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The Light Metals Research Centre, The University of Auckland was founded in 2002 to meet a global need for a dedicated single-site light metals research, development and training facility.
Acting as a one-stop-shop for the sector, the Centre's team includes world leaders in their fields of expertise who can draw on substantial experience and knowledge both in academic research and in management of smelters and of major site upgrades.
Because they span all relevant disciplines the Centre's team can focus on a range of client issues in the context of solving a single business problem.
Currently 20 aluminium smelters from South America, North America, UAE, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Norway, China and India are in regular contact with us and the number approaching the Centre for R&D expertise and assistance is growing rapidly.
Services we provide include:
- Materials performance and characterisation
- Mechanistic studies
- Troubleshooting industry problems at smelters
- Process modelling and design of new materials
- Specialised research and development
- Consulting
- Technology transfer
- Training and postgraduate courses
Resources available at the Centre include furnaces to 1200 C and associated dc power for emulating a reduction cell; monitoring equipment for pot-room environmental analysis; IR interferometer; specimen surface area analysis; SEM, AFM, XPS.
In addition to meeting industry needs, the Centre is committed to contributing to an increased understanding of the basic science underpinning the sector's activities and contributing to potential further gains in cost reduction and environmental impacts. The Centre provides postgraduate industry training. and hosts junior and senior visiting scientists and engineers who work alongside our team on specific projects.
Currently working on research for clients in Germany, France and Norway, the Centre has continued to expand quickly since its formation and has further major international cooperative agreements under discussion.
To view a poster summary of our services in PDF form please click here .
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