BBSRC Innovation Fund: Correlative 3D Light

Industrial CASE Studentship Award 2012

Yield criteria for small volumes of material

Conventional theories of yielding are based on continuum mechanics and do not work at the small length scales of interest to micro and nanotechnology. In this project we use novel methods to investigate yield phenomena in nanostructures and strain gradients. Materials consisting of alternating coherently strained nano-layers that are routinely …

Size dependence of deformation of materials

The strength of materials are often observed to increase at small length scales and such effects are exploited in nano-technology. The effect of grain size in metals (Hall-Petch effect) and strain gradient strengthening are examples. In this project we have developed a micro-flexure test method that allows us to test …

Micromechanics of mineralised biological tissues

Mineralised tissues such as bones, calcified cartilage and the dental tissues (dentine, enamel and cementum) are essentially nano-composites of collagen or other proteins, mineral and water. In this project we combine nanomechanical information with quantitative microscopy to infer the composite ultrastructure of mineralised tissues and to recognise changes in those …

Mechanical properties of polymer coatings by nanoindentation

The objective of the research project is to develop nanoindentation test methods appropriate for thin polymer films that are sensitive to the chemistry and structure of the polymers and can detect changes with exposure to environmental conditions. A variety of nanoindentation methods for determining the viscoelastic response of the polymeric …

EMPIR Grant Agreement 14IND03 Strength-ABLE v1.0

Development of novel dental cements

This programme involves the development of new dental cements which can be command set by the application of ultrasonic excitation (US). We use nanoindentation and FTIR techniques to track the setting process and early strength development of the materials. These methods provide new insights into the handling and performance of …