Manufacturing

c38-_gan-on-si-led2.jpg

Manufacturing research within the energy initiative is carried out across a number of departments and research groups at the University of Cambridge.

Research includes:

• Carbon Footprint Reduction, un-photocopying, re-using steel and aluminium without melting, reduction of energy demand in paper-making using online optimisation and control, and monitoring and control of emissions in industrial processes using sensors.
• Energy Efficient Industrial Processes, including hydrogen based low-energy methods for metal production and metal reclamation, novel reduction of metal oxides & electro-deoxidation for solar-grade silicon.
• Recycling, including microwave heating and pyrolysis to process carbon-intensive forms of waste in more environmentally friendly ways; treatment of printed circuit boards to reclaim the components and all the metals; and an environmentally friendly way of recycling lead acid batteries.
• Industrial sustainability, research into ways to enable industry and manufacturing to become more sustainable.

Some key centres and initiatives include:

• Cambridge Centre for Industrial Sustainability
• Cambridge Centre for Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technology (C4T)
• Advanced Nanotube Applications and Manufacturing (ANAM) Initiative
• Nano Manufacturing group

We collaborate with industrial partners and are also actively involved in increasing both energy awareness and public understanding of the opportunities and challenges in manufacturing.

Please visit individual faculty profiles to learn more about their research in the Manufacturing theme.