Research Team

Xiaohan studied Material Processing and Controlling Engineering at Southwest Jiaotong University (China), focusing on magnesium alloy and obtaining the degree of Bachelor of Engineering. She has completed a MSc in Advanced Engineering Material at The University of Manchester, where her focus was the stability of austenite in bearing steel. Xiaohan has recently joined the LightForm for a PhD at The...

Ruiqiang completed a BSc and MSc from Central South University (China) in 2014 and 2017 respectively. Ruiqiang is now completing a PhD where his research is based within the group of Metal Forming and Material Modelling in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London. His research focus is the formability assessment for metallic sheet materials, including boron steel and aluminium alloys,...

Ziyu recently completed a Bachelor Degree in Material Science & Engineering from The University of Manchester and a Bachelor Degree in Polymer Science & Engineering from Central South University (China). Ziyu has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training.  His PhD focuses on strain path effects during dynamic precipitation in aluminium alloys.

Yichao completed an MSc with Distinction in Advanced Engineering Materials at The University of Manchester and was awarded a Bachelor Degree in Materials Forming and Control Engineering from the Hefei University of Technology (China). Yichao has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on chemo-mechanical...

Wayne completed a BSc in Physical Science at the Open University followed by an MSc in Materials Physics at The University of Salford. Wayne has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on the effect of microstructure on the ductility of aerospace titanium alloys. This...

Ryan completed a Master’s Degree at the University of Sheffield. Ryan has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester focusing on the environmentally assisted cracking of new 7xxx series aluminium alloys.

Niall obtained a First-Class Honours MPhys and BSc from the University of Leeds. Niall's MPhys project focused on the kinetics of an antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic transition in Iron Rhodium. Niall's has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on 5XXX series Aluminium alloy...

Kai is currently completing a PhD at Imperial College London, funded by the President's PhD Scholarship of Imperial College London. Kai’s research focus is investigating a novel and cost-effective method to manufacture magnesium alloy sheets.

Fan completed a Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Chongqing University (China) focusing on the study of ZM6 (also known as Mg-Zn-Nd-Zr) magnesium alloys. Joining The University of Manchester in 2019 to commence a PhD, Fan’s current research is concerned with the microstructure evolution and mechanical property of AZ31 and ZEK100 wrought magnesium alloys, this...

Famin completed a BEng in Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation at Dalian University of Technology (China), obtaining an MSc in Advanced Mechanical Engineering from University of Sheffield. Currently at Imperial College London, Famin is completing a PhD at the Dyson School of Design Engineering. His research project focuses on developing a novel, cost-effective Heat Stamping (HS) process for forming complex-shaped...

Elliot has completed an MEng in Material Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield, where his focus was additive layer manufacturing of high strength 7000 series aluminium alloys, concentrating on the microstructural effect of grain refiners. He then joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is now working on a PhD at The University of Manchester which...

Benjamin graduated from the University of Salford in 2017 with a First-Class Degree in Physics and a Master’s Degree which focused on computational methods in quantum chemistry problems. Benjamin has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on the application of atomistic modelling techniques...

Kevin completed his MEng in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Manchester in 2017, his thesis focussed on the discovery of novel and superior corrosion inhibitors for the replacement of the current aerospace industry standard, strontium chromate. Kevin attained industrial experience during his degree at GKN Aerospace in Sweden, working on thermal sprayed coatings for aeronautical and space engine...

Mike completed a BSc in Mathematics, followed by an MSc in Applied Mathematics, both at the University of Manchester. He has since joined the Advanced Metallic Systems CDT, where he aims to develop a microstructural “fingerprint” for titanium alloys. This will essentially define a compressed representation of microstructure, which allows for meaningful comparisons between micrographs to be made,...

Jiaxuan completed a BSc in Material Science and Engineering at Xiangtan University (China), focusing on enhancing β Titanium alloys as biomedical materials. She then completed an MSc with Distinction in Advanced Engineering Materials at The University of Manchester, continuing study strengthening Mg-Al alloys as a PhD in 2019. Her current project focuses on the influence of rolling on...

Inigo joined LightForm in 2019 as a PhD student at the University of Cambridge part-funded by Norsk Hydro. His project focuses on modelling the processability of 6XXX series recycled aluminium alloys. This is split into two subprojects, the first looking at the modelling of hot-compression experiments and the second looking into modelling the effects of particles on formability using crystal plasticity....

Muzamul studied at The University of Manchester and obtained a BSc in Materials Science and Engineering in 2018. He has currently joined the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Materials for Demanding Environments (M4DE). The core of his PhD in LightForm will focus on the influence of process variables upon microstructure and texture of dual phase zirconium alloys. 

