Aerospace to soar with advanced ceramic materials

Dr Tanvir Hussain will use EPSRC fellowship funding of over £2m to find new modelling and processing techniques that will overhaul the design and manufacture of advanced ceramic materials for the next-generation of air and space travel. The long-term goal is to build a Centre of Excellence in Ceramic Coatings at the University.

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In a statement, Dr Hussain, from the Coatings and Surface Engineering Research group, said: “Ceramics are an important group of materials and their processing into aerospace coatings and components requires specialist techniques. Current approaches for new materials discovery and production are wasteful, costly and energy inefficient.”

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced chemistry, Dr Hussain will address the molecular architecture of ceramic materials and tailor their properties and to make them more durable and sustainable.

According to the University, the project aims to produce bespoke ceramic coatings designed and manufactured with thermal, electrical and environmental barrier properties that can be fine-tuned to their desired aerospace applications that include thermal barrier coatings to protect superalloys from high temperatures, and environmental barrier coatings to protect ceramic composites from steam.