Dr Aidan Westwood
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University Research Fellow |
Research Interests
Science and Technology of Advanced Carbon / Carbon-based (Nano)Materials and Precursors
- Spinning, processing and characterisation of carbon fibres
- Highly oriented/high K pitch-based carbon/graphite tapes
- Carbon nanomaterials and templated (nano)carbides
- Thermal-mode atomic force microscopy (ThAFM)
- Carbon materials for bio-medical applications
- Oxidation resistant carbon-ceramic alloy synthesis/characterisation
- Activation mechanism and microporous structure of carbons
- Activated carbon fibre catalyst supports
Background
Dr. Aidan Westwood was selected in April 2006 from a large international field of high quality candidates for appointment to the prestigious position of University Research Fellow with the remit to lead IMR’s Advanced Carbon Materials Research Group.
Carbon Group
The research of the Carbon Group is focused on the processing and characterisation of carbon and ceramic materials including liquid-crystal processing and rheology, carbon fibres, carbon materials with high biocompatibility, carbon / carbon composites with high thermal conductivity, activated carbons and carbon- & carbide-nanomaterials
Particular research areas include: Industrially-supported processing and characterisation of carbon fibres and new highly oriented thermally conductive mesophase pitch-based carbon / graphite tapes (1); carbon nanomaterials (2, 3); templated carbides (4) and nanocarbides prepared via a novel molten salts route; thermal-mode atomic force microscopy and carbon materials for bio-medical applications (endovascular stents). Other areas include synthesis and characterisation of oxidation resistant carbon-ceramic alloys (5, 6), mechanism of activation and microporous structure of carbon materials and activated carbon fibre supports for NOx reduction catalysts.
Dr. Westwood’s Group also offers, on a contract consultancy basis, a highly successful research-based course on “Carbon Science and Technology” incorporating the latest developments in the field – delivered for the 3rd consecutive year in 2007.
Selected Publications
1). “Wide, highly oriented mesophase pitch-based carbon tapes and their laminates”, E. Galanopoulos, B. Rand and A. Westwood, “Carbon 2003”, Oviedo, Spain, Extended Abstract CD-ROM (file 479.pdf), Session 6, Fibres and Composites, Keynote Paper 6.1.
2). “The synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes over an Al2O3/Fe2O3 binary aerogel catalyst”, X. Li, X. Zuo, G. Yuan, A. Brown, A. Westwood, R. Brydson and B. Rand, J. Phys. Conf. Ser., P.D. Brown, R. Baker, B. Hamilton (Eds.), EMAG-NANO 2005: Nanoscale Imaging, Analysis & Fabrication, 26, 308-311 (2006).
3). “The removal of encapsulated catalyst particles from carbon nanotubes using molten salts”, X. Li, G. Yuan, A. Brown, A. Westwood, R. Brydson & B. Rand, Carbon, 44, 1699-1705 (2006).
4). “Preparation of a TiC coating on carbon fibre using a molten salt method”, X. Li, Z. Dong, A. Westwood, A. Brown, S. Zhang, R. Brydson, N. Li and B. Rand, Carbon, 46, 305-309 (2008).
5). “Oxidation resistant carbon materials derived from boronated carbon-silicon alloys”, A.V.K. Westwood, B. Rand and S. Lu, Carbon, 42, 3071-3080 (2004).
6). “Carbon-boron-nitrogen alloys from borazarene-derived mesophase pitches”, A.V.K. Westwood, R. Brydson, M.A. Fox, R. Coult, B. Rand and K. Wade, Carbon, 40, 2157-2167 (2002).