Research by Academics

• Structure-property relationship in polymers
• Polymer - metal and ceramic - matrix composites
• Deformation and failure of polymers and toughened plastics
• Failure micromechanisms in composite materials
• In-situ experimentation in the SEM
• Biomaterials. New composites

• Nano-materials
• Metal Matrix Composites
• Hydrogen Storage Alloys
• Corrosion Engineering
• Hydrogen Embrittlement
• Ni-MH Batteries
• Metal Failure

• Aerospace materials
• Metal- and polymer- matrix composites
• Aluminium-lithium alloys
• Nickel-based superalloys
• Adhesive bonding
• Fatigue, creep and failure of metals

• Mechanisms of microstructure and texture evolution during solidification
• Solid-state phase transformation
• Deformation & annealing
• Light metals and their composites: Aluminium, Magnesium and Titanium
• Structure and properties of nanocrystalline alloys
• Bulk metallic glasses
• In situ studies of high temperature phase transformations
• 3-D focussed ion beam tomography

• Fracture of Ceramics
• Wear of Ceramics
• Ceramic Matrix Composites
• Fatigue of ceramics
• In-situ SEM testing
• Fracture and fatigue of metals and polymers
• Residual stress analysis
• Creep of metals
• Thermal cycling behaviour of ceramic matrix composites

• Electronic and photonic materials
• Interfacial processes and nanotechnology
• Computational materials science

• Microstructure property relationships
• Analytical electron microscopy
• Iron and nickel aluminides
• Metal matrix composites
• Precipitation hardened alloys
• Galvanised Steels
• Focused Ion Beam Milling

• Thermodynamics of metallic and slag melts
• Thermodynamics and kinetics of pyrometallurgical processes
• Processes of reduction of iron, manganese, chromium and other metals
• New technologies for iron-making and ferroalloy-making
• BOS and EAF steel-making

• Sustainable processing of materials
• New Direct Ironmaking technologies
• Reduction of iron ore
• New developments in blast furnace ironmaking (Pulverised Coal Injection)
• Electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking
• Ferrous and non-ferrous materials processing
• Kinetics of liquid/solid/gas reactions in metallurgical processes
• Black coal utilisation
• Mathematical modelling of metallurgical processes
• Refractory reactions in metals processing
• Utilisation of waste materials in metals processing

• Phase equilibria of ceramic systems
• Non-oxide ceramic processing and properties
• High-temperature superconductors
• Powder processing, densification, and crystal growth of ceramics
• Glass and glass-ceramics
• Ceramic-matrix composites
• Microwave processing of ceramics
• Gemstones
• Electrophoresis of ceramics

• Modelling of densification and grain growth
• Processes in ceramics
• Microstructure-property relationships in ceramics
• Zirconia ceramics
• Nanocomposites
• Piezoelectric ceramics
• Bioceramics

• Ultra-thin (sub-10nm) films of polar oxides
• Ferroelectrics and multiferroics
• Thin film epitaxy
• Functional Scanned Probe Microscopy

• Particle science and technology
• Computational materials
• Pharmaceutical materials
• Combined MD-DEM Simulation of Nanoparticles

• Materials degradation at high temperatures
• Reaction of metals with liquid and gases at high temperatures
• Diffusional processes in high-temperature metals oxidation
• Carburisation and sulfidation reactions
• Coatings and alloys for high-temperature service
• Corrosion of glass and ceramics
• Dealloying reactions

• Particle packing characteristics
• Particle characterisation and data interpretation
• Relationship between micro- and macro-structural properties of particle packings
• Raw materials processing
• Fluid flow, heat and mass transfer in packed and fluidised beds
• Metallurgical process modelling
• Blast furnace ironmaking and new ironmaking technology

• Thermodynamics and kinetics of pyrometallurgical processes
• Carbothermal reduction and reduction by methane containing gas of stable metal oxides
• Alternative technologies for light metal production
• Reduction in energy and coke consumption in ironmaking and manganese alloy production
• Energy and exergy analysis of pyrometallurgical processes
• Efficient utilisation of resources in pyrometallurgical processes

• Fabrication of high-temperature superconducting powders, melt
• Textured crystals and single crystals
• Physical properties of superconductors
• Vortex motion and flux pinning in superconductors
• Electronic ceramics
• III-V nitride semiconductors
• Nonlinear phenomena in materials and dynamic systems