We are delighted to announce that a large team from the Bristol Composites Institute (BCI) showcased their achievements and research at ECCM 20 (the 20th European Conference on Composite Materials) in Lausanne, Switzerland from 26th to 30th June 2022. ECCM is the main European forum for knowledge exchange on recent accomplishments and future trends, bringing together people from academia and industry with a mutual interest in composite materials.
This year’s conference was focused on sustainability which is a prominent aspect of composites for BCI with the title “Composites meet Sustainability”. An impressive line up of academics, researchers and PhD students highlighted our commitment toward sustainability across a range of activities spanning academic research, industrial collaborations and education programmes with more than forty presentations. Professor Ivana Partridge started the conference with her invited keynote lecture covering her eminent and ground breaking work with the title “Toughening approaches in composites – a perspective”. Several researchers showcased their accomplishments on the HiPerDiF (high performance discontinuous fibre) technology, invented at the University of Bristol, which produces highly aligned discontinuous fibre composites to address the issues of the composite industry – manufacturing and recycling.
Our Industrial Doctorate Centre (IDC) in Composites Manufacture marked the achievements within two special sessions and a dedicated poster session, organised by Professor Janice Barton that took place on 28th July. The special sessions featured twelve papers, presented by the IDC EngD students, on a wide range of processes covering braiding, tape and fibre placement, modular infusion, over-moulding, application of sustainable and novel materials; development of modelling procedures; and performance investigations. We are also proud to announce that one IDC student Dave Langston won the conference poster prize – sponsored by OREC.
A group of 5 researchers and academics from the BCI and Bristol Department of Aerospace Engineering recently attended the 2022 Glastonbury Festival. Due to pandemic cancellations, this was the first Glastonbury in 3 years and was also the 50th Glastonbury ever, which lined up nicely with the 75th anniversary of the Department of Aerospace Engineering. But while there were quite a few reasons to celebrate – this festival trip was all about outreach. The group spent their days talking to the members of the public about the exciting Green Aviation research going on at Bristol. They set up a marquee in the brand new Science Futures area of the festival and filled it with hands-on technology demonstrators, laser-cut plywood posters, and smiling faces in brightly coloured t-shirts.
The stall featured a series of posters and demos that reflected the diverse, multi-disciplinary work required to make sustainable air transport a reality. It started with a discussion of the multi-disciplinary nature of modern commercial aircraft design, which requires us to improve all aspects of aircraft design.
After this, the ability of composite materials to reduce fuel burn by reducing mass was shown, highlighting both the incredible progress made to date and a range of promising new concepts under development at BCI. Several new morphing wing technologies were then demonstrated, which take inspiration from the way birds continuously adapt and optimize their wings to reduce fuel burn. The next poster highlighted the importance of also reducing non-CO2 emissions, including contrails, NOx, and noise. The final table included a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Bristol Department of Aerospace Engineering and a wishing tree where the public were invited to share their visions of a more sustainable future for aviation.
The response from the public was fantastic: the stall was busy throughout the duration and hundreds of engaging conversations were had around the challenging topic of how we can make aviation more sustainable. The wide range of people who attend Glastonbury kept things exciting – visitors spanned the gamut from people who hadn’t flown in over a decade because of the climate impact to people who make their living in the aviation industry – with the discussions and messages delivered being adapted accordingly.
The team, led by Dr. Benjamin Woods, camped out behind the stall and had plenty of time to explore the festival and watch acts in the evenings – including electronic music set from a giant fire-breathing, laser-eyed, spider stage, complete with a trapeze artist floating by beneath a giant helium balloon: which is slightly beyond our day-to-day experiences at the Bristol Composites Institute.
The EPSRC recently awarded a large grant (£1.6m) to Professor Steve Eichhorn in the Bristol Composites Institute for a fellowship on “Realising Functional Cellulosic Bio-based Composites”. Fellowships are schemes that allow academics at all levels to focus on research, to make a difference in a field. This fellowship is slightly different, as it includes Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I). The technical work of the fellowship will focus on biobased and sustainable composites using cellulose towards functional materials. The ED&I aspect of the work will aim to improve the experiences and inclusion of Black students and staff.
ED&I in Engineering
Recent studies have highlighted that fewer than 1% of UK university professors are Black, with previous research showing that there are only 25 Black female professors in the UK.
“For many years during my career, I had been involved in ED&I work. It dawned on me that as a white male within academia not only was I the norm, but I also possessed a lot of privilege that had enabled my career. I also came to realise that I am also part of the problem, with most decision making and shaping of the culture in universities being directed by people who look like me.
The aim of this fellowship is to de-centre that approach, but to also engage more people of all ethnicities to tackle the problem of a lack ED&I of Black and Black heritage staff and students in STEM”, Professor Eichhorn reflects.
For the last 20 years, Professor Eichhorn has been researching the structure-property relationships of cellulose. His research groups have always been diverse, but he has recently realised that certain aspects could still be improved.
“My group over the years has included a wide range of people, with a very good gender balance, but also diverse ethnic, religious, class and cultural backgrounds. This has been a strength to the work we have produced over the last two decades. However, it is evident that people of Black and Black heritage have not been well represented in my group. This is something I have reflected on. This ED&I fellowship gave me a unique opportunity to address this issue and be part of a process of change.”
Cellulosic Bio-based Composites
There is a worldwide transition from the use of oil-based to more sustainable materials. This transition is happening due to dwindling oil stocks and a realisation that current levels of the use of this resource are no longer sustainable. However, this is not a new development, as pioneers such as George Washington Carver, working with Henry Ford, developed sustainable and biobased composites in the 1930s. We know from their work that sustainable sources for materials exist in the form of cellulose from plants. This material is a very versatile polymer and is in fact the most utilised material worldwide.
Nature makes use of cellulose to good effect. Being intrinsically strong and stiff means that cellulose fibres, per weight, can compete mechanically with most synthetic alternatives such as glass. In nature’s most prevalent natural composite – wood – cellulose forms the basis of its outstanding structural performance.
All our attempts to replicate the composite performance of wood and plants have fallen short, and this fellowship seeks to address these issues, while also using the intrinsic properties of plant fibres and wood themselves.
Fellowship Research Team
After a search for the right applicants for postdoctoral positions, we were delighted to welcome two researchers – Dr Anita Etale and Dr Amaka Onyianta – with outstanding track records in cellulose research and the lived experience and passion to address ED&I with respect to Black and Black heritage staff and students. They combine these two passions and expertise and are already making an impact in the field.
“I am very glad to be part of this fellowship. This is a rare fellowship that combines my passion for making sustainable materials from nature’s most abundant polymer alongside the opportunity to engage in various ED&I projects that would empower Black and Black heritage staff and students in Bristol and hopefully, the UK at large”, Dr Amaka Onyianta says.
“I believe that representation is key to increasing diversity among the next generation of engineers. Being part of this fellowship gives me the opportunity to play my part in creating a future where ideas are enriched by varied experiences and approaches, and where people have opportunities to pursue the careers they are passionate about, and to contribute solutions to present and future global challenges”, Dr Anita Etale adds.