HPMI Overview

The High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) is a multidisciplinary research institute at Florida State University. HPMI strives to recruit, develop and retain top quality faculty and staff who will develop HPMI into a center of excellence for research and education in the field of advanced materials. Leading edge, revolutionary technology comes as the result of creativity, vision, talent, dedication and teamwork. Currently, HPMI is involved in four primary technology areas: High-Performance Composite and Nanomaterials, Structural Health Monitoring, Multifunctional Nanomaterials Advanced Manufacturing and Process Modeling.

Over the last several years, HPMI has proven a number of technology concepts that have the potential to narrow the gap between research and practical applications of nanotube-based materials. These technologies include magnetic alignment of nanotubes, fabrication of nanotube membranes or buckypapers, production of nanotube composites, modeling of nanotube-epoxy interaction at the molecular level, and characterization of SWNT nanocomposites for mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, thermal management, radiation shielding and EMI attenuation. HPMI personnel also established Florida’s first National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC). 

In 2006, the Florida Board of Governors designated HPMI as a Center of Excellence in Advanced Materials and awarded $4 M to further HPMI’s efforts in technology transfer, economic development and work force training. Under its cluster hiring program, FSU has awarded the HPMI team with an additional $4 M to recruit and hire some of the nation’s top researchers in Materials. HPMI personnel recently moved into the new $20M, 45,000 square foot Materials Research Building, which houses the latest state-of-the art equipment and facilities for materials research, especially designed for research in nanomaterials.