The Centre for Complex Fluids Processing is an international centre leading in the fields of membrane separation, proceses, bioprocess technology, food technology, rheometry, colloids and interfaces, atomic force microscopy and nanotechnology 

The processing of complex fluids is a major feature of modern industry. Such fluids are extremely diverse in origin and composition and ranging from biotechnological materials and food products to mineral slurries and inks. However, underlying this diversity are certain properties that must be understood if the processing is to be effective and efficient. These include the flow behaviour in process equipment, how components of the fluid determine its overall properties and how individual components may be selectively separated.

The Centre receives extensive funding from the UK Research Councils, the European Union, the regional development agency and industry. The Centre is the recipient of a prestigious EPSRC platform grant awarded to world leading groups with continuity of funding for longer term research and international networking. The Centre is also recognized as a centre of expertise with a proven track record of collaboration with large and small companies.

The Centre has excellent facilities for experimental and theoretical work. Equipment includes several AFM’s, a comprehensive range of rheometers, photo correlation spectroscopy  for particle sizing down to 1 nm, laser defraction particle sizing, free solution electrophoresis BET and gas porosimetry, microcalorimetry, HPLC, mass spectroscopy, ICP spectroscopy, gas liquid chromatography and HPLC. Larger equipment includes a new biotechnology pilot plant and several pilot scale membrane filtration equipment for microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis. Excellent computing facilities are available.