LATEST NEWS 

March 2010
- the final set of microgravity experiments for IMPRESS have been conducted as part of the Maxus-8 sounding rocket campaign. The rocket was launched on Friday 26th March 2010 from the Esrange Space Centre in Kiruna, Sweden. Onboard were a number of high-tech materials science payloads including four solidification furnaces for TiAl alloy studies as well as a reactor for nickel nanoparticle agglomeration studies. Both experiments, the first of their kind in the world, will provide unique data that will add to our knowledge of intermetallic materials processing. By pinpointing the influence of gravity in ground-based industrial processes, and by validating computer models, the team expects to make important advances in the areas of turbine blade production and catalytic nanoparticle production.
- please click here to read more.

November 2009
- the final publishable executive summary of IMPRESS is now available. This document provides a snapshot of the project, the final scientific and technical output, and the lasting impact the project will have on European industry.
- please click here to download the Final Executive Summary.

October 2009
- the final IMPRESS Plenary Scientific Forum took place from 21st-23rd October 2009 in Budapest, Hungary. The three-day meeting, which was attended by 80 team members from 15 different countries, marked the successful conclusion of the project.
- please click here to see the team photo.

October 2009
- the IMPRESS Consortium is pleased to announce that the 2009 IMPRESS Prizes for Young Researchers were awarded to Dr. Hong Wang from Greenwich University, UK and Mr. Jan Reitz from IME-RWTH, Germany. The prizes were conferred on 21st October at the final IMPRESS Plenary Meeting in Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Hong Wang has made an important contribution to the IMPRESS Project with her unique computer modelling of the tilt-casting process; while Mr. Jan Reitz was recognised for his novel work developing industrial recycling processes for TiAl materials - the first of their kind in the world.
- please click here for more information.

May 2009
- the IMPRESS Consortium is pleased to announce that the 2008 winner of the IMPRESS Prize for Young Researchers was awarded to Dr. Claudio Zambaldi from MPIE, Düsseldorf, Germany. The 1000€ prize was conferred on 6th May at the recent IMPRESS Plenary Meeting in Les Diablerets, Switzerland. Dr. Zambaldi has made an important contribution to the IMPRESS Project with his unique research in the field of micro-mechanical modelling of gamma TiAl intermetallics.
- please click here for more information.

April 2009
- the eighth lecture in the IMPRESS series was given on 1st April 2009 by Dr. Russell Goodall from The University of Sheffield, UK. The lecture provides an introduction to the mechanical properties of metallic and intermetallic materials together with the methods used for measuring them. It also covers the importance of these properties in engineering solutions, as well as their application within the IMPRESS Project.
- please click here to watch the on-line lecture.

February 2009
- the seventh lecture in the IMPRESS series was given on 4th February 2009 by Prof. Ivan Egry from DLR, Germany. The lecture provides an overview of the role of electromagnetic levitation in the measurement of thermophysical properties of materials, as well as its specific application within the IMPRESS Project.
- please click here to watch the on-line lecture.

January 2009
- the outcome of the 4th year scientific review, conducted by the EC, has put IMPRESS in the very highest category of R&D. The team-work and achievements have been well recognised during the EC review such that: "IMPRESS has created a large pan-European network of intermetallics specialists, which is unparalleled in the world."

July 2008
- the sixth lecture in the IMPRESS series was given on 21st May 2008 by Dr. Olga Shuleshova from IFW-Dresden, Germany. The lecture provides an overview about in-situ real-time observation of solidification processes using high-energy X-ray diffraction combined with the electromagnetic levitation technique.
- please click here to watch the on-line lecture.

May 2008
- the 5th IMPRESS Plenary Scientific Forum took place from 26th - 28th May 2008 in Camogli, Genoa, Italy. The three-day meeting, which was attended by 100 team members from 15 different countries, marked the successful three-quarters point of the project.
- please click here to see the team photo.

May 2008
- the IMPRESS Consortium is pleased to announce that the 2007 winner of the IMPRESS Prize for Young Researchers was awarded to Dr. Olga Shuleshova from IFW Dresden, Germany. The 1000€ prize was conferred on 26th May at the 5th IMPRESS Plenary Meeting. Dr. Shuleshova has made a significant contribution to the IMPRESS Project with her pioneering work on in-situ phase determination during solidification of TiAl and NiAl intermetallics using the X-ray synchrotron facility at ESRF, Grenoble.
- please click here for more information.

March 2008
- the IMPRESS project in collaboration with the London Science Museum have recently created an exhibition dedicated to the production, testing and industrial application of intermetallic materials, such as TiAl and NiAl. The exhibition is located in the "Challenge of Materials" gallery on the first floor.
- please click here for more information.

