Materials Engineering research in the Solid Mechanics and Materials research group, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford.

Designing new materials requires coupling of advanced fabrication, detailed characterisation, and modelling approaches to realise optimised materials for engineering applications. Our work in Materials Engineering is highly interdisciplinary and spans a broad range of applications, but centres on establishing detailed understanding of structure-property-processing relationships.

We use state-of-the-art materials characterisation techniques, ranging from atomic force microscopy, focused ion beam and electron microscopy, nanoindentation, all the way to synchrotron diffraction, microtomography, and neutron scattering at large-scale facilities. We also have extensive expertise with in-situ measurements including digital image correlation and thermal measurements under extreme environments such as elevated or cryogenic temperatures, high strain rates, and irradiation. Fabrication activities include additive manufacturing, chemical synthesis, and composite structures. Applications of these materials are diverse, spanning energy harvesting, medical implants, nuclear power, aerospace, and hydrogen storage.