Diamond Light Source Showcases its Capabilities to UK Industry
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Encouraging UK companies to gain a competitive edge in their R&D work was a key focus for the Industrial Group of the British Crystallography Association during their autumn meeting, which was held in Oxfordshire on the 3rd and 4th November 2010.
Hosted by Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, the event gave delegates an insight into the wide range of experimental techniques that are on offer at the synchrotron.
Researchers who have already been conducting experiments at Diamond, including companies such as Rolls-Royce, Oxfordshire based pharmaceutical company, Evotec, and Cambridge based research company, Pharmorphix, gave talks on their R&D work and how their synchrotron experiments were giving them better results on a much reduced timeframe.
Prof. Dave Rugg, Rolls-Royce, explains “The use of advanced materials in safety critical applications requires a high level of understanding and good predictive capability. To this end, Rolls-Royce is planning improved material characterization with respect to the evolution of microstructure, crystallographic texture and residual stress. This will be conducted mainly via research programmes with leading academics using the engineering (JEEP) beamline at Diamond.”
“Development of new process routes and optimization of existing processes will improve material properties and reduce cost. In addition, Diamond allows detailed, in-situ, examination of deformation mechanisms within advanced engineering materials. Information derived in this way will significantly improve the understanding required to develop physically based models – these will be key in improving durability of engineering components.”
Dr Elizabeth Shotton, Diamond’s Industrial Liaison Manager, comments, “The experimental facilities and expertise at Diamond cover a wide range of research areas including drug development, pluronics, engineering, catalysis and alternative energy sources. It was really interesting to hear delegates talking about the kind of research they could bring to Diamond once we had highlighted the scope and benefits of our facilities. I’m sure we’ll be welcoming some new research groups as a result of this meeting.”
Hosted by Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, the event gave delegates an insight into the wide range of experimental techniques that are on offer at the synchrotron.
Researchers who have already been conducting experiments at Diamond, including companies such as Rolls-Royce, Oxfordshire based pharmaceutical company, Evotec, and Cambridge based research company, Pharmorphix, gave talks on their R&D work and how their synchrotron experiments were giving them better results on a much reduced timeframe.
Prof. Dave Rugg, Rolls-Royce, explains “The use of advanced materials in safety critical applications requires a high level of understanding and good predictive capability. To this end, Rolls-Royce is planning improved material characterization with respect to the evolution of microstructure, crystallographic texture and residual stress. This will be conducted mainly via research programmes with leading academics using the engineering (JEEP) beamline at Diamond.”
“Development of new process routes and optimization of existing processes will improve material properties and reduce cost. In addition, Diamond allows detailed, in-situ, examination of deformation mechanisms within advanced engineering materials. Information derived in this way will significantly improve the understanding required to develop physically based models – these will be key in improving durability of engineering components.”
Dr Elizabeth Shotton, Diamond’s Industrial Liaison Manager, comments, “The experimental facilities and expertise at Diamond cover a wide range of research areas including drug development, pluronics, engineering, catalysis and alternative energy sources. It was really interesting to hear delegates talking about the kind of research they could bring to Diamond once we had highlighted the scope and benefits of our facilities. I’m sure we’ll be welcoming some new research groups as a result of this meeting.”
