Mechanics of Materials Lab - University of Oxford

Our Oxford group website is now live! Check mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk… if you want to know more about who we are, what we do, what are our facilities, and to access our codes and papers. Important news and vacancies will always be posted there. Welcome! mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk

Last week, I had the honour to receive the Medal of the Spanish Group of Fracture | Spanish Society of Structural Integrity. In the ceremony, I gave a talk on how fracture mechanics can be used to understand sea level rise and climate change - see it here: youtu.be/jDm7R0PN5Gc

We have an opening for an undergraduate summer research internship to work on physically-based modelling of environmental material degradation, funded by the @RoyceInstitute. All the info here: mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk

Well done to Dr Rui Guo in securing one of these very prestigious and competitive fellowships to join our lab. Rui is currently based at @KU_Leuven

📢New paper! We present a welding-deformation-diffusion-fracture computational framework to predict the failure of welds in H2 transport pipelines. We assess if the existing, allowable weld defects can compromise pipe integrity when exposed to H2. See: authors.elsevier.com/a/1mOUi4jpxmuQV

📢New paper! Work with @UKAEAofficial and @Imperial_CEE to understand the oxidation of tungsten and its impact on the lifecycle of a fusion power plant. Just out in Nuclear Materials and Energy. Work led by my PhD student Rongrui Liu, check it out! doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.…

📢New paper! We combine phase field with deformation-diffusion modeling to predict cracking and capacity fade of electrode core-shell structures. The interplay between damage and electrochemical battery performance is revealed. Just out in Applied Energy: sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

We're hiring a postdoc! We are looking for a computational mechanics/physics/maths/materials scientist to work on solid-state battery modelling using phase field methods, funded by @LeverhulmeTrust. See details here: eng.ox.ac.uk/jobs/job-detai… #job #postdoc #PhDChat #Oxford

🥳We're hiring! As part of the ERC grant ResistHfracture, we are looking for a PhD student in computational mechanics. Join our dynamic group at the University of Oxford. All details here: mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/… #jobs #PhD #PhDchat

📢New paper! We present a protocol to directly characterise the fracture resistance of the hard, brittle weld regions that will govern the integrity of hydrogen transport pipelines. H2 fracture experiments show toughnesses as low as 32 MPa√m. Just out: doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhy…

Four Oxford researchers have been selected from over 350 nominations to receive one of the 2025 Philip Leverhulme Prizes. Congratulations to: - Associate Prof Emilio Martínez-Pañeda - Associate Prof Meera Mehta - Associate Prof Ludvig Sinander - Prof Noa Zilberman

🔊 New paper! We use ML (Neural Networks) to interpret hydrogen TDS curves and extract, instantaneously, H trapping energies and densities. The Python code developed is openly released, extending TDS Simulator to Python and adding to it AI/ML capabilities: doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhy…

📢New paper! A new phase field model for hydraulic fracture, including a Drucker-Prager driving force and a novel fracture-fluid flow hybrid coupling. Just out in CMAME: doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.… (the code, a simple Abaqus subroutine, is available at mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk)

📢New paper! A collaboration with @UKAEAofficial and @BristolUni. We use our TDS setup to confirm the capabilities of a new pulsed DC plasma source to successfully implant deuterium. Just out in Fusion Engineering and Design: doi.org/10.1016/j.fuse…

📢 New paper! We use a new cohesive-like approach to shed light into the mechanisms governing the exceptional adhesion properties of biological fibrillar structures such as those found in geckos. A work with @uniovi_info and Bob McMeeking (@UCSB): doi.org/10.1080/002184…

We are hiring a Research Fellow in Computational Fluid-Structure Interaction. Please share with your network. Deadline: 21/09/2025. Read about the job role and apply at jobs.napier.ac.uk/mthrprod_webre… @mokarram76 @UK_ACM @IACM_Community @EPSRC @UKRI_News @EdinburghNapier @SwanseaUni

🔊 New paper! We present a 'twin-part' method to implement multi-physics phase field models in Abaqus without the need for user elements (only UMAT/UMATHT). Codes provided for hydraulic fracture, thermal fracture, corrosion and H embrittlement; see doi.org/10.1016/j.engf…

📢New paper! We combine thermo-metallurgical weld modelling with phase field-based deformation-diffusion-fracture simulations to produce Virtual FADs for hydrogen transport pipelines that resolve the microstructural heterogeneity of the weld. Just out: doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhy…

📢 New paper! We map the conditions in which small scale fracture tests are valid, including the case of hydrogen-exposed samples. Through FE studies, the maximum load (J_max) is related to sample size and material properties, to design quantitative tests doi.org/10.1016/j.engf…

📢New paper! We predict the likelihood of marine ice cliff instability - a key driver for sea-level rise - using a new Mohr-Coulomb-based phase field fracture model. The third paper of Theo Clayton's thesis, just out in the Journal of Glaciology @igsoc: doi.org/10.1017/jog.20…

📢New paper! Experiments and modelling are used to understand puzzling APT observations of strong hydrogen trapping in cold-drawn pearlitic steels. A collaboration with @easonchen0102's group (NTU, Sydney). Just out in @Acta_Materialia: doi.org/10.1016/j.acta… #hydrogen