Zirconia-based ceramics are used in many engineering applications but they fail when exposed to moisture at 100 300oC. Overcome this and major new markets open up in the medical and petrochemical industries amongst many others. Results obtained by Loughborough University indicate this can be achieved by producing nanostructured zirconia.The science is now largely understood so the task is to scale up the manufacture of these materials to prototype level and transfer the technology into industry. Three industrial partners, including a nanopowder producer, a ceramic manufacturer and a control valve manufacturer, will work with Loughborough to achieve this.

Solid oxide fuel cells have the potential to greatly reduce carbon emissions in electricity generation because of their high conversion efficiency and suitability for distributed generation. Overall, this project will target the critical fuel cell issues of system cost and lifetime, including cell and stack cost, power density and affordability. The research will focus on the design, development and validation of novel components, sub-systems and integrated systems for RRFCS's initial system, a 1MW SOFC stationary power generation unit. Imperial College will contribute by developing new low-cost materials and geometries that are fundamental to the realisation of competitive fuel cells and stacks. This will involve using theoretical modelling at the atomistic level to identify promising new materials with the appropriate electronic properties. These will be synthesised and characterised in detail and finally the most promising ones will be evaluated in the RRFCS fuel cell structure.

Conventional Ni-YSZ anodes have limitations with respect to their durability under real fuel environments. Some of the oxide anodes that are currently under investigation, such as the LSCM family of materials at St Andrews promise to give better tolerance to C-deposition and improved redox stability on cycling. However, their integration into the IP-SOFC has to take account of their lower electronic conductivity as well as the different ceramic processing requirements. Work in this package will seek to exploit the continuing advances in materials elsewhere and incorporate these in the IP-SOFC design. On the anode-side, oxides such as the lanthanum strontium chromite manganites, offer the potential to improve the durability of the anode towards sulphur and carbon-deposition and to improve its stability on redox cycling. This would have benefits in improving stack durability as well as potentially allowing a major simplification of the system. The project will seek to implement novel anode materials into the integrated planar design and to seek and develop new alternative materials for use as anodes and anodic current collection layers. Materials will be investigated by solid state techniques and processing optimised for screen printing to achieve integrated planar modules for performance testing in different fuels. Susceptibility to sulphur poisoning and hydrocarbon cracking will be investigated.

The appeal of nanocrystalline ceramics arises from their potential to offer unusual physical and mechanical properties, which, depending on the material, can include superplasticity at elevated temperatures, optical transparency for normally opaque materials and a range of other electrical, optical and magnetic properties as well as potentially higher strengths, toughnesses and hardness.Although some commercial nanopowders are now produced in relatively large quantities, consolidation into dense nanostructured components by industrially-viable routes is needed to take full advantage of the potential offered. If this can be achieved there is the potential to use the materials for a very wide range of applications. Advanced ceramics are the active material in many electronics devices, fuel cells, magnets, sensors and biomaterials, as well as a very wide range of structural components. This means that they are used in almost every type of industry, including power generation, aerospace, transportation and military applications as well as in the manufacture of other materials. Such applications are vital to maintaining global competitiveness, decreasing energy consumption and minimising pollution. Their estimated world market was >$20B in 2000, with an annual growth rate of 7.2%. Of this, the electronics sector was ~65% of the market, the rest falling into the chemical processing, coatings and advanced structural mechanics sectors.The primary objective of this research proposal is to develop a number of recent developments at Loughborough Univ. that have been achieved under previous EPSRC grants. Specifically:* Whilst it is now possible to slip cast very homogeneous and high density compacts from nanosuspensions, there is currently a major problem with drying those made from high solids content suspensions (which yield the best bodies) - it can take several days even using a humidity drier. The structure of these bodies need understanding as a function of the processing conditions used, particularly the solids content of the suspension. This then gives us a chance to control the situation and perhaps improve it so that drying times can be much faster without sacrificing the properties of the body.* Similarly, it is now possible to dry press homogeneous and high density compacts from powders that have been formed by spray-freeze drying the nanosuspensions (the same process used to make instant coffee granules). Once again, however, the high solids content suspensions (which yield the highest densities) provide problems, this time with hard agglomerates that don't crush. Very similar work needs performing as above to allow us to understand why this is happening and what can be done about it.* Both types of compact need firing in furnaces to produce fully dense ceramics whilst retaining an extremely fine, sub 100 nm, average grain size. Whilst this can now also be done using a novel pressureless (and hence low cost) process, the understanding of how this process works is still not perfect and we also need to scale up to make larger components.* Finally, as we near the point where we can exploit these developments commercially, we really need to develop a better understanding of industry's requirements. Just how close are we to developing process routes that they can use on their factory floors? Which ceramic systems are they most interested in? Which companies are really ready to embrace the new 'nanotechnology' and which are keen to sit on the sidelines for a bit longer yet. These issues, and others, will all be addressed in the final task of the programme.

The Departments of Chemistry (Chem) and Chemical Engineering (Chem Eng) at the University of Bath propose a Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in Sustainable Chemical Technologies. The 6.9m requested from the EPSRC will be supplemented by 6.0m from the University and a 3.0m industrial contribution to fund a DTC operating at the interface of Chem and Chem Eng. The DTC will place fundamental concepts of sustainability at the core of a broad spectrum of research and training in applied chemical sciences. A dynamic, multidisciplinary research and training environment (the combined current EPSRC portfolio for the two departments is 19.9m) will underpin transformative research and training in Sustainable Chemical Technologies. This will respond to a national and global need for highly skilled and talented scientists and engineers in the area. All students will receive foundation training to supplement their undergraduate knowledge, as well as training in Sustainable Chemical Technologies and transferable skills. They will all conduct high quality and challenging research within the Sustainable Chemical Technologies theme directed by joint Chem and Chem Eng supervisors. The broad research themes encompass the areas of; Renewable Resources, Clean Energy, Clean Processes, Pharmaceuticals and Wellbeing, and Life Cycle Impact Reduction. Participation from key industry partners will address stakeholder needs, and partner institutions in the USA and Germany will provide world-leading international input, along with exciting opportunities for student placements. Detailed management plans have been developed in order to facilitate the smooth running of the centre and to enable excellence in the training and research aspects of the proposal. The Doctoral Training Centre will be supported by the creation of physical and virtual laboratories for the students.This 16m initiative has attracted strong and influential support: I strongly support the objectives you describe...the center is the right idea at the right time. Good luck! (Prof. George Whitesides, Harvard); The proposed initiative...should enable significant impacts to be made in this vital area. (joint letter signed by six Chief Executives of key stakeholders, including David Brown, IChemE and Richard Pike, RSC).