Bernadeta completed her Master’s Degree in Materials Engineering at the University of Rzeszów, Poland, gaining first industrial experiences as an intern in a cast iron foundry and in an aerospace manufacturing company. Bernadeta’s thesis was in co-operation with Tata Steel Europe in the Netherlands and carried on research in the field of clogging during...

Guy completed his integrated master's degree in Physics with first class honours at the University of Salford in 2019. He has since joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is now completing a PhD at the University of Manchester involving modelling the microstructure evolution during hot working of titanium alloys. This project includes both crystal plasticity modelling and phase field modelling to determine the mechanisms that cause changes in microstructure and crystallographic texture to occur within titanium – 6% aluminium – 4% vanadium alloy in the mixed-phase region during hot deformation.

Superplastic forming and diffusion bonding of Ti alloys

Jiaxin completed a BSc and MSc from Tongji University (China) in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Jiaxin is currently completing a PhD at Imperial College London, funded by the President’s PhD Scholarship. Jiaxin’s research focus is to investigate a novel extrusion method to produce wide aluminium profile with much lower applied force, at the same time, strengthening the original...

Xi Wang started his PhD study in Imperial College in 2019, in division of mechanics of materials under department of mechanical engineering. His research focuses on the application of aluminium alloys in creep-age forming (CAF), including investigations of the material evolvements in CAF, constitutive modelling of material’s creep-ageing behaviour, integral creep-age forming of aluminium panels and its numerical simulation...

Sakina has completed an MSc in Advanced Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London and a BEng in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Liverpool. Sakina has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is studying for a PhD at the University of Manchester. The aim of her PhD project will be to investigate how modelling changes...

Patrick completed a BEng in mechanical engineering at the university of Manchester in 2020. He then joined LightForm a few months later, working with the Advanced Metallic Systems centre for doctoral training, where he studied the metallurgy necessary for his PhD. His PhD project now looks at how cracks form in unusual titanium microstructures, such as ‘abnormally...

Zhenjie completed an MSc with Distinction in Advanced Engineering Materials at The University of Manchester and was awarded Bachelor Degree in Physics from both Jilin University (China) and Tomsk Polytechnic University (Russia). Zhenjie has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on the effects of...

Cameron completed his integrated master’s degree (MPhys) in Theoretical Physics at the University of St Andrews in 2020. He has since joined the Advanced Metallic Systems Centre for Doctoral Training and is now completing a PhD at the University of Manchester. His research is primarily focused on modelling microstructurally short crack propagation in 7xxx series Aluminium alloys....

Laura has recently joined LightForm where she is pursuing a PhD at the University of Manchester in crystal plasticity and microstructure modelling for rolled aluminium sheet. In the past, Laura studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Cantabria (Spain). She completed an MSc in New Materials under a program between the University of Cantabria and the University of the...

Juhi completed a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering at United College of Engineering and Research (India), followed by an M.Tech in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur (India). She has recently joined the dual degree PhD program as part of the Indian Institute of Technology, ...

Yizhuo Ding obtained his BSc degree in Materials science and engineering at the University of Manchester. Yizhuo is currently doing his PhD in characterisation of WAAM produced 2xxx aluminium-lithium alloys using NanoSIMS and EPMA at the University of Manchester. 

Samuel graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2021 with a BSc in Physics with first class honours. He has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is now completing a PhD at the University of Manchester focusing on the development of microstructural simulation tools for fusion materials.

Siân studied materials and manufacturing engineering at Sheffield Hallam University and is now undertaking a PhD as part of the Advanced Metallic Systems CDT. Her project focuses on novel magnesium alloys, controlling the microstructure and researching the effects on mechanical and corrosion performance.

James completed an MEng in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Manchester in 2017. His Bachelors project considered the corrosion of aluminium and the effects of replacing hexavalent chromium as a corrosion inhibitor. His Masters project investigated optimisation of processing parameters for additive manufactured titanium and aluminium using computed tomography to measure defects within the materials. Now he is...

Yangchao completed his Masters degree in Materials Science at Central South University (China), focusing on the deformation and solidification mechanisms of magnesium alloy. Yangchao has recently joined the LightForm for a PhD at The University of Manchester. His current project focuses on the microstructure and local damage evolution of deformed recycled Al alloys, supported by advanced characterisation techniques, including ...

Aiden completed his integrated master's degree in chemistry with a first class honours at the University of Manchester in 2021. He is currently on the Advanced metallic system Centre for doctoral Training and starting a PhD involving digital twin studies of abnormally coarse grain structures in critical titanium forgings for military aircraft applications.  

Yuchen Zheng has recently completed a MSc in Advanced Engineering Material at The University of Manchester, studied about the suitability of using different empirical potentials for grain boundary energy simulation in aluminium. Yuchen is currently studying for his doctorate at LightForm, The University of Manchester, focusing on Modelling warm deformation and recrystallization in (HCP) metals.