Areas of expertise
- Defence manufacturing
- Explosives and Munitions
- Weapons Engineering
Background
A research chemist active in the field of energetic materials and ordnance science and technology with over 20 years' experience in the life assessment and formulation of propellants and explosives.
Senior Chemist at ROXEL (UK Rocket Motors) Ltd and visiting Fellow within the Propellant Research Group, Cranfield Defence and Security.
Research opportunities
Applications are invited for self-funded PhD students interested in the application of solid propellant chemistry and material science.
Current activities
My research focus is in understanding the mechanistic relationships of raw ingredient specification and formulation processes; and life assessment of propellants to validate and verify materials and physical/chemical ageing models. I have a particular interest in nitrocellulose (NC) and NC based formulations.
Current areas of interest/work
Formulation - ResonantAcoustic Mixing (RAM)
Formulation - Nitrocellulose processing for rocket propellant manufacture
Formulation - Solid propellant bond-line adhesion
Life Assessment - Nitrocellulose chemical decomposition mechanisms
Life Assessment - Nitrocellulose mechanical properties
Combustion - Lead-free ballistic modifiers for rocket propellants
Current grad students
Alonso ROMERO-JABALQUINTO - Nitrocellulose propellant investigation
Kharisma YAHAYA - Study of Double Base Propellants Modified with Graphene
Jacopo Aldrigo BONIFACIO - Additive Manufacture of Energetic Materials
Former grad students
Dr Colum O'CONNOR - Co-crystallisation of energetic materials
Dr Andrew CLAYDON - Resonant acoustic mixing (RAM) of high explosives
Dr Peter WILKINSON - Evaluation of Novel Propellants Manufactured from Commercially Available Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) using Resonant Acoustic Mixing
Dr Erick GALANTE - Simulation of environmental effects of open burning of explosives
Dr Nathan FLOOD - Cast Double base propellant studies
Dr Robert HUDSON - Reduced Sensitivity (RS) RDX
Dr James TUCKER - A whole life assessment of extruded double base rocket propellants
Scientific Committee: International Nitrocellulose Symposium
Deputy Secretary: RSC - Formulation Science and Technology interest group
