Fulmer Research Institute was founded in 1945 as a UK contract research and development organization specializing in materials technology and related areas of physics and chemistry.  It was modelled on American contract research companies such as Battelle Memorial Institute and The Mellon Institute of Industrial Research.  In 1965 it was acquired by The Institute of Physics and the Physical Society, a rare case of a contract research company being owned by a Learned Society.  Through the 1970s and 80s Fulmer evolved. Its services in testing, consultancy and certification were greatly strengthened while academic research declined. It continued to make important developments and innovations for industry and government until in 1990 it was split up and sold to other R & D and testing organizations.
A few of the landmark achievements during its forty five years were:
* The extraction of aluminium using sub-halide sublimation
* Aluminium-tin and aluminium-lead alloys for plain-bearings
* Chemical Vapour Deposition of metals and ceramics to produce coatings, tubes, crucibles etc.
* Fundamental research into aluminium copper alloys, leading to high strength formulations for the skin of high performance aircraft
* YQAF, a subsidiary company authorised to assess and accredit organizations to quality standards.
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