Overview
Bill studies the relation between processing, properties and microstructures in a broad range of ceramics. His research interests include: nuclear ceramics (wasteforms and fuels); clay-based ceramics; crystallisation and glass ceramics; microstructural evolution; structural ceramics and ceramic matrix composites; refractories and ultra high temperature ceramics (UHTCs).
Bill has authored four books (Ceramic Microstructures Property Control by Processing, with WM Rainforth in 1994, An Introduction to Nuclear Waste Immobilisation in 2005, New Developments in Glassy Nuclear Wasteforms in 2007 with M Ojovan, and Crystalline Materials for Actinide Immobilisation in 2012 with B Burakov and M Ojovan). He has co-edited 6 books and Radioactive Waste Management and Contaminated Site Clean-up: Processes, Technologies and International Experience, has just been published. For full details see: www.woodheadpublishing.com/9780857094353. Bill has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers and has also been awarded research grants totalling over £45M, including £5.5M from EPSRC to set up the Centre for Advanced Structural Ceramics (CASC) and over £2M as co-investigator with Mike Finnis on the programme grant Materials in Extreme Environments (XMat) with Jon Binner at Loughborough.
Prizes include the Rosenhain Medal (1999) and Pfeil Award (2000) of the IOMMM, the Wakabayashi Prize (2004) of the Refractories Society of Japan, the Kingery Award of the American Ceramic Society (2012) and the Lee Hsun Award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2014).
Research positions are available in Professor Lee's group including PhDs for UK/EC students. Contact w.e.lee@imperial.ac.uk
Funding
- EPSRC UK
- SCG Thailand
- ANSTO/UNSW Australia
Research Staff
Research Student Supervision
Alex,J, The effect of impurities in high alumina castable refractories
Cedillos,O, Development of TaC-HfC Ternary Carbides
Davey,T, CALPHAD of HUTCs (with Professor Mike Finnis)
Ezzaty Ahmad,N, Durability of Radwaste Glasses (with Professor Julian Jones)
Gasparrini,C, Oxidation in U, U/Pu Carbide Fast Breeder Fuels
Giorgi,E, Modelling and Processing of ZrC (with Professor Robin Grimes FREng)
Guha,B, Modelling and Testing Durability of Low Melting Glass Wasteforms for Fukushima Wastes
Hiezl,Z, Processing of Simulant Spent AGR Fuel
Hsieh,Y-H, Ceramic Wasteforms for Advanced Recycling
Hutchinson,C, Glass Composite Materials for Radioactive Waste Immobilisation via Thermal Methods
Lerdprom,W, Advanced Rapid Sintering of Whitewares
Nash,B, Virtual Reality in Nuclear Installations
Pettina,M, Multiscale Predictive Modellling of Creep and Oxidation in UHTCs (with Professor Kamran Nikbin)
Plester,D, Low Melting Glass Composite Wasteforms for Fukushima Wastes