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Description
A01.01Metals and Metal Matrix Composite Technologies
Research to determine the properties and characteristics of Metallic alloys (all types including Intermetallics), Metal matrix composites (all types of MMCs), and materials used as Fibre and Particulate reinforcements in MMCs.   Microstructural analysis of all types of samples, as-prepared, heat treated or fractured.   Research leading to improved processes for making novel Metallic alloys or MMCs and new processes for shaping metallic materials, such as casting, powder, vapour deposition, forging, superplastic forming, etc., for applications in all service environments.  Includes research to develop material modelling to improve alloy design and understand alloy behaviour.
A01.02Ceramics, Ceramic Matrix Composite and Glass Technologies
Research to determine the properties and characteristics of structural ceramic materials, including ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), and glass ceramics, fibre and particulate reinforcements, microstructural analysis, etc.    Research leading to improved processes for making and shaping new structural ceramic materials, etc., for applications in armour and aeroengine systems. Also includes application of ceramic technologies for high performance device packaging. .  Includes research to develop material modelling to improve ceramic material design and understand the behaviour of ceramic materials.
A01.03Polymers and Polymer Matrix Composite Technologies
Research to determine the properties and characteristics of organic materials for structural purposes, including, polymers and polymer matrix composites (PMCs), thermosetts, thermoplastics, elastomers, and materials used as reinforcing elements in PMCs such as fibres, particulates and laminates.   Also includes work to understand the structural properties of biomimetic composite materials.   Research leading to improved processes for making novel fibres or matrices, or for total composite manufacture, and new processes for shaping conventional composite materials, etc. Also includes identifying polymers for binders in LO paints and coatings.  Also includes research to improve all sealants based on polymeric materials.  Includes research to develop material modelling to improve design of materials based on polymers, including polymer composites, and understanding of the behaviour of such materials, particularly mechanical properties.
A01.04Structural Materials Processing - Joining Technology
Research to determine the properties and characteristics of joints between metallic, or ceramic or polymer-based materials, or between dissimilar combinations of these material types, etc.    Research to improve joining/bonding processes used for any of the above cases, such as adhesive, diffusion, welded, interlayer, pre- and post-joining treatments, etc.   Also includes the application of cost-effective joints in all service environments.
A01.05Structural Materials Processing - Surface Protection Technologies
Research to determine the properties and characteristics of surfaces on structural materials, and which increases understanding of corrosion barriers, thermal barriers, and other protective techniques to increase the lives of structures and components.  Research to improve processes to control surface behaviour and increase lives of components and structures in service environments using advanced coating processes such as metal arc and flame spray, plasma spray, vapour deposition, diffusion processes, specialised paint formulations, and other protective coatings.
A01.06Non-Destructive Evaluation & Life Extension of Structural Materials
Research to determine the properties and characteristics of defects in structural materials using non-destructive tests and techniques of all types to detect flaws and cracks.  Also work to develop inspection procedures through to service applications.  Understand the limitations of techniques like ultrasonic, radiography, acoustic emission, optical and eddy current procedures.   Research studies to develop techniques to predict service life of structures and individual components under the influence of mechanical, thermal and chemical environments, singly and conjointly,  etc. and from theoretical and materials behaviour data including studies to understand internal microstructures and the effects of flaws.
A01.07Corrosion  and Wear Control Technology
Research to understand high temperature oxidation and aqueous corrosion  and erosion mechanisms, and degradation due to wear relevant to structures and components in defence equipment, using microstructural analyses of corroded and worn surfaces.   Research to develop environmental tests in closely controlled standardised facilities which mimic service conditions and provide accelerated tests for life prediction purposes and susceptibility of designs to corrosion damage.  Also includes determination of the environments which are likely to cause serious corrosion in ships, submarines, aircraft, AFV and bridging structures.
A01.08Structural Mechanics
Research studies to determine the effects of vibration and fatigue on structures and components, using practical dynamic and static structural analysis methods/techniques or employing finite element analysis and other computerised simulation techniques to understand the response of structures to a variety of conjoint mechanical environment influences.  Analysis and evaluations of fracture mechanics, and fracture resistance as applied to airworthiness and other safety issues.  Also includes work to exploit life extension technology.  Also includes research supporting determinations of static, dynamic and hydrodynamic performance of marine structures, and the structural design of land vehicles, and marine platforms, especially those, which may undergo explosive loadings.  Also includes research to aid the assessments of design options for and safety margins of future military satellites. Also includes research in the fields of aeroelasticity, hydroelasticity and structural dynamics and structural acoustics.  Also includes supporting work to aid structural integrity studies.
A01.09Structural Materials - Forming
Research to understand new forming processes and improve scaled-up industrial processes required to shape all forms of structural materials to near-net shape and size with appropriate microstructures, cost effectively.
A01.10Structural Materials – Materials Removal
Research to understand and improve all mechanical and other types of physical techniques employed to remove material accurately and without microstructural damage during the manufacture of close tolerance components used in defence equipment.
A01.11Smart/Functional Materials for Structural Uses
Research to understand optical fibres, conducting wires, electro-active polymer films, electro-active ceramics and shape memory alloys as either sensing elements or actuators in “smart/functional” structural materials. Also includes materials aspects of application of embedded silicon micro-sensors for in-service in-situ monitoring of composite structures. Also includes studies on Biomimetic materials which may have structural applications in defence equipment.
A02.01Acoustic & Vibration Absorbing Materials
Research to determine the properties and characteristics of materials which can be used to attenuate/dampen the transmission and reflection of sound energy in military equipment, for example, ships, submarines, torpedoes, and other UUVs.  Also includes support for applications requiring reduced signature materials.  Also includes medical acoustic materials, flesh simulants, and materials for machinery isolation and blast protection, including active (smart) materials for control of vibration and noise.   Research into processes which shape such materials and which lead to improved bonding to underlying structures.  Includes relevant frequency selective or responsive materials.
