Ceram Polymerik have commercialised a material that sheds its outer layer, changing from a polymer to a more fire-resistant ceramic with life saving potential. It is hoped the material which cromprises of a polymer matrix, minerals, inorganic fluxing components and functional additives, can be used in future passive fire protection products.
Imperial College London, UK, has purchased the FEI Titan 80-300, one of the most powerful microscopes in the world. The monochromated microscope allows scientists to analyse materials on the atomic scale and enables spectroscopy with excellent energy resolution.
The career of Siobhan Matthews, currently chair of the IOM3 Younger Members’ Committee is described. She is the director and co-founder of SCF Processing Ltd., which provides a materials processing technology transfer service using supercritical fluid and polymer processing technology to develop viable manufacturing processes.