The Advanced Metals Processing research area aims to build on the UK’s strength in metals processing and provide the support needed to deliver innovative metals processing technologies and novel alloy solutions.

Our focus on metals process innovation is the gap between small-scale laboratory metals processing and the industrial scale. Through a combination of small-scale experiments, materials characterisation, and modelling, our aim is to develop an integrated computational materials engineering approach to metals processing across the whole manufacturing process. This will enable the UK metal industries to transition to a resource efficient, zero-pollution, digitalized and agile future.

The vision of the ‘Atoms to Devices’ (A2D) Research Area is to provide the cross- disciplinary technology platforms to facilitate the accelerated discovery and development of new device materials.

A2D is the quantum scale engineering of new technologies, that can translate into applications ranging from photonics, imaging, semiconductors and sensors, through to energy storage, biomedical materials and quantum technologies.

The research area comprises modelling, design, growth, fabrication, characterisation, and testing of electronic, spintronic and opto-electronic devices. Application examples include development of electronic materials for the energy transition, and design of bioelectronic sensors to support personalised healthcare.

The objective of the Biomedical Materials research area is to accelerate its discovery, manufacture and translation into usable applications, enhancing the UK’s position as an international leader in the fields of biomaterials and biomedical systems and devices.

Globally, the number of individuals aged 60+ is projected to reach 1.4 billion by 2030. In response to the change in the age demographic, a new generation of ‘smart dynamic’ biomedical materials are required to support novel medical approaches that sustain and improve human health and well-being for longer.

Materials for Personal Health has therefore been identified as a National Materials Challenge, which the Biomedical Materials research area feeds into.

This area of research concerns new compositions of matter with tailored properties, which are crucial in solving critical issues in our time, from hydrogen production or catalyst design to polymer recycling.

The Royce platforms hosted within the Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) at the University of Liverpool focus on high-throughput discovery via a combination of in-silico modelling, computational design, and machine learning techniques supported by autonomous make-and-measure platforms.

In Manchester, the focus is to discover and develop sustainable new materials by biomanufacturing, as well as sustainable polymers for a circular economy with minimal impact on the environment.

The Imaging and Characterisation research area aims to provide access to the cutting-edge techniques across the entire scope of Royce’s research areas. This includes the specific expertise needed to describe and quantify the structure and properties of such a broad range of advanced materials. These techniques provide vital information to accelerate and support materials optimisation to improve performance, production, functionality and sustainability.

The applications of the Imaging and Characterisation capability across the partner institutes spans and complements the entire scope of Royce’s research areas and are vital in accelerating the development of advanced materials.

The vision for this research area is to provide material system solutions to address the needs of energy and transport sectors.

Material Systems for Demanding Environments focuses on developing novel coating solutions, including coated light materials solutions for electrification, coating against hydrogen pick-up, and coating for extending temperature capabilities. This development brings new understanding of material ageing through environmentally relevant testing and characterisation, and the integration of mechanistic modelling contributing to Materials 4.0.

Progress in this area will enable new power generation concepts, dramatic improvements in efficiencies and reduction in waste leading to an overall reduction in emissions.

Modelling and Simulation research aims to accelerate innovation in materials through physics-based modelling and computational simulation and facilitate collaboration between academia and industry.

Covering all the types of materials, numerous approaches to modelling and simulation exist across the full range of time and length scales where their behaviour is significant, from atoms and electrons to the scale of engineering components and beyond.

The Modelling and Simulation Research Area is integral to all Royce activities and serves as a key pillar of the Institute’s Materials 4.0 strategy, which drives the acceleration of materials innovation through digital methods.

The Nuclear Materials research area aims to help increase the UK’s existing economic strengths and competitive advantages in nuclear energy, and support its net-zero ambitions, by enabling innovation in research on radioactive materials.

Next generation fission and fusion power stations require development of more resilient materials due to the increased demands they place on materials, from corrosion to high radiation fields and severe thermal loads.

This research also enhances modelling across length and time scales to aid in the development of new codes and standards, which will positively benefit new nuclear build and potentially have impact across multiple sectors.

Two-dimensional materials (2DM) are few-atoms-thick crystals or layered compounds. Their list includes metals and semimetals, insulators, ferroelectrics, magnetics, and semiconductors with versatile mechanical, electronic, optical and thermal properties.

By exploring various families of 2DM, we identify their functionalities and employ those in developing composite materials. A small addition of a 2DM improves production and performance of components for automotive, aerospace, and various wearable applications.

Our research aims to maintain the UK’s leadership in 2D materials and nanomaterials composites, to develop new high-performance and energy-efficient materials for electronic devices, and to support innovation and production within the UK’s high-tech manufacturing sectors.