February 2008
- the second set of space results have been obtained from an ESA/DLR Texus 44 sounding rocket mission on 7th February 2008. This mission represents ESA's first launch of 2008. With the use of the electromagnetic levitation (EML) technique, a nickel aluminide intermetallic sample was successfully processed in microgravity, and many key thermophysical properties and growth kinetic data measured. This data is now being used by scientists and computer modellers to develop better Raney-Ni catalysts for fuel cells and hydrogenation reactors.
- please click here for more information on the launch.

January 2008
- The European Space Agency (ESA), the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) have joined forces in January 2008, in order to perform key material science experiments for the benefit of the IMPRESS Integrated Project. For the first time, unique experiments in space will be combined with ground-based experiments using an extremely intense neutron source and an equally powerful synchrotron light source.
- please click here to read the news release.

November 2007
- the European Commission has showcased IMPRESS as a "flagship project" in the 6th Framework Programme. The brochure covers the topic of European industrial research and material science in particular. The IMPRESS article, entitled "Metallurgy goes into space", provides a snapshot description of the project.
- please click here to read the EC brochure.

October 2007
- a training course in the field of "Advanced Materials Characterisation" took place at ESA on 10th October 2007. The course was aimed at PhD students and post-doctoral researchers working in IMPRESS. Guest speakers from academia shared their experience of various characterisation techniques (SEM, EDS, TEM, HR-TEM, 3D-AP, XPS, nano-indentation, synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction) with 30 European students. All lectures have been videoed and are now available online in the Multimedia section.
- please click here to watch the on-line lectures.

July 2007
- the 4th IMPRESS Plenary Scientific Forum took place from 2nd-4th July in Krakow, Poland. The three-day meeting, which was attended by 100 team members from 15 different countries, marked the successful halfway point of the project.
- please click here to read the interview with Mr. Jörg Feustel-Büechl, member of the IMPRESS International Advisory Committee.
- please click here to see the team photo.

June 2007
- Johnson Matthey plc have officially joined the IMPRESS Project and will now play a leading role in the industrial development, testing and production of novel NiAl-based catalysts for hydrogenation reactions. Johnson Matthey’s scientific, technical and computer modelling experts in the UK, Germany and US are working closely with all project partners to transfer the new knowledge into breakthrough commercial catalysts.
- please click here for more information and the press release.

June 2007
- the fourth lecture in the IMPRESS series was given on 16th May 2007 by Dr. Francois Devred from Leiden University, The Netherlands. The following lecture provides an overview of the production and industrial uses of sponge nickel catalysts, as well as their further development within the IMPRESS Project.
- please click here to watch the on-line lectures.

April 2007
- the IMPRESS Consortium is pleased to announce that the 2006 winner of the IMPRESS Prize for Young Researchers will be awarded to Dr. Francois Devred from Leiden University, The Netherlands. The 1000€ prize will be conferred on 2nd July at the next IMPRESS Plenary Meeting. Dr. Devred has made a significant contribution to the IMPRESS Project with his work on the preparation, characterisation and performance assessment of sponge nickel catalysts.
- please click here for more information.

January 2007
- Doncasters Group Ltd. have officially joined the IMPRESS Project and will now play a pivotal role in the industrial casting of novel TiAl turbine blades. Doncasters is already one of the major blade producers for aerospace and power generation industries with an excellent track record of working with alloys and metals that are difficult to shape and form.
- please click here for more information and the press release.

October 2006
- the third set of lectures in the IMPRESS series were given on 16th October 2006 by Prof. Steve Brown from the University of Wales Swansea, Prof. László Gránásy from SZFKI Budapest and Prof. Koulis Pericleous from the University of Greenwich. The following lectures provide an overview about the development and application of computer modelling, within the IMPRESS Project, aiming to simulate the processing of novel intermetallic materials.
- please click here to watch the on-line lectures.

August 2006
- one of the goals of IMPRESS is to produce, test and improve Raney-type metal powders for heterogenous catalysis. The project is therefore seeking a large multi-national company to join the project, in the field of catalytic powder production. In this respect, a Competitive Call has been opened, as of 1st August 2006, and any interested companies are invited to submit a proposal before 7th September 2006.
[Call now closed]

May 2006
- the 3rd IMPRESS Plenary Scientific Forum took place from 8th-10th May in Donostia Spain, kindly hosted by the project partner INASMET Foundation. The three-day meeting, which was attended by 100 team members from 15 different countries, marked the successful continuation into the next phase.
- please click here to see the team photos.

