Researchers at the University of Warwick are working with half a dozen Midlands companies to exploit an environmental wonder material that could bring significant energy savings in power systems used in cars and planes.

The material is the compound known as silicon carbide and it could also help save energy in power generation and transmission systems.

Professor Phil Mawby of University of Warwick has been leading the research and is already working with a number of Midlands companies to exploit its energy saving properties.

Rugby-based Converteam has examined the material for use in rotating machines - such as motors and generators - drives and automation.

The firm's product have been adopted by wind turbine manufactures and need to be durable - particularly if they are placed out at sea where maintenance may not be quite so easy.

Currently electrical components in wind turbines require multiple switches to convert the wind energy to transmittable power.

Silicon carbide devices reduce the number of switches needed by 80 per cent producing durability benefits due to the reduced number of components at that crucial point that could potentially fail.

Professor Mawby is also working with design engineering firm Zytek to explore if silicon carbide can be used in the power electronic components that are used in the firm's electric drives for electric vehicle applications.

Lichfield-based Zytek currently supply E drives to a 5.5 tonne urban delivery vehicle and the Smart fortwo city car.

As silicon carbide is very durable it would enhance the reliability of the electric powertrain controller and increase its power handling capability.

Silicon carbide can also be used at engine compartment temperatures opening up avenues for technology to be used to increase the range of existing vehicles.

Professor Mawby has also just begun a long term research project with GE Aviation in Cheltenham to examine how heavy mechanical plane systems could be replaced by lighter silicon carbide based electrical systems.

Meanwhile representatives from leading high-technology manufacturing businesses and organisations have helped to showcase how the West Midlands plans to become a national leader in the research and application of advanced materials.

Senior industrialists from Rolls Royce, Goodrich, Jaguar-Land Rover and Tata, public sector organisations and SMEs were all involved in the event, one of five held over the year by Advantage West Midlands' Innovation and Technology Council to focus on different areas of research and development.

Advanced materials and processes represent the future of manufacturing internationally and covers almost every sector in the industry including biomaterials and composites and is key to underpinning the development of sectors such as automotive, aerospace and healthcare.

Birmingham is also home to the national nano-materials applications centre, Materials Solutions, which is part funded by Advantage West Midlands, and the facilities at the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick are driving the development of advanced materials in their field.

Dr Phil Extance, Advantage West Midlands director of innovation, said: "Over the last year, Advantage West Midlands has been working with partners in the region to pull together an advanced materials strategy.

"Advantage West Midlands is supporting this in a number of ways including up to £25 million in investment through the Birmingham Science City initiative to help the development of advanced materials.

"This will undertake internationally-leading research. Collaboration with industry is vital to the success of this and the attendance at this event shows just how engaged the private sector already is in the work being done around advanced materials.

"We are seeking to create a critical mass of manufacturing capabilities strongly linked to the research base."