Materials Performance Centre
About us
The Materials Performance Centre (MPC) aims to be a world-class interdisciplinary centre for training and research in nuclear materials science and engineering. The MPC was launched in 2002 as a strategic research alliance between British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. and the University of Manchester. We are one of four University Research Alliances managed by the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL).
With core funding provided initially by BNFL and later by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), the MPC has grown to over 70 researchers, including new staff and over 50 PhD students and around 20 Research Associates by attracting significant funding from research councils and other sponsoring organisations.
Strategic Partnerships
The MPC has established strategic partnerships with Électricité de France and with British Energy in the areas of graphite, corrosion, residual stress measurement and damage characterisation, fracture mechanics, creep continuum modelling and Computational Fluid Dynamics. Additional materials research in all our research areas is undertaken for a wide range of organisations within the UK, Europe and overseas including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Health and Safety Executive/Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (HSE/NII), Ministry of Defence (MoD), Rolls-Royce, Serco Assurance, TWI, Corus, INSS (Japan) and Westinghouse.
What does the Centre offer?
• Expertise in key areas including materials degradation and structural integrity.
• Support on materials issues to external chemical and power industry companies.
• Generous PhD studentships and bespoke industrial training.
News
- Seminar: AGR fuel storage at Sellafield
- Latest Newsletter available for download
- Collaboration Agreement with Serco
- Nuclear Graphite Group Gains Active Facilities
- Nuclear engineering doctorate scheme is awarded
- Partnership agreement with British Energy
- MPC – EdF collaboration agreed