Re-engineering a Cleaner Future

To date, nuclear power has only been used for generating electrical power. However, in order to transition the planet to a zero-carbon economy, we need to find ways to use nuclear power to provide varying levels of energy both as heat and electrical power. To raise the temperature of nuclear reactors requires a new type of fuel. This talk will explore work at UEA modelling the behaviour of this novel fuel and some of the challenges which remain to be resolved.

The lightweight but ultra-strong material, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP), is used more and more in the transport sector to build aeroplanes and sports cars. Carbon fibres are high value and energy intensive materials to make so their increased use presents major environmental challenges in terms of waste and end-of-life products. This has led to increasing pressure on manufacturers to provide recycling routes and improve resource efficiency. Join me for this talk to learn more about CFRP and whether it is possible to recover clean fibres from contaminated scrap!