Advanced Performance Materials 3, 247-249 (1996) @ British Crown Copyright 1996, Published with permission of the controller of Her Britannic Majesty's
Stationery Office, London, by Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston. Manufactured in The Netherlands.
Preface The United Kingdom Defence Research Agency (DRA) was created in 1991 by combining the Ministry of Defence Research Establishments; the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), the Admiralty Research Establishment (ARE), The Royal Armaments Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) and the Royal Signals Research Establishment (RSRE). Each of these establishments had a rich history of advanced materials research in their respective military environments. The DRA established the Structural Materials Centre (SMC) in April 1994 by bringing together all its staff working in materials and related technologies for military aircraft, ship, vehicle, bridging and weapon applications. With about 500 materials scientists and engineers, and an extensive network of academic and industrial collaborators, the SMC has become one of the largest teams of materials experts in Europe. Recognising the wide range of applications of materials research and technology in civil as well as defence market sectors, the DRA has set up SMC as a Dual Use Technology Centre (DUTC). As a DUTC, SMC aims to remain the Ministry of Defence's prime source of materials research and technology, to contribute to industrial competitiveness and wealth creation via technology transfer and dual use technology development projects, and to become a national focus for materials research and technology. The SMC's capabilities may be classified as Advanced Metallic Alloys and Ceramics, Advanced Non-Metallics, and Multi-functional Materials. The last class embodies materials which will have both structural and other functional characteristics, such as structural radar absorbing materials and smart materials. Capabilities in advanced metallic alloys and ceramics range from the development of new metallic and ceramic materials to their application in civil and military structures and components. The SMC's activities in this area include: * Development of new metallic alloys and metal matrix composites * Welding technology * Development of ceramics and ceramic composites * Development of processing methods * Mechanical and structural characterisation * Microstructural analysis * Modelling and design * Non-destructive evaluation * Life assessment * Corrosion assessment and prevention * Failure investigation
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Capabilities in Advanced Non-Metallics span all activities from the development of new organic materials and their composites to their application in civil and military structures and components. Specific SMC capabilities in this area include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Development of new polymers and polymer composites Development of novel reinforcing fibres Development of manufacturing processes Adhesion science and bonding technology Chemical and thermal characterisation and analysis Materials Modelling Mechanical and structural evaluation Structure and component design Damage tolerance and crashworthiness Durability and environmental degradation Fire testing Repair technology Paints and coatings technology Quality assurance Failure investigation
SMC interests in the area of multifunctional materials technology include the development and application of materials and material systems which have multi-functional or nonstructural properties. The SMC's capabilities in this area include: * * * * * *
Development and application of stealth materials Development of smart materials and structures Functional surfaces Biomimetics Sensors Catalysts
In addition to the standard equipment found in most materials technology centres, many SMC facilities are regarded as strategic assets. Examples of these include: * A silicon carbide monofilament plant, which is the only facility of its kind outside the USA. * A carbon fibre production research facility recently adapted to enable hollow carbon fibres to be manufactured from PAN precursors. * A metal powder plant enabling the production of particularly fine powders. * A filament winding facility and associated world leading expertise. * An electron beam alloy evaporation rig, the only one in Europe able to deposit large (multi-kilogram) quantities of material. * A high strain rate test capability, originally developed for testing armour, but now a strategic facility for evaluating crashworthiness. * A comprehensive suite of metal fabrication facilities.
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Initially SMC staff occupied laboratories on eight sites, with major concentrations at Farnborough, Fort Halstead and Holton Heath. However, in the summer of 1996 most SMC staff will move into a new laboratory on the Farnborough site. The new laboratory will provide approximately 28,000 square metres of laboratory and office space, including three large halls. One of these halls has been designed for processing polymer, metal and ceramic matrix composites. Another will be dedicated to materials testing, with specialist machines for mechanical characterisation of metals and polymers, metal-matrix and conventional composites, and high temperature materials. The third hall will house comprehensive metal processing facilities for melting steels, aluminium and titanium alloys, rolling, forging and evaporating alloys. Within its remit as a DUTC, SMC is developing new partnerships with industry and academia. In addition to its traditional role as a customer of industry and universities, the SMC is now looking for opportunities which lead to funded projects. The new laboratory has been designed to allow greater access to SMC partners, so that staff from industry and universities will be able to perform projects and be accommodated in the new facility. It is hoped that by the year 2000 about one third of the occupants of the new laboratory will be staff from SMC partner organisations. Equally SMC staff will be encouraged to take up secondments in industry and academia when project and professional benefits are apparent. The papers in this issue have been selected to provide an idea of the breadth and depth of SMC capabilities for military and civil applications. The papers will of necessity represent only a small part of SMC capabilities and activities. For further information on these papers or on the SMC itself, please contact me by letter or fax at (441) 252 392149. John Morton Director Structural Materials Centre DRA Farnborough Hants GU14 6TD United Kingdom
