Our activities

Primary aluminium is produced by the electrolytic reduction of enriched bauxite (alumina). Secondary aluminium is produced by re-melting aluminium scrap. The material is then cast into ingots or billets and processed further by hot and cold rolling to obtain flat products such as strip and thick plate, or by extrusion to obtain long products such as profiles.

Corus RD&T’s aluminium research focuses on the development of new alloys to meet the requirements of specific markets (such as aerospace and automotive) and on the downstream processing of the material for specific markets.

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An integrated steelworks is a place where raw steel is manufactured from raw materials, which include iron ore, lime and coke. This metal undergoes subsequent processing to turn it into rolled products of a precise composition controlled to within parts per million. These rolled products can be either ‘long products’, such as rail and steel bar used as concrete reinforcing, or ‘flat products’, such as steel strip and plate. In an integrated steel plant you usually also find coating lines, used to apply a metal or organic coating to steel strip in order to make it more suitable to the demands of specific markets.

Examples include tin-coated steel used in packaging, or zinc coated (galvanised) steel often used in building and automotive applications. The activities of Corus RD&T relate to all stages of the production process from the preparation of raw materials to the processing of the final product by Corus’ customers.

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Minimills are relatively compact steel plants in which raw steel is produced by melting recycled steel scrap in electric arc furnaces. Like an integrated works, the cast metal is then rolled to produce Long Products like piling or sections used in construction, or Flat Products such as steel strip.

Most minimills produce steel for a limited number of markets, sometimes only one. Corus RD&T is involved in research projects related to electric steelmaking and hot rolling of the product. This work is concentrated at the RD&T locations in the UK.

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The use of refractory materials is essential in the production of both steel and aluminium. Non-metallic inorganic materials produced as by-products during the steelmaking process can also be processed further to obtain materials that can be used in other industries.

The Ceramics Research Centre of RD&T has many years of experience in developing and testing refractory materials, collaborating with major suppliers, as well as in processing non-metallic inorganic materials. This includes processes to make components or semi products from inorganic materials.

For further information, please visit www.ceramics-research.com.

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Below you will find some examples of metals applications Corus RD&T contribute to.

Tthe automotive sector is a highly demanding market. Changing views in society and associated legislation call for the continuous development of new materials and components for the automotive sector, such as high strength steels, aluminium car body sheet and tailored blanks. Many research projects are aimed at, or related to, the automotive industry. For further information, please visit the R&D page on our dedicated Automotive website.

Building and Construction

Corus provides a wide range of materials and half-products for the construction sector, which is the largest market for Corus. Corus RD&T works with the business units that supply products to the construction market in developing innovative solutions to specific construction problems and testing new concepts. More information on Corus in Construction is available from www.corusconstruction.com.

Packaging

Packaging is one of the main markets of Corus. RD&T works in close collaboration with Corus Packaging Plus and its customers in developing new, innovative products for the packaging market and on improving existing products to meet changing demands from the market and from society in general.
For further information, please visit our dedicated Packaging RD&T site.

Transport & Engineering

Corus supplies both steel and aluminium based materials to several non-automotive transport sectors. This varies from infrastructure components for railways such as rails and steel sleepers through giant extruded aluminium profiles for high speed railway stock to the Coraldec® aluminium ship deck elements.  For further information, go to www.corusrail.com

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