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The aim of this project is to both shorten the supply chain and halve the overall losses of precious metals (PM) during their recovery from e-waste. This project will enable the UK to disrupt this inefficient chain and create an indigenous business, leading to self-sufficiency, from an estimated 400k tpa e-waste arising. The project represents a route to achieving the missing links in the circular economy business model based on the existing pure metal to product recycling industry. This will be achieved through the combined partners’ expertise in waste collection and sorting; smelting based efficiency PM recovery and refining. Novelty is both commercial, in the integrated business approach, and technical in the use of a copper-based recovery process, instead of the iron-based process used for high efficiency PM recovery from catalysts. This programme aims to develop a sustainable process for maximising the value of PM recovery by the development of novel waste processing technologies, with higher recovery efficiencies and lower environmental impacts, complimentary to the trend in commerce to move away from ownership to service-based models, with life cycle material management.

Coller IP combines patent attorney and commercial expertise to deliver intellectual property (IP) management, valuation and monetisiation services that unlock the potential of business assets. They work at all levels within organisations, from start ups to multinationals, and with the investor community.Their experienced, inter-disciplinary team includes business, technology and marketing consultants, IP specialists and patent and trade mark attorneys.

The proposal seeks funds to renew and refresh the Centre for Doctoral Training in Formulation Engineering based in Chemical Engineering at Birmingham. The Centre was first funded by EPSRC in 2001, and was renewed in 2008. In 2011, on its 10th anniversary, the Centre received one of the Diamond Jubilee Queen's Anniversary Prizes, for 'new technologies and leadership in formulation engineering in support of UK manufacturing'. The scheme is an Engineeering Doctoral Centre; students are embedded in their sponsoring company and carry out industry-focused research. Formulation Engineering is the study of the manufacture of products that are structured at the micro-scale, and whose properties depend on this structure. In this it differs from conventional chemical engineering. Examples include foods, home and personal care products, catalysts, ceramics and agrichemicals. In all of these material formulation and microstructure control the physical and chemical properties that are essential to its function. The structure determines how molecules are delivered or perceived - for example, in foods delivery is of flavour molecules to the mouth and nose, and of nutritional benefit to the GI tract, whilst in home and personal care delivery is to skin or to clothes to be cleaned, and in catalysis it is delivery of molecules to and from the active site. Different industry sectors are thus underpinned by the same engineering science. We have built partnerships with a series of companies each of whom is world-class in its own field, such as P&G, Kraft/Mondelez, Unilever, Johnson Matthey, Imerys, Pepsico and Rolls Royce, each of which has written letters of support that confirm the value of the programme and that they will continue to support the EngD. Research Engineers work within their sponsoring companies and return to the University for training courses that develop the concepts of formulation engineering as well as teaching personal and management skills; a three day conference is held every year at which staff from the different companies interact and hear presentations on all of the projects. Outputs from the Centre have been published in high-impact journals and conferences, IP agreements are in place with each sponsoring company to ensure both commercial confidentiality and that key aspects of the work are published. Currently there are 50 ongoing projects, and of the Centre's graduates, all are employed and more than 85% have found employment in formulation companies. EPSRC funds are requested to support 8 projects/year for 5 years, together with the salary of the Deputy Director who works to link the University, the sponsors and the researchers and is critical to ensure that the projects run efficiently and the cohorts interact well. Two projects/year will be funded by the University (which will also support a lecturer, total >£1 million over the life of the programme) and through other sources such as the 1851 Exhibition fund, which is currently funding 3 projects. EPSRC funding will leverage at least £3 million of direct industry contributions and £8 million of in-kind support, as noted in the supporting letters. EPSRC funding of £4,155,480 will enable a programme with total costs of more than £17 million to operate, an EPSRC contribution of 24% to the whole programme.