April 2006
- the EC space policy unit has recently showcased IMPRESS as an example of strengthening ties between the European Commission and ESA.
- please click here to read the article.

March 2006
- Prof. Lorenz Ratke from DLR, Germany has presented an overview of "Materials Science in Space - Fundamentals, Objectives, Future", which is now available on-line.
- please click here to watch the lecture.

January 2006
- a streaming video about nanotechnology has been added to the multimedia section of the website. This documentary film, made by the EC/Athena, provides a glimpse of some of the many activities that are being carried out in Europe in the fast-growing field of nano-scale R&D.
- please click here to watch the video.

December 2005
- a training course in the area of "Material Science in Microgravity" took place at ESA on 1st-2nd December 2005. The course was aimed at PhD students and post-doctoral researchers working in various fields of material science, such as alloy solidification and crystal growth. Guest speakers from academia and industry shared their expertise and experience with 40 European students. Specific highlights included the filming of an "alloy solidification" lecture by Prof. Lorenz Ratke from DLR, which will be available on-line shortly, as well as the 2005 award ceremony for the IMPRESS Prize for Young Researchers. Please click here for some photos of the event.

December 2005
- the first space results have been obtained from an ESA/DLR Texus sounding rocket mission on 1st December 2005. Using the electromagnetic levitation (EML) technique, a titanium aluminide intermetallic sample was successfully processed and many key thermophysical properties measured.
- please click here for more information.

November 2005
- the IMPRESS Consortium is pleased to announce that the 2005 winner of the IMPRESS Prize for Young Researchers will be awarded to Dr. Tamás Pusztai from the Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Budapest, Hungary. The 1000€ prize will be conferred on 2nd December at the European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Dr. Pusztai has made a significant contribution to the IMPRESS Project with his work on phase field modelling of 3D microstructure evolution during alloy solidification.
- please click here for more information.

October 2005
- first results from reduced gravity experiments onboard a parabolic flight have been successfully obtained. Using the technique of electromagnetic levitation (EML), various IMPRESS alloy samples have been processed. Accurate measurements have now been made of thermophysical properties of molten intermetallics, including inter alia density, surface tension, viscosity, heat of fusion and melting range.

October 2005
- Prof. Mike Loretto from the University of Birmingham has recently presented an "Introduction to Intermetallic Compounds for Turbine Blades".
- please click here to watch the on-line lecture.

September 2005
- IMPRESS is showcased on the EC's Space Policy website with a statement of support for ISS research and utilisation.
- please click here for more information.

September 2005
- the 3rd Scientific Forum for IMPRESS will be held in
Donostia, Spain from 8th-10th May 2006,
kindly organised by INASMET Foundation.

August 2005
- an article in the August edition of Materials World
has recently been published about IMPRESS.
- please click here for more information.

July 2005
- the IMPRESS Prize for Young Researchers has officially been launched.
The annual prize of 1000€ will be awarded to the best PhD or post-doctoral
researcher in the project.
- please click here for more information.

June 2005
- the 2nd Scientific Forum for IMPRESS took place on Lidingö Island in Stockholm from 13th-15th June.
- please click here for more information and the team photo.

May 2005
- an overview paper about IMPRESS will be presented at the International Conference on Advances in Solidification Processes in June 2005, later to be published in Material Science and Engineering, Series A.

April 2005
- IMPRESS is showcased on the EC's website as a key project in the FP6 Nanotechnology, Materials and Processes (NMP) programme.
- please click here for a link to the article.

March 2005
- the IMPRESS International Advisory Committee has been officially established.
- a highly experienced and distinguished group of experts from various backgrounds has been assembled, that will act as a sounding board for the project over the next 5 years.
- please click here for more information.

February 2005
- a Project Board Meeting will be held at ESTEC, Noordwijk on 14th April 2005.
- the next Scientific Forum for IMPRESS will be held in Stockholm on 13-15th June 2005, following the International Conference on Advances in Solidification Processes.

January 2005
- in a short ceremony at ESTEC recently, Mr. Daniel Sacotte, ESA's Director of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration, signed the accession contracts for all 41 academic and industrial partners in the IMPRESS Integrated Project, thereby completing an important milestone for the pan-European venture.
- please click here for more information.

November 2004
- the kick-off meeting for the IMPRESS Integrated Project was held at ESTEC, Noordwijk on 10th-12th November 2004.
- please click here to see the team photo.

October 2004
- the official start of the IMPRESS Integrated Project was 1st November 2004.
- please click here for more information.