Institute for Materials Research

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

 

Carbon Research

The Carbon Group, led by Dr Aidan Westwood, has wide-ranging interests in the processing and characterisation of carbon and ceramic materials including pitch-based carbon fibres, carbon fibre reinforced carbon composites, carbon bonded refractories and binderless carbons. The group is also developing a number of new areas of activity in collaboration with partners from industry and colleagues within the University:

  • Spinning, processing and characterisation of carbon fibres
  • Carbon-carbon composites, fabrication, microstructures and properties
  • Oxidation resistant carbon-ceramic alloy synthesis / characterisation
  • Highly oriented / high K pitch-based carbon / graphite fibres and tapes
  • Thermal-mode atomic force microscopy (ThAFM)
  • Carbon nanomaterials and templated (nano)carbides
  • Activation mechanism and microporous structure of active carbons
  • Activated carbon fibre catalyst supports
  • Carbon materials for bio-medical applications

OUR MISSION IS . . .

  • To utilise an interdisciplinary approach to the study of all forms of carbon
  • To offer opportunities for education and training in carbon materials
  • To collaborate with a wide range of universities, industrial enterprises and government agencies, both nationally and internationally

The Leeds Carbon Resarch Group also offers (on a contract consultancy basis) the Carbon Science & Technology Course, a highly successful research-based course running annually since 2005.

Academic Staff
Dr. Aidan Westwood
University Research Fellow
Advanced carbon materials: Spinning, processing & characterisation of carbon fibres; highly oriented/high K pitch-based carbon/graphite tapes; Carbon nanomaterials & templated (nano)carbides; thermal-mode atomic force microscopy (ThAFM); carbon materials for bio-medical applications.
Professor Rik Brydson
Professor in Materials Characterisation
Microanalytical imaging, Spectroscopic techniques for the purposes of materials characterisation; Study of the structure and chemistry associated with grain boundaries and interfaces in ceramics, metals and composites.
Professor Brian Rand
Professor of Ceramics
Carbon and graphite materials; Colloidal processing of ceramics; Powder production; Refractory materials.
Research Staff

Mr. Anthonippillai Antonarulrajah
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Composite processing; Mechanical characterisation; Carbon materials for biomedical applications.

    
Dr Andrew Brown
Experimental Officer		 Mr. Don Forder
Research Technician
Postgraduate Students

Mr. James Sansom
PhD Project title:

The oxidative stabilisation process in mesophase pitch

    

The Group's research is supported by the availability of the following processing, characterisation and measurement facilities (Leeds' outstanding electron microscopy facility, headed by Prof. Rik Brydson, is particularly noteworthy):

  • Purpose-built, small- and large-scale pitch melt-extrusion and spinning rig with computer control and composite lay-up facility
  • Controlled atmosphere furnaces (up to 2250°C in house and with access to 3000+°C graphitisation rig)
  • Optical microscopy techniques
  • Range of SEMs, with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), including field emission gun (FEG) SEM, transverse section SEM and environmental SEM
  • New FEGTEM with parallel electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) attachment (also capable of selected area electron diffraction, SAED, and high resolution TEM, HRTEM)
  • Image analysis
  • Electron probe microscope with wavelength dispersive analysis of X-rays (WDAX)
  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and thermal atomic force microscopy (ThAFM)
  • Electrical resistivity (for approximate correlation to thermal conductivity)
  • Suite for characterisation of electronic properties of ceramics
  • X-ray diffractometry and "pole figure" analysis
  • Mechanical testing
  • Nanoindentation
  • Rheometers – stress controlled flow and oscillation
  • Thermal analysis – DSC, high temperature DTA, TGA, TGA / FTIR and TGA / MS, DMTA
  • High temperature dilatometer – sintering / expansion
  • Particle size analysers (laser diffraction, sight scattering, sedimentation)
  • Helium and mercury density measurements
  • Mercury porosimetry
  • Automatic gas / vapour adsorption and chemisorption analyses
  • Spectroscopic techniques including a Raman microscope spectrometer (Prof. Animesh Jha), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and solid state NMR
  • Chemical analyses including CHN with direct O and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS)