Materials Research Centre
in the Department of Mechanical Engineering

Current Research Activity

The Department has excellent modern equipment for measurements of structural chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of materials and for preparation and processing of a wide range of materials. Current research interests are summarised below by project title:

• Structural and Functional Ceramics (including Bio-Materials)
• Composite Materials (including Timber Science and Engineering)
• Materials Characterisation and Evaluation
• Modelling of Metal Forming Processes
• Sports Engineering and Materials
• Centres and Services
  

Structural and Functional Ceramics (including Bio-Materials)

CERAMIC PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES
Emeritis Emeritis Professor R Stevens

IMPROVED ZIRCONIA CERAMICS THROUGH NANOSCALE ENGINEERING
Emeritis Professor R Stevens

ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF YTTRIA-DOPED ZIRCONIA CERAMICS
Emeritis Professor R Stevens

MICROSTRUCTURAL ENGINEERING OF ZIRCONIA COMPOSITES
Emeritis Professor R Stevens

ADVANCED LEAD ACID BATTERIES
Emeritis Professor R Stevens and Dr R Ball

SINTERING OF POROUS HYDROXYAPATITE
Dr I Turner and Emeritis Professor R Stevens

CERAMIC COLOUR SYSTEMS
Emeritis Professor R Stevens

ANALYSIS OF THE ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF IONIC CONDUCTORS
Professor D P Almond and Dr CR Bowen

PROCESSING AND PROPERTIES OF BIOCERAMICS
Emeritis Professor R Stevens

MODELLING OF 3-3 PIEZOCOMPOSITES
Dr CR Bowen and Emeritis Professor R Stevens

MODELLING AND CHARACTERISATION OF CARBON-CARBON COMPOSITES
Dr CR Bowen

PIEZOELECTRIC NANOCOMPOSITES
Dr CR Bowen and Emeritis Professor R Stevens

NOVEL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Emeritis Professor R Stevens, Dr MJ Tobyn (Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology) and Ms Kim Tye

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN AND CHARACTERISATION OF NOVEL POLYMER 3-3 PIEZO-COMPOSITES FOR SONAR APPLICATIONS
Dr CR Bowen, Emeritis Professor R Stevens

GLASS AND GLASS-CERAMIC TILES FROM PLASMA-TREATED WASTE
Dr CR Bowen and Emeritis Professor R Stevens

LIFETIME PREDICTION OF MULTI-LAYER ACTUATORS
Emeritis Professor R Stevens and Dr CR Bowen

1-3 COMPOSITES FOR ACTUATORS AND SENSORS
Dr CR Bowen and Emeritis Professor R Stevens

MODELLING OF PIEZOCOMPOSITES
Dr CR Bowen

MORPHOLOGY AND CONTROL OF PIEZOELECTRIC POWDERS
Emeritis Professor R Stevens and Dr CR Bowen

SINGLE CRYSTAL GROWTH OF PZT
Emeritis Professor R Stevens and Dr CR Bowen

CHARACTERISATION OF VACUUM PLASMA-SPRAYED HYDROXYAPTITE COATINGS ON TITANIUM
Dr IG Turner

CHARACTERISATION OF ZIRCONIA-TOUGHENED ALUMINA FOR BIOMEDICAL USE
Dr IG Turner and Dr G Insley

BONE GRAFT EXTENDERS
Dr IG Turner, Professor AW Miles and Dr B Casey

Composite Materials (including Timber Science and Engineering)

FUNDAMENTAL FATIGUE STUDY OF SISAL-REINFORCED COMPOSITES
Dr MP Ansell and Mr A Towo

ACOUSTOGRAPHY, IMAGING OF DEVELOPMENT OF DAMAGE IN COMPOSITES UNDER FATIGUE CONDITIONS
Professor DP Almond

ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY OF EPOXY ADHESIVE SYSTEMS WITH NANOPARTICLE ADDITIONS
Dr MP Ansell and Mrs Z Ahmad

RECYCLABILITY OF KENAF FIBRE-POLYPROPYLENE COMPOSITES
Dr MP Ansell and Mr Wang Wenlei

HENEQUEN FIBRE-REINFORCED CLAYS FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
Dr MP Ansell, Dr P Walker (Archtecture and Civil Engineering) and Mr C Gonzalez-Murillo

