The Sustainable Physical Metallurgy (SPM) Group conducts fundamental and applied research to design, process, and characterise metallic materials that enable sustainable manufacturing, energy transition technologies, and next-generation engineering systems.
Our work integrates alloy design, advanced processing, and in-situ characterisation to understand microstructure evolution and performance under real service conditions. We collaborate with international research facilities and industrial partners to accelerate the development of advanced metallic materials for aerospace, nuclear, energy, and circular-economy applications.
Research Focus
We develop novel alloy systems and optimise existing materials to improve performance, durability, and recyclability while reducing environmental impact.
Our research explores casting, thermomechanical processing, and additive manufacturing routes to control microstructure and properties across multiple length scales.
Using synchrotron and neutron diffraction, digital image correlation, and advanced microscopy, we study deformation, phase transformations, and damage evolution in real time.
We investigate sustainable processing and recovery strategies to support closed-loop material lifecycles and resource efficiency.
We welcome applications from motivated students and researchers interested in sustainable metallurgy, advanced manufacturing, and materials characterisation.
PhD & Postdoctoral Enquiries:
📧 b.cai@bham.ac.uk
We actively collaborate with industry and research organisations on materials development, performance optimisation, and sustainable processing solutions.