UL Research Institutes Launches State-of-the-Art Materials Discovery Laboratory Focused on Sustainability

EVANSTON, Ill. (Sept. 12, 2024) — Global safety science leader UL Research Institutes (ULRI) today launched a state-of-the-art materials science laboratory designed to accelerate the discovery of new materials. The new lab harnesses the power of automated instrumentation and artificial intelligence (AI) to generate results far more quickly than traditional testing methods.

Encompassing 19,366 square feet, ULRI’s new Materials Discovery Research Institute (MDRI) laboratory in Skokie, Illinois, works to develop and deploy new materials with the potential to address global safety challenges like climate change and related risks to humanity and the planet. New advanced materials are considered a cornerstone of emerging clean technologies in energy, decarbonization and other areas essential to a sustainable future.

“Our new laboratory is progressive and innovative because we’ve combined a digital-first infrastructure that enables accelerated discovery by leveraging state-of-the-art machine learning with automated instrumentation,” said Dr. Stuart R. Miller, MDRI’s vice president and executive director. “We’re working to reduce the time it takes to develop a new material from conception to commercialization from about 15 years to only a couple of years.”

The fifth research institute within ULRI, MDRI was publicly launched in September 2022 as a key component of expanding the scope and scale of ULRI’s efforts to advance its mission of working for a safer world. Current MDRI research focuses on the creation of sustainable, low-cost materials for energy generation and storage, decarbonization and water security.

The new Skokie laboratory accelerates traditional materials discovery processes by leveraging cutting-edge instrumentation, including the following equipment.

• A 3D metal NanoPrinter, one of the first of its kind installed throughout the world. The VSParticle NanoPrinter combines the generation, combination and deposition of nanoparticles in one automated process.
• Fully customized Chemspeed SWINGXL, SWAVE and Flex synthesis platforms that automate the complete synthetic process — managing multiple steps that have traditionally been human tasks. Employing automated synthesis technology improves safety and accuracy while enabling a significantly larger number of reactions through 24/7 operations.

“As we work to address really challenging safety issues — energy resilience, for example — we need to ensure that our talented researchers have the tools and equipment to be the best at what they do,” said Dr. Christopher J. Cramer, ULRI’s interim president and chief research officer. “Our state-of-the-art MDRI lab provides those tools, reflecting our commitment to a safer and more sustainable world in which everyone can thrive.”

About UL Research Institutes

UL Research Institutes is a leading independent safety science organization with global reach. Dedicated to exploring vital questions related to public safety, we sense and act on risks to humanity and our planet.

Since 1894, our trusted research has engaged the ingenuity of top minds across scientific disciplines to engineer a safer and more sustainable world. Science builds the knowledge required to mitigate increasingly urgent safety problems like environmental and chemical pollution or artificial intelligence inequities — and our rigorous, objective investigations uncover that knowledge.

In collaboration with a global network of scientists and safety professionals, we define the safe and sustainable use of things ranging from legacy materials to new and emerging technologies. Our discoveries support the development of practical standards and policies by UL Standards & Engagement. Together, we are advancing safety science for the greater good.

Contact

Kristen Delphos
Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs
UL Research Institutes
Kristen.Delphos@ul.org

Michelle Johnson
Director, External Communications
UL Research Institutes
Michelle.Johnson@ul.org