The EPSRC Centre - LiME is a research cenre for solidification science, technological development and advancing the metallurigcal industry with an emphasis on sustainability. The centre is a collaboration between Brunel University, University of Oxford and University of Birmingham. This presentation is by Professor Z. Fan, Director of the centre and was presented at the Light Metals Technology Workshop April 11, 2013. Visit www.lime.ac.uk for more information or contact joann.alexander@brunel.ac.uk.

1. The EPSRC Centre – LiME
- For casting a sustainable future
Z. Fan
BCAST, Brunel University
Light Metals Technology Workshop, Brunel University 11 April 2013

2. Natural resources: need vs. greed
“There's enough on this planet for everyone's needs
but not for everyone's greed.” ~ Gandhi

3. Resource consumption

4. Resource consumption

5. Where are we going?
Over the past 50 years If 7bn people consume By 2050 resource
humans have consumed natural resources at the EU consumption will double: 6
more resources than in all average per capita, we’d planets will be required to
previous history need 3 planets support 9bn people

6. Linear economy

7. Circular economy
Natural
system
Linear
system
Circular
system

8. LiME vision
The full metal circulation
Reduced
usage

9. LiME approaches
Solidification science: Effective microstructural control
can be achieved by control of nucleation during
solidification through better understanding of liquid metal
engineering
Technological development: High performance metallic
components and feed stock materials can be manufactured
by innovative solidification processing through liquid metal
engineering with little requirement for solid state processing
Sustainable metallurgical industry: The demand for
metallic materials can be met by an efficient circulation of
existing metallic materials with limited additions of primary
metal to sustain the circulation loop

10. Objectives
To be an international leader in liquid metal engineering
To provide a nucleation-centred framework for solidification
science
To harness the impurities and inclusions in metallic materials
To be a key provider of innovative technologies
To nurture both national and international collaborations
To train the future leaders in the field
To rebuild the casting and solidification community

11. Academic team
Associates: The Global
Prof D Eskin Solidification
Dr I. Stone Community
Oxford Dr Y. Huang
Professor P. Grant Dr S. Ji……
Dr K. O’Reilly
The UK
Solidification
Birmingham Community
Brunel
Professor N. Green
Professor Z. Fan
Dr W. Griffiths
Professor G. Scamans
Dr N. Hari-Babu
Dr B. McKay

12. Industrial partners
Materials
suppliers
MEL, Sapa, LSM
Norton, Conseellium
Materials
processors Equipment
JVM, Meridian supplier
NewPro, Aeromet Siemens, Foseco
Granger & worrel End users
Rautomead
Sandvic JLR, RR,
DSTL, QinetiQ
Research
organisations Promoters
NPL, Innoval CMF, AlFed, ICME
Namtec Materials KTN

13. Research programme
Fundamental Technological Industrial
Research development Applications
Nucleation Enhancing
Nucleation
control performance

14. Management
IAB LMG ISP
International Advisory Board LiME Management Group Industrial Steering Panel
Fan, Grant, Griffiths White, Dickinson, Frame, Jarraet, Kendrick,
Ratke, Arnberg, Fredriksson , Greer Parker, Strid, Thistlethwaite
Hunt, Kainer, Perepezko, StJohn, Scamans, PM Lawrence, Morlidge
LiME Industrial Partners
Academic Partners JLR, RR, LSM, Sapa, Rautomead
Brunel, Oxford, Birmingham Programme Meridian, Norton, Foseco, JVM
Aeromet, CMF, ICME, AlFed, etc.
Society LiME
Knowledge
Impact
Economy Environment
People

15. Achievements (18th Sept. 2012)
New successful grants: £6.83M (EPSRC, TSB, EU,
Industrial, International)
LiME Industrial Research Fellows: 6 setup
Patents: 5 filed (1 new technology, 4 new materials)
Papers published: 94 (68 journal, 16 conference proc.)
Invited lectures: 25
Chaired 1 inter. Conf. (International JDH Symposium)
To Chair 2 inter. Conf. (LMT-2013, ICASP4-2014)
Community building: reactivated the Casting Division of
IOM3.