SYNTACTIC PHENOLIC FOAMS FOR SUB-SEA OIL PIPELINE INSULATION
Dr MP Ansell and Dr K Somani

IMPROVED ADHESIVE SYSTEMS FOR BONDING TIMBER
Dr MP Ansell

Materials Characterisation and Non Destructive Evaluation (RCNDE)

THERMOGRAPHIC NON-DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION
Professor DP Almond and Dr S Pickering

COMPACT THERMOSONIC NDE SYSTEM
Professor DP Almond and U Polimeno

COMBINED REMOTE THERMOGRPAHY AND NON-CONTACT ULTRASONIC INSPECTION TECNIQUE USING PULSED LASER EXCITATION
Professor DP Almond , Dr D A S Rees and Teng Li

MODELLING THE DIELECTRIC RESPONSE OF SOLIDS
Professor DP Almond, Dr CR Bowen, Professor C J Budd and Dr N McCullen (BICS link)

OPTIMIZATION OF CATHETER MATERIALS
Dr IG Turner and Dr EL Stephens

EVALUATION OF FILM-COATED TABLETS
Dr IG Turner and Dr J Vogwell

Modelling of Metal Forming Processes

THERMAL MODELLING OF AIR COOLED STEEL FORGING
Professor AN Bramley

SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF FINITE ELEMENT MODELLING OF FORMING PROCESSES
Professor AN Bramley

FAST SIMULATION OF FORGING PROCESSES USING UBET AND TEUBA
Professor AN Bramley

MODELLING OF TOOL COATINGS IN METAL FORMING PROCESSES
Professor AN Bramley

INNOVATIVE USE OF CERAMICS IN TOOL DESIGN FOR PRECISION FORMING
Professor AN Bramley and Emeritis Professor R Stevens

FORGE-NET – A UK EPSRC NETWORK ON FORGING TECHNOLOGY
Professor AN Bramley

FORGE-NET – AN EC THEMATIC NETWORK ON FORGING MODELLING
Professor AN Bramley

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF COLD-FORMED JOINTS
Dr J Vogwell, Mr T Navid-Chakerlou and Mr A Flynn

INCREMENTAL SHEET METAL FORMING
Professor AN Bramley

Sports Engineering and Materials

RUNNER MATERIALS FOR SKELETON BOBS
Professor AN Bramley, Dr MP Ansell and Dr K Bromley

CENTRE OF PERCUSSION MEASUREMENTS FOR RACKETS AND BATS
Dr J Vogwell

Centres and Services

Centre for Electron Optical Studies

The University’s Centre for Electron Optical Studies provides facilities for science and engineering Departments for the investigation of the microstructure of solid materials using electron optical techniques. Since the inception of the Centre, the Department of Engineering and Applied Science has been the principal user of its facilities. The Centre is very well equipped with modern electron optical instruments and ancillary equipment. Recently the HEFCE has awarded funds for purchase of a new TEM.

The principal instruments are as follows:

• JEOL T330 SEM
• JEOL 6310 SEM + EDS
• JEOL 1200EX, 0-120keV TEM + STEM
• JEOL 2000FX high resolution, 200keV TEM + EDS
• JEOL 8600M EPMA (WDS + EDS)
• NANOSCOPE IIIa (AFM + STM)
  

THE UK RESEARCH CENTRE IN NON-DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION (rendlink)

The thermographic research group lead by Professor Darryl Almond is part of the UK Research Centre in Nondestructive Evaluation, formed by a consortium of six NDE research groups spread across six UK universities. The Centre was established in 2003 with ~£9M of EPSRC funding. Since 2003 the Centre has attracted substantial industrial support and it has received a further EPSRC grant for the period 2008-2014. The Group's laboratory is equipped to investigate all types of thermographic NDE. List of current projects (link to Materials Characterisation and Non Destructive Evaluation)

SMS Consultants

Director: Mr N Gathercole

The Centre runs a comprehensive consultancy service ranging from accident and failure investigations and expert witness service to mechanical testing, corrosion and chemical and microstructural analysis of metals, polymers and ceramics. In addition,

SMS can undertake structural analysis and design work as well as short-term research investigations.