Resilience

Imaging safety-critical failure of materials containing high stored energy in order to identify potential mitigation mechanisms. Showcasing synchrotron imaging as a valuable tool for improving the resilience of engineered structures.

Resilience and reliability of structures are dependent upon the materials they are made of and the ways those materials are combined to form components. We use synchrotron imaging and computerised tomography (CT) techniques to give unique insights into the causes, risks and consequences of materials failure.

One of our resilient structures projects focuses on additive manufacturing (3D printing), assessing what effect the size of a defect has on failure mechanisms in the printed material. We observe the progression of cracks and their relation to strain fields and tiny defects around the crack tip.

We also carry out imaging studies on the failure mechanisms in lithium ion batteries. We assess effects such as pinching on lithium ion batteries, to observe resulting structural and chemical changes that could cause damage and subsequent failure.

Our clean air project focuses on understanding and preventing particulate emissions in the environment. We use multiscale imaging and chemical mapping to identify factors that contribute to environmental hazards and a reduction in performance of catalytic convertors.

Leading Light: Dr David Eastwood

Dr David Eastwood, research fellow at Diamond, is interviewed as part of the Diamond Light Source Leading Lights video series. Learn about David in his video as he talks about the use of X-ray imagine and tomography techniques, his life, work, and time at Diamond.