Our Impact

Royce at the University of Sheffield provides societal, environmental, and economic benefit through innovation in advanced materials processing.

The Researcher Concordat and The University of Sheffield

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 The University of Sheffield, Partners with Volkswagen Materials Group to discover novel alternatives to existing magnetic alloys in use in the automotive sector.

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

The Sheffield 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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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 The University of Sheffield, 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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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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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 The University of Sheffield explore its role in forging high-value components.

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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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Contributing Towards Nuclear Waste Management

Radiological Hot Isostatic Pressing at The University of Sheffield: 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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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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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 Sheffield 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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