Sector: Advanced Materials Manufacturing
Overview
Manchester Nanomaterials is a UK-based advanced materials company specialising in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of layered crystals for scientific research and the development of advanced materials for industrial applications. Their customers include NASA and IBM, as well as various universities and companies worldwide.
The Challenge
Manchester Nanomaterials operates in the niche market of advanced materials, producing thermal management solutions crucial for current and next-generation devices across various sectors, including automotive and aerospace. Traditional materials used face two significant limitations: ability to enhance heat dissipation capabilities beyond current performance, and difficulty in recycling or reuse at end-of-life. Despite ongoing improvements in material design, progress in developing solutions that address both performance and sustainability is limited.
The Solution
Manchester Nanomaterials partnered with the Henry Royce Institute through CEAMS, a collaboration that provided access to the Institute’s world-renowned expertise in materials development and characterisation. The team focused on developing advanced composite materials to optimise heat transport mechanisms. This methodology enabled the design of materials that not only improve thermal performance but also incorporate innovative chemistry allowing for material recovery and reuse.
The Impact
The collaborative effort successfully demonstrated a new class of materials that achieve significant improvements in heat dissipation and are able to be recycled and reused. Future work will focus on optimising material properties, scaling up production, and validating performance in real-world applications.
