Wolfson Centre for Materials Processing
View our websiteFunder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: September 2025 - March 2027
Sustainable textiiles
Funder: Broadway Colours / Sebi Ltd
Duration: July 2025 - July 2026
Extrusion processing and development of biodegradable lightweight injection mouldable plastics. Under development are fully home compostable food packaging, e.g. disposable coffee cup lids and masterbatch that can be let down into these applications for injection moulding and for thermoforming of extruded sheets. The funding underwrites 10% including overheads of Prof Fern's support research projects with Sebi (Park Royal IAA) and BWC. This is for research since consultancy projects are funded separately, e.g. testing of graphene enhanced packaging currently also live.
Funder: EPSRC Place Based IAA
Duration: February 2025 - January 2026
Utilising agri by-products to develop sustainable materials materials
Funder: Broadway Colours Ltd
Duration: January 2025 - December 2030
Part time PhD student registration and bench fee, development of biodegradable masterbatch
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: October 2024 - February 2025
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: October 2024 - March 2025
Extrusion of recycled plastics using real-time in-situ ultrasonic senor
Funder: Innovation Voucher and Peak to Peak
Duration: August 2024 - July 2025
In-situ ultrasonic extrusion sensor for melt flow monitoring also had Innovate UK project and in pre-award for Eureka project
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: June 2024 - December 2025
Standardistation of bio-processing derived pigments
Funder: The Royal Society
Duration: March 2024 - August 2026
Funder: Innovation voucher and Biomr
Duration: February 2024 - March 2024
Development of water repellant coating
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: January 2024 - June 2027
Sustainable pigment development - follow-on from Prof Fern DR&D projects with DJ
Funder: IAA and Broadway Colours Ltd
Duration: November 2023 - March 2024
Use of endothermic foaming agents by injection moulding - led to new Research, consultancy and PhD projects
Funder: Innovation Voucher with Planet Smart
Duration: October 2023 - January 2024
Synthesis of Super Absorbent polymer
Funder: IAA and Emnandi Bioplastics
Duration: July 2023 - November 2023
Development of water barrier compostable films
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: May 2023 - April 2024
Development of the use of recycled homeware products using 100% recycled polymer and manufactured in the UK
Funder: IAA
Duration: February 2023 - July 2023
CEM microwave and vacuum stack for extruder
Funder: British Council
Duration: January 2023 - December 2025
The Wohl Clean Growth Alliance Grants
Funder: Innovation Voucher with Post Carbon Lab
Duration: January 2023 - January 2023
Developed long term relationship, sub-contract and IUK project and registered PhD student
Funder: Innovation Voucher / Henley Marketing
Duration: October 2022 - December 2022
Build materials knowledge and apply for external funding
Funder: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Duration: October 2022 - September 2026
Designer plant burgers - use of targeted biochemistry and chemistry to generate flavour (taste and aroma) during extrusion of plant protein
Funder: IAA and Xampla
Duration: July 2022 - August 2022
Also 2 ore sub-contracts from Xampla to deliver IUK project as consultancy
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: April 2022 - March 2025
Exploration of the Plasticisation of Thermally Processable PVOH
Funder: Innovation Voucher and Nextek/NEXTLOOPP
Duration: January 2022 - June 2022
Toxicological study of PFP made luminescent mateials
Funder: IAA
Duration: December 2021 - June 2021
Development with Lancaster Uni and Arid Agritech - Led to RSC, NERC and now joint venture company with academics and industry
Funder: IAA
Duration: December 2021 - June 2021
Bio-composite panel development
Funder: Precision Varionic International
Duration: October 2021 - March 2025
Follow on from QANDELA project co-funded by university (£35k): PVI (£45k)
Funder: Natural Environment Research Council
Duration: January 2021 - July 2024
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: January 2021 - June 2021
Funder: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Duration: January 2021 - June 2022
Funder: Natural Environment Research Council
Duration: November 2020 - October 2022
Funder: Innovation Voucher
Duration: July 2020 - October 2020
Development of sterile environment work pod - With Space Republic led to Innovate UK grant
Funder: UKRI I3 Fund
Duration: January 2020 - August 2021
Funder: Defence and Security Accelerator
Duration: September 2019 - March 2020
Funder: UK-India Education and Research Initiative
Duration: August 2019 - November 2020
Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: June 2019 - May 2021
Funder: InnovateUK
Duration: June 2019 - September 2021
Funder: Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: May 2019 - May 2022
Funder: National Structural Integrity Research Centre
Duration: October 2017 - September 2020
Funder: Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council
Duration: September 2017 - August 2019