Programme 01High-Purity Metal Refining
Separation, purification and recovery of metals from complex feedstocks and secondary resources, from laboratory process to industrial production.
Explore programme
Materials R&D · United Kingdom
Engineering materials from atoms to industry.
We develop advanced metals, alloys, ceramics and functional materials, and carry them from atomic-scale design through pilot validation to industrial production.
Illustrative image
06Research programmes
02Technologies in industrial production
05Stages from mechanism to industry
The Institute
Materials research engineered for industrial use.
MGML Research Institute is the research and development arm of Meta Green Materials Ltd., a materials science and engineering company based in the United Kingdom, and carries out its research with the support of the UK Government.
We work across six research programmes, from high-purity metal refining and high-entropy alloys to functional ceramics, sustainable infrastructure materials, and solar energy and thermal management materials. Every programme starts from a defined application and the mechanisms that govern performance, then progresses through laboratory validation and pilot trials to industrial deployment.
Our team combines fundamental materials science with long engineering experience, and works with industrial partners in the United Kingdom, China and internationally.
Research Programmes
Six programmes, one materials science foundation.
Each programme links mechanism-level understanding with process development and engineering validation, so that new materials reach real components, roads and buildings.
Programme 01
Programme 02Sustainable Pavement Materials
Asphalt rejuvenation, anti-icing surfaces and conductive composites for more durable, resource-efficient roads.
Explore programme
Programme 03Eco-Functional Building Materials
Functional mineral constituents that bring purification, humidity control, insulation and protection into building products.
Explore programme
Programme 04High-Entropy Alloys
Mechanism-guided multicomponent alloy design for extreme environments, functional coatings and energy materials.
Explore programme
Programme 05Advanced Functional Ceramics
Conductive, dielectric, magnetic, sensing and bioactive ceramics, from high-purity powders to integrated devices.
Explore programme
Programme 06Solar Energy and Thermal Management
Perovskite photovoltaics, solar-thermal surfaces and thermal management materials, guided by mechanistic understanding and data-driven design.
Explore programmeOur Approach
From mechanism to market.
One development discipline runs through every programme: understand why a material performs, prove it under realistic conditions, then scale it.
- 01
Requirement and mechanism
Define the application, operating environment and target specification, and identify the mechanisms that control performance.
- 02
Design and synthesis
Select compositions and process routes using thermodynamics, computation and laboratory synthesis.
- 03
Characterisation
Link structure to properties through phase analysis, microscopy and performance testing under representative conditions.
- 04
Pilot and field trials
Scale promising materials and processes to pilot production, field sections or component validation.
- 05
Industrialisation
Assess techno-economic and environmental performance, then transfer technology into production.
Alloy design and thermodynamics
Composition screening guided by phase-stability modelling, first-principles calculations and experimental validation.
Vacuum and thermal separation
Vacuum distillation, selective volatilisation and staged condensation for metal separation and purification.
Hydrometallurgical processing
Leaching, solvent extraction, ion exchange and selective precipitation for complex metal systems.
Ceramic processing and sintering
High-purity powders, precision forming and controlled sintering for functional ceramic components.
Thin films and surface engineering
Magnetron sputtering, sol–gel and printed layers for functional and spectrally selective coatings.
Infrastructure material formulation
Binders, additives and functional mineral constituents designed for existing production plants.
Structural and functional characterisation
Phase analysis, electron microscopy and mechanical, thermal, electrical and magnetic testing.
Computational and data-driven design
First-principles calculations and machine learning on experimental data to direct the next experiment.
Leadership
Chief Scientist
Dr Junwei Xie
Dr Junwei Xie is a materials scientist with a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University. He is Chief Scientist of MGML Research Institute and Founder and CEO of Meta Green Materials Ltd.
His research spans materials for extreme environments, energy and nuclear applications, advanced purification technologies, nanocomposites and smart materials for civil engineering, with original contributions to high-entropy alloys and materials purification. His work has been published in international peer-reviewed journals and is protected by multiple invention patents.
He has led and contributed to major national research programmes, connecting fundamental research with advanced manufacturing and industrial application. Under his leadership, the team’s high-purity metal processing technology entered industrial production in 2026, and its two-component asphalt rejuvenator is in commercial use.
PhDMaterials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University
10+ yrsRoad and bridge engineering practice
2025Founded Meta Green Materials Ltd., United Kingdom
- High-entropy alloys
- Materials purification
- Extreme-environment materials
- Nanocomposites
- Smart civil engineering materials
Collaboration
Working with industry, from feasibility to production.
We collaborate with manufacturers, infrastructure owners, resource companies and research institutions at every stage of development.
Feasibility and characterisation
Feedstock and material characterisation, purification and formulation feasibility studies, and failure analysis.
Joint development
Co-developed materials and processes, with sample validation against your specification.
Pilot and field trials
Scale-up, pilot production, field sections and component validation under service conditions.
Technology transfer
Licensing and industrialisation projects for proven technologies through Meta Green Materials Ltd.
Who we work with
- Metal processors and refiners
- Resource recovery companies
- Advanced materials manufacturers
- Highway authorities and asphalt producers
- Building material manufacturers
- Electronic component and sensor makers
- Energy equipment manufacturers
- Research institutions
Contact Us
Start a technical conversation.
Tell us about your application, material system and performance targets, and we will explore suitable research, validation or industrialisation options with you.