![]() Professor Robert J. Young, FRS
Education Ph.D., University of Cambridge, 1973. M.A., University of Cambridge, 1973. B.A. in Materials Science, University of Cambridge, St. John's College, 1969. Research Interests − Analysis of Fibre and Composite Deformation using Raman Spectroscopy − Mechanisms of Deformation in High Performance Polymer Fibres − Analysis of Deformation of Polymer Fibres and Composites using Synchrotron Radiation − Characterisation of Carbon Nanotubes using Raman spectroscopy − Deformation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and their Composites − Reinforcement of Thermoplastics by Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes − Structure and Deformation of Silicon Carbide Monofilaments − Polymer Based Laminates for Food Packaging Applications Honors 1991 Silver Medal - The Plastics and Rubber Institute, London 1991 Dow Distinguished Lecturer, Northwestern University, USA 1992 Royal Society Wolfson Research Professor (5 years) 1992-1997 Royal Society Wolfson Research Professor of Materials Science, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology 1996 Royal Society Zeneca Lecturer 1996 UMIST Cockcroft Lecturer 1997 Royal Society Public Lecturer, British Association Annual Meeting, Leeds 2002 Griffith Medal - Institute of Materials, London Invited Speaker 2004-2009 Founding Head of School of Materials, University of Manchester 2006 Elected Fellowship of Esteemed Scholarly Society (the Royal Academy of Engineering) 2008-2011 Chair Professor of Polymer Science and Technology under their Distinguished Scholars, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Institute of Textiles and Clothing Scheme 2010 300 publications listed with >6500 citations and h-index = 42 (Web of Science ) 2010 Edwin P. Plueddemann Award for Excellence in Composite Interface Research - 2 Research Books and 270 Papers in refereed Journals - One of 16 UK scientists listed for citations in Materials Science (ISI HighlyCited.com) Invitations and Guest Professorships 2004-present Editor - Journal of Materials Science 2005 Guest Professor – Wuhan University of Technology, China 2006-2010 International Advisor, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan - Fellow of the Institute of Physics - Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining - Chartered Engineer, Chartered Physicist - Editorial Board - Journal of Macromolecular Science: Part B - Physics |
Professor Young is interested in all aspects of the relationship between the structure and mechanical of polymers and composites. He has recently focussed his attention upon structure/property relations in graphene and chemically-modified graphene for use in high-performance polymer-based nanocomposites.
He has demonstrated through the use of a Raman spectroscopy that it is possible to attain significant reinforcement of a polymer by a graphene monolayer consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms. Moreover along with his students, he has shown that this reinforcement can be modelled using conventional continuum mechanics. Prof. Young has also compared the behaviour of monolayer graphene with two-, three- and many-layer graphene and developed a protocol to optimise the level of reinforcement by these different forms of graphene. These findings will have profound implications for our understanding of the design of graphene nanocomposites for high-performance applications such as in light-weight structures for transport and aerospace. University Profile - Google Scholar |