The principal goal of the research activities in the group is to develop fundamental understanding of the physical processes and interactive mechanisms in materials that affect the performance of engineering systems. This understanding and knowledge is then transferred into engineering technologies through enhanced materials performance and improved designs
Particular strengths of the group include:
- structural materials performance (across many sectors)
- photovoltaics
- nano- and micro-electromechanical systems
- surface engineering, corrosion and tribology
- electrochemical engineering
- materials processing
These themes reflect collaboration between academic staff within the group, and between staff in the group and their colleagues in other research groups across the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment (particularly nCATS , Bioengineering , Energy Technologies and Fluid Structure Interactions ) as well as more widely across the University in areas such as Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Electronics and Computer Science.