The measurement of materials properties and the control of processing parameters is important for both materials development and quality control. Determination of these parameters is sometimes advantageous if done by means of microstructural characterisation as here additional i…
The present study is concerned with the single crystal growth of functional oxides by the floating zone technique using a four mirror image furnace. This thesis attempts to extend our knowledge of the subject by firstly studying the optical floating zone method as a technique in…
Atmospheric localised corrosion of stainless steel has been investigated under salt droplets containing a mixture of MgCl2 and NaCl between the deliquescence relative humidity of the two salts where there was precipitation of NaCl crystals. Dish-shaped pits and crevice-like atta…
During wet-filament winding, fibre bundles are impregnated using a drum-based resin bath. The impregnated bundles are then directed to a traversing-arm prior to being over-wound onto a rotating mandrel. Once the required number of layers of the impregnated fibres has been deposi…
In this work, a portfolio of novel active screen plasma surface engineering technologies have been developed including active screen plasma surface modification of carbon paper for gas diffusion layer (GDL) and active screen plasma surface co-alloying of 316 austenitic stainless…
Ti has been widely used in biomedical fields since the 1950s because of biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and suitable mechanical properties. However, corrosion-related failures of Ti implants are observed. Ti corrosion products are reported to induce unfavourable biologica…
This thesis presents a series of broad but systematic and consecutive investigations on the topic of piezoelectric energy harvesting. These include material fabrication and characterisation, harvester fabrication and material parameter selection, electric output and dynamic beha…
Recrystallisation is an important process for grain size control in steel, which is affected by the material grain size, alloy content, temperature, strain and strain rate. A crucial parameter for recrystallisation prediction is known as the Avrami exponent as this affects the r…
The compaction, sintering and heat treatment processing conditions for the commercial powder, Ecka Alumix 231 with the nominal composition of Al-15Si-2.5Cu-0.5Mg(wt%) have been optimized in this study. It has been found that densification of Ecka Alumix 231 depended largely on t…
The growing demand for ever more greener aero engines has led to ever more challenging designs and higher quality products. An investigation into Coordinate Measuring Machine measurement uncertainty using physical measurements and virtual simulations revealed that there were sev…
Total disc arthroplasty (TDA) can be used to replace a degenerated intervertebral disc in the spine. There are different designs of TDAs, but one of the most common is a ball-and-socket combination. Contact between the bearing surfaces of such designs can result in high friction…
In recent years, it has been recognised that a better understanding of processes involving particulate material is necessary to improve manufacturing capabilities and product quality. The use of Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) for more complicated particulate systems has increas…
This thesis describes hydrodynamic studies of the leach and solvent extraction stages of a Platinum Group Metal (PGM) hydrometallurgical flowsheet. The studies were motivated by the need to increase PGM throughput in Johnson Matthey’s PGM refining business. In the leach stage, k…
The transition toughness of low alloy steels used in pressure vessels is of key importance to establishing the safe operation of a number of structures; of these, the integrity of a nuclear reactor vessel is of greatest concern. The through life toughness of such vessels is a co…
Transparent conducting coatings are used in a wide range of applications, particularly displays and photovoltaic devices, and demand is anticipated to increase with the rise of plastic electronics. Indium tin oxide, deposited by sputter coating, is widely used. Concerns over the…
The oxidation resistance of four prototype single crystal nickel-based superalloys for industrial gas turbine applications is studied. All contain greater quantities of Cr than in most existing single crystal superalloys; two are alloyed with Si, one with Re. To explain the resu…
A requirement for online monitoring has emerged owing to the susceptibility of fibre reinforced composite materials to sub-surface damage. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring is understood to detect damage well before catastrophic failure; research in AE sensing therefore continue…
Investigations into micro-slot milling of high carbon, high chromium hardened AISI D2 cold work tool steel using 0.5mm diameter coated (TiAlN) tungsten carbide end mills were carried out. Performance was assessed in terms of tool life/tool wear, surface roughness, cutting forces…
Highly conductive (3.0 - 5.0 x 10 \(^{-4}\) \( Ω\) cm) and transparent (80 – 85% ) ITO films were successfully fabricated on glass and polymer substrates (PET, PEN and PC) by pulsed laser deposition at low temperatures (24 – 150 °C). The influence of deposition conditions on the…