Research
The NovAM group has decided to focus its research on three domains relevant to future aerospace and space structures: advanced metallic systems, novel structural polymers & novel routes for exciting aerospace polymers and self healing materials. Our research is both explorative and fundamental in nature but successful concepts are developed up to a level suitable for absorption by the industry. The group is truly international in composition and has active research collaborations with materials science groups all over the world.
Polymers
- Improvement of compressive properties of aramid fibers
- New all-aromatic chemistries for thermotropic and lyotropic high modulus fibers
- All-aromatic liquid crystal thermosets (LCTs)
- Metal organic frameworks for hydrogen storage applications
- Polymer photovoltaics
- 0D, 1D and 2D carbon nano-particle reinforced polyetherimides
- Transparent polyetherimides as coatings for GaAs solar cells
- Novel epoxy chemistries for composite applications
- Main chain liquid crystal polymers for proton exchange membrane applications
- All-aromatic polyetherimides for gas separation membranes
- Lyotropic polymers from reusable resources
Metals
- Modelling of metal deformation using irreversible mechanics
- Designing Ultra High Strength Corrosion Resistance Steels for Aerospace Applications
- Design of highly formable and ultra-strong alloys through Plasticity Induced Transformations in Titanium alloys (PiTTi)
- Optimising strength and toughness relationships in aluminium alloys through interrupted ageing
- Determination of the transformation conditions for individual retained austenite grains in TRIP steels
- Development of spring steels
Self healing materials
- Encapsulation of Reactive Chemicals for the Design of Self-healing Engineering Plastics
- Self healing in high temperature steels
- Self healing in high temperature tiAlC ceramics
- Self healing polymers based on DA reactions
