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.

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.

We plan to create a world-leading, multidisciplinary, UK Structural Ceramics Centre to underpin research and development of these highly complex materials. Structural ceramics are surprisingly ubiquitous not only in obvious traditional applications (whitewares, gypsum plaster, house bricks, furnace refractories, dental porcelains and hip/knee prostheses) but in hidden applications where their electrical behaviour is also important such as in computers, mobile phones, DVDs etc. Structural ceramics are enabling materials which underpin many key areas of the economy including: energy generation, environmental clean-up, aerospace and defence, transport and healthcare. Key areas where important developments can be made in energy generation include ceramics for plutonium immobilisation and for next generation nuclear reactor fuels, for ion conductors in solid oxide fuel cells, and for storage of hydrogen for the projected hydrogen economy. Porous ceramics need to be developed for heavy metal and radionuclide capturing filters to help with environmental remediation of soil, air and water and for storage of carbon captured from burning fossil fuels. The next generation of space shuttles and other military aircraft will rely on ceramic and composite thermal protection systems operating at over 2000C. Ceramic coatings on turbine blades in aircraft enable them to function at temperatures above the melting point of the metals alloys from which they are mostly made, and improved ceramics capable of operation at even higher temperatures will confer improved fuel efficiency with environmental benefits. Our troops need improved personal body & vehicle armour to operate safely in troubled areas and the latest generation of armour materials will use ceramic laminate systems but improvements always need to be made in this field. Ceramic are used increasingly for bone and tooth replacement with the latest materials having the ability to allow natural bone ingrowth and with mechanical properties close to natural bone. It is clear the improved understanding of the mechanical behaviour of ceramics, better and simpler processing and the ability to model structure-processing-property relations over many length scales will lead to significant benefit not just to the UK but to mankind. Our aim is to combine the capabilities of two internationally-leading Departments at Imperial College London (Materials and Mechanical Engineering) to form the Centre of Excellence. The Centre will act as a focal point for UK research on structural ceramics but will encourage industrial and university partners to participate in UK and international R&D programmes. 51 companies and universities have already expressed the wish to be involved with promised in-kind support at over 900K. Research activities will be developed in three key areas: -Measurement of mechanical properties and their evolution in extreme environments such as high temperatures, demanding chemical environments, severe wear and impact conditions and combinations of these.-High Temperature Processing and Fabrication. In particular, there is a need for novel approaches for materials which are difficult to process such as borides, carbides, nitrides, materials with compositional gradients and ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). -Modelling of the time-dependence of deformation and fracture of ceramics to predict the useful lifetime of components. The modelling techniques will vary from treating the material as a homogeneous block down to describing the atomic nature of the materials and links between these approaches will be established.In addition to providing the funding that will enable us to create the nucleus from which the centre can grow, mutually beneficial relations with industry, universities and research centres in the UK and abroad will be developed to ensure that a large group of researchers will remain active long after the period for which funding is sought will have ended.