Contact: Graham Machin

High temperature metrology for industrial applications (>1000 °C)

Temperature measurements above 1000 °C are difficult to make but necessary for many industries such as aerospace and steel production. As industries cannot accurately measure these high temperatures, they often run processes too hot and therefore operate inefficiently.

By developing a range of measurement methods, accurate at high temperatures, this project will enable more efficient operation of industrial processes, reduced energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The project will focus on both ‘in situ’ techniques, where measurement devices are located directly in the environment being measured, as well as non-contact techniques that can take measurements without directly exposing devices to the high temperatures involved.

Contact: Bob Clarke

Electromagnetic characterisation of materials for industrial applications up to microwave frequencies

To cope with the increasingly high operational speeds of modern electronic equipment, new measurement techniques are required to assess the electromagnetic materials used in the fastest applications – at microwave frequencies up to 80 GHz.

The improved techniques produced by this project will support innovation in the European electronics industry by enabling reliable measurements at nano, micro and macro scales and less resource-intensive production processes.

This will help new electronic devices to be made smaller and more powerful, and will contribute to the development of technologies such as piezoelectrics, ferroelectrics, thin films, graphene and higher frequency medical ultrasound imaging.

Contact: Nigel Jennett

Dynamic mechanical properties and long-term deformation behaviour of viscous materials

Polymers (e.g. plastics and rubber) are often used to reduce the cost and weight of manufactured goods. However, they are viscous and so can deform under stress and over time.

This is not ideal for industrial applications, in particular in car manufacturing or water pipes, where materials need to remain stable and predictable over many years.

This project will develop methods for measuring viscous materials, including measurements of shape, mechanical properties and deformation rate. The project will also help widen the use of recycled polymer materials as current uptake is limited because of the higher uncertainty and variability in their properties, compared with virgin materials.

Contact: Fernando Castro

Metrology for the manufacturing of thin films

Thin film materials possess novel properties not found in bulk materials, enabling their use in the production of flexible LCDs or solar panels that can be fixed to the outside of windows.

The production of thin films is currently limited due to a lack of understanding of precisely how changes in the composition and structure of thin film materials affect properties such as electronic and thermal conductivity.

This project will improve the nanoscale measurements needed for developing thin film technologies, thereby improving our understanding of film properties and reducing material and energy costs. This should increase the uptake of thin films.

Contact: Mark Gee

Metrology to assess the durability and function of engineered surfaces

An estimated loss of 2% of GDP in developed countries is attributed to losses caused by friction and wear. Therefore, advances in surface engineering such as low friction coatings on machine components will improve industrial efficiency and the sustainability of transport, power production and manufacturing.

This project will develop advanced measurements from the macroscale to the nanoscale for the assessment of engineered surfaces. This will lead to an improvement of surface engineering, for example reducing downtime and waste in aluminium forging or increasing the lifetime of mining components used to drill for oil.

There could also be health benefits, as high durability coatings can eliminate the health risks posed by contamination of food products during processing.

Contact: Patrick Gill

New generation of frequency standards for industry

This research will develop new standards to improve the stability of the high frequency atomic clocks used to provide satellite navigation systems and fast internet access.

Current atomic clocks housed in laboratories meet performance requirements; however, these need to be smaller and capable of operating in harsh environments to be used in industrial environments.

This project will improve the robustness and portability of atomic clocks and aims to qualify such clocks for use in satellites in space.

This research should result in individual clocks becoming more stable and improved synchronisation between them, allowing higher speed data transfer with fewer errors and will provide more reliable systems for industry and consumers.