Dr Andy Alderson

Senior Research Fellow

Bolton Institute

PH: 44 (01204) 903513
Fax: 44 (01204) 903088
Email: [email protected]

Background

Dr Andy Alderson has been active for 10 years in the polymers and advanced materials fields, with particular emphasis on the mechanical properties of materials having a negative Poisson's ratio (so-called auxetic materials). His research into auxetic materials employs a variety of modelling techniques spanning analytical, Monte Carlo, finite element and molecular mechanics.

His research experience includes 4 years industrial research with BNFL where he successfully project managed and participated in a number of applications-focused collaborative research projects with several universities into auxetic materials and conductive polymers.

To date he is a co-author on 40 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications, 3 patent applications, and has published 3 invited review articles on auxetic materials for high readership/impact scientific journals.

He is joint head of the auxetic materials group at Bolton Institute which comprises 5 PhD students with additional input from a postdoctoral research fellow and a research assistant. Current research programmes and areas of expertise within the group are:

• Auxetic microporous polymers
• Auxetic polymeric fibres
• Fibre-reinforced composites containing auxetic fibres
• Auxetic fibre-reinforced composites (containing non-auxetic fibre and matrix materials)
• Thermal enhancements in auxetic materials
• Modelling of auxetic nanomaterials
• Auxetic filters
• Modelling of auxetic structures and mechanisms

Major Qualifications

PhD in physics from the University of Liverpool, UK, (1991)

BSc (Honours - Class I) in physics from the University of Liverpool, UK, (1987)

Major Publications

1. K.E.Evans, A.Alderson, F.R.Christian, "Auxetic Two-dimensional Polymer Networks:An Example of Tailoring Geometry for Specific Mechanical Properties", J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans. 91(16) (1995) 2671. (Invited paper)

2. A.Alderson, K.E.Evans., "Modelling Concurrent Deformation Mechanisms in Auxetic Microporous Polymers", J. Mat. Sci. 32 (1997) 2797.

3. A.Alderson, J.Rasburn, S.Ameer-Beg, P.G.Mullarkey, W.Perrie, K.E.Evans, "An Auxetic Filter:A Tuneable Filter Displaying Enhanced Size Selectivity or De-fouling Properties", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 39 (2000) 654.

4. J.N.Grima, R.Jackson, A.Alderson, K.E.Evans, "Do Zeolites have Negative Poisson's Ratios?", Adv. Mater. 12 (24) (2000) 1912.

5. A.Alderson, K.E.Evans, "Rotation and Dilation Deformation Mechanisms for Auxetic Behaviour in the a-Cristobalite Tetrahedral Framework Structure", Phys. Chem. Minerals 28 (2001) 711.

Professional Institution Membership

Member of the Institute of Physics (IoP): CPhys MInstP - April 1996

Significant Employment History

From 1992-1995 Dr Andy Alderson was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Liverpool working on theoretical investigations into auxetic materials. His research into auxetic materials continued during 1995-1998 when he was a research associate in the Advanced Materials team at BNFL, where he also undertook research into conductive polymers for radiometrics applications. In 1998 he took up his current position of senior research fellow (Engineering Materials) in the Faculty of Technology at Bolton Institute.

Services Offered

Research and consultancy relating to auxetic materials specifically and engineering materials in general.

Availability

Availability and preferred contact route

I prefer to be contacted by e-mail only. I try to provide an initial response within 24 hours if my workload allows

Current availability status

Available