Mechanics of Materials Research Group
The Mechanics of Materials Research Group at Leicester is unique in being consisted of academics, researchers and students from both Materials Science and Computational Mechanics backgrounds. This has created an ideal environment for carrying out leading edge research by integrating modern experimental and computational technologies. Examples of our research can be found from the Inaugural Lectures given by Professors Helen Atkinson, Sarah Hainsworth and Jingzhe Pan. The group is based in the £3M Michael Atiyah building shared with the Space Centre and Applied Mathematics, providing strong opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. It has state-of-the-art facilities in a £1.5M Advanced Microscopy Centre which is led by Prof Sarah Hainsworth of the MoM group. The group is also responsible for the Materials Technology Integration Center (MaTIC).Our computational work benefits from ALICE - a new High Performance Computing (HPC) cluster, purchased through a £2million CIF award to the University.
The Group has strong international reputation in the areas of
· Understanding evolution of microstructures and defect formation in casting, powder processing and semi-solid processing
· Evolution of microstructure in high temperature materials for power generation
· Computation methods for Multi-scale modelling
· Surface engineering, surface contact and tribology
· Forensic engineering
· Sintering science and technology
· Modelling degradation of bioresorbable devices for tissue engineering and orthopaedic fixations
Our major current research grants include a Technology Strategy Board project on modeling of power plant alloys to improve their high temperature capabilities, which is led by Prof Helen Atkinson and Dr Simon Gill; a consortium for an European Framework (FP7) project on Modelling of Interface Evolution in Advanced Welding (MintWeld) which is led by Dr Hong Dong; a Jaguar funded project on investigating the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of coated components for use in the automotive valve-train which is led by Prof Sarah Hainsworth; and an EPSRC grant on Modelling Constrained Sintering and Cracking jointly with Universities of Surrey and Crainfield, which is led by Prof Jingzhe Pan.
We welcome students to study for MPhil and PhD degrees, and also Visiting Scholars. If you are interested in the research area of one of the academics please approach them (MoM group members) directly to discuss possibilities or alternatively approach the Head of Group. When we have funded PhD vacancies, they are advertised on jobs.ac.uk. Vacancies for postdoctoral research assistants would also be advertised on jobs.ac.uk and on the University Job Vacancies website.
We have considerable experience of collaborating with industry (Prof Atkinson, for example, has run £1.5M of industrially collaborative projects) and there are a number of current links including with: Converteam; TWI; Purac; Smith and Nephew; Morgan Matroc; Jaguar; Corus; Ilmor; Mercedes Benz High Performance Engines; Delphi Systems; Pankl Motorsport; Alstom; Teer Coating; GSK; Caterpillar; Siemens (Lincoln); Doosan Babcock; NPL; Qinetiq; FEI; EoN; RSP (small Dutch firm); Bodycote HIP; Holset; 3M (Atherstone); Perkin-Elmer; Mettler; TA Instruments; Natch (Germany); Setram (France); Rolls Royce; Deritend Precision Castings; Centrax; Howmet; Oxley; Federal Mogul; Astra Zeneca; Plansee (Austria); Caleva; Various Police Forces; National Police; Improvement Agency and Frenzak (Poland). We also carry out consultancy.
Further details of research activities of individual staff can be found in MoM group members.
