Advanced materials research facility

Our capabilities

Competencies

• Materials discovery, synthesis and production
• Functional materials and components design and manufacturing
• Materials integration, validation and testing
• Mechatronics, design and automation
• Machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) and software development

Facilities

• Materials accelerated platforms (MAPs)
• Process accelerated platforms (PAPs)
• High-performance computing
• AI studio
• Mechatronics lab
• Advanced materials characterization
• Scaled-up powder synthesis, spheroidization and functionalization
• Design, simulation and digital fabrication
• End-to-end electrocatalytic materials from device to system development

Our research activities

The advanced materials research facility aims to support materials development and commercialization in several industrial sectors by establishing technology pillars and enabling infrastructure relevant to a broad range of materials and partners. The NRC team of researchers and experts in chemistry, materials science, engineering, AI, robotics, mechatronics and technology transfer address common challenges in advanced materials development and commercialization through research and technology development (R&TD) spanning 2 core technology pillars:

Pillar 1: Acceleration of materials discovery and process optimization, including:

• Computational materials discovery, design and process simulation
• Structured materials and process databases
• Laboratory automation and mechatronics for synthesis, characterization and process optimization

Pillar 2: Material design, scale-up and integration, including:

• Materials synthesis and characterization
• Design and testing of multifunctional materials
• Device demonstration and optimization

These pillars are applied to clean energy materials discovery and process optimization, in alignment with the Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge and Advanced Clean Energy programs.

Collaborative R&D partnerships

• The Critical Battery Mineral Initiative's research is largely conducted at the Mississauga facility in partnership with the Ottawa facility and external academic and industrial collaborators
• The Collaboration Centre for Green Energy Materials, with the University of Toronto, is headquartered at the Mississauga facility, which co-hosts equipment supporting clean energy materials and production processes research
• The Mississauga facility also hosts equipment from the University of Toronto's Acceleration Consortium supporting material acceleration platform trainings and research, and co-hosts equipment from the University of Waterloo, supporting additive manufacturing materials and process optimization research

Supercharge your R&D with us 

Utilize our data-driven closed-loop approach to conquer intricate optimization challenges, swiftly navigate through chemical landscapes, and expedite the pace of innovation with our materials and process acceleration platforms or autonomous laboratories.

• Solve challenges that defy resolution using conventional methodologies
• Develop robust data repositories to significantly expedite R&D and drastically reduce costs
• Discover novel materials and enhance existing ones
• Rapidly scale novel materials and demonstrate real-world performance

Speed up and transform your approach to innovation through the digitalization of R&D by deploying AI, robotics and automation.

• Enhance data accuracy and precision and improve data-driven decision
• Concurrently optimize multiple design parameters
• Fast-track discoveries to market with rapid scaling and device performance demonstration
• Tailor performance and streamline process optimization
• Lower development cost, improved return on investment (ROI) and profitability

Our objectives are to:

• Drive foundational R&D of new materials and core pillar technologies
• Accelerate evaluation and de-risk adoption of promising new materials technologies
• Facilitate links with materials users to match promising new and emerging materials to potential applications
• Provide access to infrastructure, data, best practices, expertise, and resources necessary for accelerated materials discovery, process optimization, scale-up and commercialization
• Ease transfer of materials technologies into applications in key industry sectors
• Act as a gateway to NRC's capabilities across the nation

The NRC's state-of-the-art advanced materials research facility supports the Canadian advanced materials community by developing opportunities among players across the research spectrum and connecting them with a network of resources for materials innovation.