2011 Boulton and Watt Commemoration Lecture

Hydrogen, Magnets, Sustainability and the Birmingham Connection

On the 5th October 2011 at 18.30 at Birmingham Metropolitan College (Matthew Boulton Campus), Professor Rex Harris, University of Birmingham talked about hydrogen, rare earth magnets, sustainability and the role of the city and region, past, present and future. The Lecture considered two major threats facing our planet: resource depletion and climate change. Both operate on similar timescales and both require urgent remedial action. Rex explored the challenges that face society in identifying solutions that reduce the seemingly inexorable rise in CO2 emissions, and which make the most of our sustainable energy sources. He drew upon his own research on hydrogen and magnets and demonstrated that they are essential partners in any life-saving drive towards a sustainable society. He also showed why Birmingham and its environs could play a pivotal role in the implementation of carbon-free technologies by building upon its manufacturing and engineering history and creating a much needed manufacturing renaissance. Please click here for a summary of the Lecture. A copy of the powerpoint presentation can be found here. View the highlights of Professor Harris' Lecture here or the full Lecture can seen here.

Professor Rex Harris is currently Honorary Professor of Material Science at the School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham. For around 40 years, Professor Rex Harris was leader of the Applied Alloy Chemistry Group (AACG) in Metallurgy and Materials. During this time he maintained a long-standing research interest in the fields of rare earth alloys, permanent magnets and hydrogen purification and storage materials. He developed a close synergy between these fields with the development and application of the Hydrogen Decrepitation (HD) process to the manufacture of NdFeB magnets. The HD process is now used world-wide as the standard means of production of these materials.

Video Film produced by Rainford Studios