At a recent visit to the Materials Processing Institute in Middlesbrough members were amazed at the fantastic research being carried out on our doorstep
On Tuesday 22nd September members of Middlesbrough Erimus rotary were hosted by Alan Scholes,Chief Technology Officer at the Materials Processing Institute(MPI).
In truth MPI is one of Teesside’s hidden gems, the facility is tucked away just off the A66 in South Bank where they build on a background of almost almost two hundred years of iron and steelmaking heritage to forge a sustainable lower carbon future.
With 75 staff ,two thirds of whom are researchers the Not for profit industrial research facility was spun out of Britain’s steelmaking industry in 2014 and has grown steadily since.
MPI has spread its reach to exploring low carbon future potential in cement making using slag and perhaps clay as more environmentally friendly solutions are sought.
A tour of the facilities labs showcased world class facilities with electron microscopes, AI assisted technology and a bespoke mini electric arc furnace enabling on site research to be carried out on virtually all grades and qualities of steel. As the reach of MPI’s ability has grown the site has taken on partner industries with binding agents and 3d Laser printed structures joining the range of skills and production units incorporated. The group came away from their visit hugely impressed that a facility of such quality and capacity for innovation and forward facing research operates within our boundaries continuing the world class iron and steelmaking traditions which brought it to life in the first place . MPI in its activities epitomises the name of our rotary - Erimus , We Shall Be!
The mini electric arc furnace at the Materials Processing Institute is a state-of-the-art piece of equipment designed for flexible, small-scale steelmaking experiments. It allows researchers to precisely control the melting and refining process, enabling the development and testing of new steel grades and innovative production techniques. This compact furnace is particularly valuable for pilot projects and cutting-edge research into sustainable, lower carbon steelmaking methods.