Novel high performance materials and components (RIA)

Proposals should develop and test high performance materials and combined components to withstand extreme and varying conditions that are expected in future processes, and improve their target performance for a long time. The proposals need to consider the following aspects:

• Design, including through modelling and artificial intelligence, development, processing and testing of highly innovative materials with improved properties in terms of, e.g. temperature and humidity resistance (corrosion, oxidation, thermal insulation), strength, functionality, weight, etc. and components with graded and protective coatings, yield strength, hardness, and resistance to media relevant for specific industrial application;
• Components embedded with sensors to minimise industrial processing conditions constraints;
• Significant increase in lifetime of equipment by reducing damage and degradation such as wear and oxidation in high temperature demanding applications of productive processes;
• Reduction of environmental impacts in terms of waste management and energy and resource consumption.

Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the Introduction to the LEIT part of this Work Programme.

Activities should start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 5 at the end of the project.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU between EUR 4 and 6 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Energy intensive industries will require a radical transformation of their production processes to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Future low carbon technologies and processes should address fluctuating and extreme conditions, such as high temperature or corrosive environments, materials and components that will need to be able to be sustained. In the same way, they also need to be designed for high-energy performance.

Existing components materials and any combination thereof have however inherent limitations to meeting new extreme conditions. Stress resulting in degradation, corrosion, wear and/or deterioration can in particular lead to reduced plant efficiency even plant shutdowns or entire equipment failures. The challenge is therefore to develop new, or overhaul the performance of, materials and combined components.

With a view to future processes to be identified, the proposed solutions across value chains should demonstrate at least two out of following three impacts:

• Energy efficiency improvement of the target production and/or operation processes of at least 30%;
• Reduction of CO2 emissions and resource utilisation by 20%;
• Increased lifetime of the equipment by at least 20%.

Relevant indicators and metrics, with baseline values, should be clearly stated in the proposal.