A02.02Infra-Red Signature Control Materials
Research to determine the properties and characteristics of materials which absorb infra-red radiation and which can be used to reduce the IR. signature of military equipment.  Also includes tailoring properties like reflectivity and emissivity(all types).   Includes supporting the environmental and multispectral requirements for Land vehicle applications for improved IR. absorbing materials.  Also includes materials which change properties (e.g. IR reflectivity) for application in stealth coatings. Includes relevant frequency selective or responsive materials.
A02.03Radar Absorbing Materials & Coatings
Research to understand materials which serve as electromagnetically active constituents in coatings for use on low radar cross section structures. Also includes such materials for signature reduction applications, including frequency selective or responsive RAM, switchable conductors and tailored dielectrics. Evaluations of RAM, and multispectral materials for use in missile systems, missile detection and platform stealth applications.
A02.04Structural Radar Absorbing Materials
Research to understand the radar absorbing characteristics of modified fibre reinforced polymer composites, and associated conducting and absorbing sealants.  Also includes non-invasive loss layers and frequency selective or responsive surfaces in material terms.  Also includes materials issues when integrating structural RAM into warship designs, and the environmental and mechanical applications of structural RAM in Land vehicle applications.
A03.01Silicon-based Materials
Research to characterise new silicon materials which offer advances in low cost thermal detectors and low power high performance electronic devices.  Also work to improve growth and control of epitaxy for Si and SiGe alloys, and improve understanding and growth of porous silicon for quantum and bio-compatible devices.  Also research on silicon carbide for use in microwave and high temperature electronic devices.
A03.02III-V Compounds
Research to improve the growth and control of III-V compounds such as GaAs, InAs, InSb, GaSb, AlSb, AlN, InP and GaN for use in passive sensing, ECM sub-systems, radar and active imaging.
A03.03Other Semiconducting Materials
Research to improve CMT technology applied to high performance and elevated temperature detectors.   Also includes research to characterise II-VI compounds
A03.04Insulating and Dielectric Materials
Research to evaluate applications of I (both electrical & thermal) & Ds to integrated circuits,  thermal detectors, to pigments in LO coatings and as IR absorbing materials.   Research to improve the growth of ferroelectric materials at low temperatures for applications in room temperature detectors.  Also includes understanding application of I&D devices in high power RF systems.
A03.05Carbon-based Materials
Research to understand the electronic characteristics of carbon60, carbon suspensions, diamonds and diamond coatings which may benefit defence systems.  Research to identify and understand organic semiconductors and optical polymer matrices for electronic and opto-electronic effects.
A03.06Superconducting Materials
Research to evaluate thin films for microwave sensing and signal processing.  Research to understand wire fabrication technologies for electric power applications.  Also includes developing superconducting materials for mine-CM magnetic sweeping and for high power RF systems.   Also includes research to develop HTS materials for ESM-Comms, and  ESM-non Comms.systems.
A03.07Magnetic Materials
Research to understand magnetic behaviour of thin film magnetic materials for use in sensors and in signature reducing applications. Also includes “smart” magnetic materials which may find application in HF acoustic transducers used for MCM sonars.
A04.01Optical Materials & Devices
Research to evaluate and analyse optical components, splitters and couplers.  Also includes work on optical materials for wideband RF fibre optic links and fibre optics for communications, in particular with UUVs, underwater weapons, anti-tank missiles, hydrophone arrays and in data transmission systems.  Also includes research to understand design and fabrication of optics for use in demanding defence applications, and materials for both lenses and their coatings.
A04.02IR/Visible/UV Detector Materials & Devices
Research to evaluate and analyse high performance photon thermal detectors. Also includes optical devices for high speed detection, optical switching, and infrared detection on SiGe, ferroelectrics and InSb arrays.  Also includes optical techniques applied to torpedo detection and fuzing.
A04.03Non-Linear Optical Materials & Devices
Research to understand optical materials capable of fast switching, or for tuneable filters, optical limiters and those showing non-linearities in liquid crystals, polymers and polar organic materials.  Also includes evaluations of NLOs for personnel protection systems.  Also includes studies of non-linear optical characteristics and susceptibility, harmonic generations, and devices for applications in waveguides and tuneable lasers.
A04.04Display Materials & Devices
Research to understand nanophase polydisperse tuneable filters and other novel liquid crystal materials offering benefits for future military display applications.
A04.05Lasers (All Types)
Research to understand FIR, VNIR, mid-IR, dye and frequency diverse sources. Also includes processes to produce solid state mid-IR material structures in a range of III-V compounds, and understanding of the fabrication of laser structures.
A04.06Non-Laser Devices
Research to understand certain specific structures in III-V materials and in porous silicon for light emitting diodes, and structures in other types of LEDs.
A04.07Transparent Materials
Research to understand diamond windows and coatings, and other materials which are transparent to electromagnetic radiation.  Also includes studies of the characteristics of materials which serve the above purpose and which are also capable of sustaining mechanical and/or thermal loads, in applications like aircraft canopies, missile radomes, and sonar domes. Also includes relevant frequency selective or responsive surfaces.
A05.01Device Concepts & Fabrication
Research  to evaluate and analyse technologies for application in novel IR and EO devices like displays.  Also includes process technologies required to fabricate advanced devices, and characterisation of device structures, including nanotechnology developments.   Also includes studies of  micro-structured and deformable surfaces to control the scattering direction of incident radiation for stealth purposes.   Also includes devices for applications in high power RF systems.  Also includes MEMS fabrication technology and device developments which give rise to novel luminescence effects.
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