Engineering Alloys
Our research team explores the behaviour, processing, microstructure and performance of alloys for industries such as aerospace, nuclear power generation, large scale industrial processes, and microelectronics. This work addresses challenges such as: reduction in CO2 generation, development and manufacture of lighter and higher performance alloys; improvements in safety and lifetime prediction through physical understanding of deformation processes; and significant improvements in the life cycle of alloys, reducing energy consumption through reuse and recycling. [image above: Dual phase titanium (Ti6242) microstructure imaged using forward scatter electron imaging. Credits: Dr Vivian Tong, Imperial College London]
Current research projects
| Projects | Researchers |
|---|---|
| Alloy Processing and Solidification | Dr Christopher Gourlay, Professor David Dye |
| Computational Mechanics | Professor Fionn Dunne FREng, Dr Mark Wenman, Dr Ben Britton, Dr Minh-Son Pham, Dr Vassili Vorontsov |
| Materials Characterisation | Dr Ben Britton, Dr Mark Wenman, Professor David Dye, Dr Christopher Gourlay, Dr Minh-Son Pham, Dr Vassili Vorontsov |
| Residual Stress and Structural Integrity | Professor Fionn Dunne FREng, Professor David Dye, Dr Ben Britton, Dr Mark Wenman, Dr Minh-Son Pham, Dr Vassili Vorontsov |
Engineering Alloys Staff
Dr Ben Britton
Dr Ben Britton is a Senior Lecturer and RAEng Research Fellow in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London.
His research focusses on understanding materials in high-value high-risk environments, for instance in aerospace, nuclear power and oil & gas applications. His research interests include experimental techniques such as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), digital image correlation (DIC), micro-mechanical test (e.g. nanoindentation, micropillar compression), as well as simulation with crystal plasticity and dislocation dynamics. This work focusses on the behaviour of hexagonal and cubic metals (e.g. Zr, Ti, Cu, Ni, Fe).
>> More about Ben
| Research project title | Funding body | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Physical understanding of micromechanical mechanisms for structural integrity assessment in nuclear engineering | Royal Academy of Engineering | Mar 2015 |
Professor Fionn Dunne FREng
Professor Fionn Dunne is Chair in Micromechanics and current research is in the micromechanics and fundamentals of deformation and failure particularly relating to hexagonal polycrystal materials and includes computational crystal plasticity, micro-deformation, fatigue crack nucleation, texture and dislocation structure development and polycrystal sonics for NDE. He leads the epsrc programme grant Heterogeneous Mechanics in Hexagonal Alloys across Length and Time Scales, directs the Imperial Rolls-Royce Nuclear University Technology Centre, and Co-Directs the AVIC-BIAM Centre for Materials.
He is Associate Editor of Philosophical Magazine and co-author of Introduction to Computational Plasticity, OUP, 2005. He is a consultant to Rolls-Royce, a member of their Core Materials Working Group and was a Royal Society Industry Fellow in 05/06 spent with Rolls-Royce. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2010
>> More about Fionn
| Research project title | Funding body | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Modelling methodologies for microstructurally sensitive fatigue crack nucleation and growth in Zirconium alloys | Rolls-Royce plc | Oct 2015 |
Professor David Dye
Professor David Dye is a Professor of Metallurgy in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London.
His research Interests focus on the micromechanics of jet engine, aircraft and reactor materials, particularly superalloys, titanium and zirconium. His research group works on problems across the life-cycle from alloy design to processing to fatigue and failure.
>> More about David
>> Watch David's Inaugural Lecture
| Research project title | Funding body | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| High Five: Resolution, Sensitivity, in operando Control, Ultra High Vacuum and Ion Sectioning in a Single Instrument | Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) | Jul 2017 |
| Startegic Partnership in Structural Metallic Systems for Gas Turbines | Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) | Oct 2014 |
| Designing Alloys for Resource Efficiency (DARE): A Manufacturing Approach | Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) | Jul 2014 |
Dr Chris Gourlay
Dr Christopher Gourlay is a Reader in Metallurgy.
His research focuses on the fundamentals of alloy solidification and their application in Pb-free soldering and casting with interests including: Mushy-zone mechanics; X-ray imaging of solidification phenomena; Nucleation; Eutectics; Intermetallic crystal growth; Pb-free soldering; and High-pressure die casting
>> More about Christopher
| Research project title | Funding body | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Solder Alloys | Nihon Superior Co Ltd | Dec 2017 |
| Future Liquid Metal Engineering Hub | Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) | Nov 2015 |
| Solidification Processing of Alloys for Sustainable Manufacturing | Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) | Jul 2014 |
Dr Min-Son Pham
Dr Minh-Son Pham is Departmental Research Fellow in the Department of Materialsl at Imperial College London.
His research focuses on additive manufacturing and metal forming, and the in-service performance of lightweight metals and alloys in automobile, aerospace and power plants.
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Dr Vassili Vorontsov
Dr Vassili Vorontsov's research focusses on the study of crystallographic defects, deformation and phase transformations in structural materials.
Currently, the primary research area is the development of novel cobalt-based superalloys for gas turbine applications. However, he also has active research interests in aerospace titanium alloys, ultra-ductile energy absorbing steels and zirconium alloys for nuclear reactors.
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Dr Mark Wenman
Dr Mark Wenman is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London.
His key research interests are in the field of nuclear engineering materials (specialising in metallurgy) and include micromechanisms of fracture, hydrogen embrittlement, irradiation damage, stress and strain measurement and finite element modelling from continuum to microscales. Materials include zirconium alloys, stainless steels and ferritic steels.
>> More about Mark
| Research project title | Funding body | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Predictive Models and experimental analysis of Delayed Hydride Cracking - 2 | Rolls-Royce plc | Oct 2015 |