Surrey Materials Institute
The Surrey Materials Institute seeks to be an internationally leading inter-disciplinary centre for research on interface science and engineering, surface phenomena and materials functionality. The need for the Institute arises from the challenges of the 21st Century as described in recent Foresight activities such as cognitive systems, manufacturing 2020, healthcare, crime and security and smart materials. These challenges demand dramatic advances in our understanding and use of materials just as great as those seen in the latter half of the 20th Century.
Within the institute, you will find vertically and horizontally integrated programmes of research addressing pure and applied aspects of polymers, metals, particles, coatings, dispersions and It brings together researchers at the forefront of their disciplines in a vertically, (nano-micro-macro-mega or synthesis-processing-characterisation-application) and horizontally (inter-disciplinary) integrated whole. Current problems which have seen major advances in recent years and which are actively addressed at Surrey include those of adhesion of polymers to metals in a controlled and engineered fashion; film formation processes in emulsions and latices; and the development of chemical, bio-chemical and electro-active sensors. The Institute includes the work of circa 20 full time academic staff and their associated research groups. It is formed by amalgamation of the Materials, Surfaces and Structural Systems Group and the Soft Condensed Matter Physics Group in the Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences, and the Materials Chemistry Group in the Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences.
The Institute finds a natural home at the University of Surrey. The University has externally-acknowledged breadth and depth in the relevant science and engineering disciplines across campus and houses one of the best selections of materials characterisation facilities to be found anywhere. It is one of the largest recipients of support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Materials Programme.
A recent SRIF-2 award of �3.5M will see the Institute housed in newly refurbished laboratories during 2005 and equipped with yet further new experimental facilities. These pages introduce you to the Institute and its members. For up to the minute information, please contact the Institute Director, Professor John Watts or any of the other staff listed who will be only to pleased to help you.
