State-Of-The-Art Facilities
The research is supported by an extensive suite of state-of-the-art facilities, which will be further bolstered through the EPSRC's and The University of Manchester's investment in this Programme.
Current facilities include scanning and transmission electron microscopes, surface analysis and simulation equipment. Recent notable investments focus on exciting new 3D microstructural characterisation methods, including X-ray tomography, nanoscale serial sectioning using dual ion beam tomography, forming and friction joining research and the development of techniques for in-situ analysis of simulated processes. Members of the Team are also involved in the development of large scale facilities for materials research (e.g. Diamond Light Source) and will use these tools to validate the models to be developed within the proposed work.
We intend to continue our role in developing cutting edge techniques by investments, in new equipment, including an SEM subnanometre resolution (0.8 nm SE) and will be the first in the UK, surface and texture analysis facilities and high temperature mechanical testing with in-situ strain mapping.