1. Advisory:  desk top research and consulting assignments, which includes sustainability reviews, education, technology assessments, life cycle analysis, strategy development,  analysis of complex technical, industry or policy issues, and promotion of innovation.

2. Technical: support to existing operations or new technology developments, which includes plant trials, laboratory projects, non-routine testing and problem solving, product development, clarification of process fundamentals, process modelling and material characterisations; improvements to costs, product quality and environmental performance

3. Breakthrough: major analytical and experimental initiatives that are driven from the perspective of a sustainable future: economically attractive ways to deliver value into society through processes, products and services that move towards zero waste at the system level, without eco-toxic dispersion and without net Greenhouse Gas emissions

Facilities

Our Newcastle laboratory has a range of melting furnaces (from grams to 150 kg capacity) and complementary induction power supplies (50  to 150 kW; 3 to 450 kHz). A levitation apparatus is designed to study liquid metal interfacial phenomena and solidification. Analytical equipment include absorption spectrometry, gas chromatography, metallography and a scanning electron microscope.

Our Associates provide us with direct access to a  powerful range of analytical equipment. This covers  leading edge techniques such as thermal characterisation of raw materials by inverse modelling, laser surface processing, confocal microscopy of high temperature processes, surface coating of metals and thermo-mechanical development of new products (Gleeble).