Materials Research Centre
in the Department of Mechanical Engineering

Outline of expertise

Areas of expertise include ceramics, carbon, composites, timber, modelling, characterisation and adhesion; a brief outline of expertise in these areas is given below:

CERAMICS

• Zirconia, nanoscale engineering
• Sol-gel processing
• Low density SiC
• Fracture
• Piezoelectrics, piezoelectric composites
• Drug delivery systems
• Colour systems
• Solid electrolytes / ionic conductors
  

TIMBER

• life cycle design, Fatigue performance
  
• Advanced structural connection techniques
  
• Reinforced timber structures
  
• Panel products

A

MODELLING

• finite element, finite difference
• forming processes
• forging technology, thermal modelling
• dielectric response, complex circuits
• piezoelectric, 3-D composites
• adsorption in carbon materials
• neural networks

COMPOSITES

• fatigue, carbon fibre composites
• Impact damage, effects of fatigue and static loading
• Composite/metal hybrid materials, sports equipment
• Biomedical materials

CHARACTERISATION

• Scanning and transmission electron microscopy
  
• Electron probe microanalysis, quantitative
  
• Optical microscopy, quantitative
  
• X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction
  
• NDT&E, ultrasonics, thermography, thermal wave
  
• Impedance spectroscopy
  
• Atomic force microscopy
  
• Polymers, DMTA, DSC, FTIR
  
• Mechanical testing, fatigue
  
• Piezoelectrics
  
• Superconducting thin film devices