Surface Finish Matter?

3D Optical Profilometry has been utilised by the NucleUS team to evaluate the surface finish of stainless samples and determine roughness parameters to assess the suitability of materials for nuclear waste disposal.

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Quantum Design MPMS®3 Magnetometer

Squid Enables Highly Accurate Study of Magnetic Materials

The high sensitivity of the equipment means that they allow for a much more accurate determination of magnetic properties on materials where the magnetism is extremely weak.

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An image of measurements taken on the Empyrean showing red to blue patches illustrating charging and discharging cycles

Developing the Next Generation of Energy Storage Materials

Growing concerns surrounding lithium supplies and sustainability have increased interest in developing a lower-cost, more environmentally-sound battery material.

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An image of two springs formed by continuous extrusion

Using 'Waste' Powders to Create Parts for Lightweight Vehicles

Researchers have discovered that through a method of continuous extrusion, rejected titanium powders can be used to create components for high-performance applications.

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Trent XWB-97 flying test bed engine front bearing housing. Showing 3d printed core inlet vane assembly

3D Printing of Critical Aircraft Structures

Rolls-Royce have used additive layer manufacturing (ALM) to construct a titanium front bearing housing (FBH) which is held inside a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine.

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A set of five images showing microscope imaging of a variety of alloys

Alloy Development for Aerospace

Jet engine manufacturers continuously strive to improve efficiency and reduce emissions, however, such advances are often limited by the materials available.

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A synthetic aorta in a metal box, with plastic tubes running in and out

Elastomeric Polymer Scaffolds for 3D Cell and Tissue Culture

Researchers at the University of 91Ö±²¥ are developing a 3D cell culture platform with the potential to revolutionise laboratory research into tissue engineering.

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A magnified image of a 3D printed polymer made using bacteria

Using Bacteria to Create Better Biomedical Materials

Researchers are using bacteria to create polymers that behave consistently and degrade safely, resulting in better patient outcomes.

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