Dr Alexander (Sandy) Knowles
Sandy Knowles is a Lecturer in Nuclear Materials and EUROfusion Researcher Grant holder in the School of Metallurgy & Materials.
He is an experimental metallurgist focused on the design & development of new alloys for extreme environments, including nuclear fusion, fission and aerospace gas turbines. He is a forerunner in the development of new “bcc superalloys”. Unlike current γ-γ’ nickel superalloys, β-β’ bcc superalloys make use of a bcc tungsten, titanium or steel matrix, with their higher melting points, for increased operating temperatures. This work, as well as his work on commercial alloys and ‘high entropy alloys’ (HEAs), is supported by Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), TIMET and Roll-Royce plc.
Sandy Knowles is an Associate Professor in Nuclear Materials, Royal Academy of Engineering Associate Research Fellow & UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in the School of Metallurgy & Materials. He leads the Materials for Extremes research group.
Sandy is an experimental metallurgist focussed on the design & development of advanced alloys for the extreme environments of nuclear fusion & fission, aerospace gas turbines and concentrated solar power. He is a forerunner in the development of new “bcc superalloys”. Unlike current γ-γ’ nickel superalloys, β-β’ bcc superalloys make use of a bcc tungsten, titanium or steel matrix, with their higher melting points, for increased operating temperatures. This work, as well as his work on commercial alloys, intermetallics and ‘high entropy alloys’ (HEAs), is supported by Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), TIMET and Roll-Royce plc.
Sandy is actively involved in science policy. He was selected as a Foundation for Science and Technology 2020-21 Foundation Future Leader, a policy action network between academia, industry and policy. He is on the UK Fusion Materials national steering group, and editorial team for the UK Fusion Materials Roadmap 2021-2040.