AJ is a Master’s student studying an MRes in Materials in Fusion Energy. They have a fascination in the material science challenges of achieving commercial nuclear fusion which has led to a keen interest in the design of alloys to withstand high temperatures and extreme environments, such as those found in fusion reactors.
AJ first joined the group in 2022 for the final year of their Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering. They studied Nb-modified β-Titanium superalloys reinforced with ordered β’ TiFe precipitates. In this project, several Ti-Fe-Nb alloy compositions were characterised using techniques such as SEM, XRD and micro-hardness testing. This was followed by a summer internship with the group aiming to do further micro-mechanical testing, such as 3-point bend testing, combined with digital image correlation (DIC), at room and high temperatures.