Materials Technology Development Services

Technologies

Lucideon leads the way in the development of novel materials technologies and works collaboratively, partnering with clients to adapt our novel technology platforms to our clients' products and applications in order to bring them to market quickly.

The scientists and engineers at Lucideon have worked on many projects across a diverse range of industries; it’s their knowledge and experience that enables the cross-fertilisation of technologies, supported by state-of-the-art testing and characterisation laboratories and pilot scale-up facilities.

The novel technologies are briefly described below.

Flash Sintering

Flash Sintering (FS) is the application of a direct electric field via customised electrodes to a material body during the sintering process. FS accomplishes its remarkable heating rate by dissipating heat directly inside the ceramic.

Since manufacturing cost reduction and energy efficiency are key priorities for many industries, we aim to improve your competitive advantage and profitability by using this technology. Lucideon is the only facility in the world to have the capability for FS technology development and demonstration at the pilot line scale.

Hydrogen Fired Kilns

Lucideon houses two cutting-edge facilities for kiln research and development incorporating hydrogen fuel, where innovation meets sustainability in ceramic manufacturing. Since April 2022, we've been leading the charge in exploring the potential of hydrogen as a clean fuel for kilns. Our state-of-the-art kilns, operate at temperatures up to 1650°C (3000°F) in both oxidising and reducing atmospheres, offering a unique blend of versatility and precision.

Intelligent Controlled Release Technology (iCRT^TM)

iCRT^TM offers a solution for controlled release of molecules and ions. The technology is versatile and flexible, and able to work in synergy with existing products. This uses “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) materials, and a selection of synthesis methods and internal expertise in modifying materials properties. This allows control and versatility over the formulation to meet specific requirements.

MIDAR^® Technology

Lucideon's MIDAR^® Technology brings together a unique blend of materials science, formulation technologies, and people expertise, to provide optimally performing alkali-activated geopolymer and non-sintered ceramics solutions across a range of applications.

It uses a low temperature chemical reaction to consolidate a material and form a robust body with high strength and chemical stability. The process can be tailored to suit system needs through choice of material, making this technology versatile and beneficial to various applications.

Geoceramic MIDAR^® Composites

Geoceramic MIDAR^® Composites (GMC) bridge the temperature performance gap between reinforced polymers and ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). In high-temperature environments where reinforced polymers would fail and need to be replaced with metals, GMCs offer a lightweight alternative suitable for service temperatures up to 1100°C (2012°F) whilst demonstrating higher durability than other material solutions.

MALLET™ - MIDAR^®-Augmented Lower-cost Lower-carbon Encapsulation Technique

MALLET™ is a new, cost-efficient technique for encapsulating Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) which has the potential to revolutionise nuclear waste disposal, offering a flexible range of characteristics and improved performance compared to existing waste solutions. Together, Lucideon and Nuvia UK have developed the novel geopolymer formulation to enable nuclear waste owners to process problematic wastes into a passive waste matrix that maximises waste loading and reduces overall waste disposal volumes.