Dr Simon A Hayes
PhD MEd BEng
Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering
Address:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD
Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 5516
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 5943
Email: s.a.hayes@sheffield.ac.uk
Simon Hayes was appointed in January 2000 as a lecturer in materials science associated with the faculty wide Aerospace Engineering degree programme. He joined Sheffield University in 1997 as a Research Associate after obtaining a PhD from Brunel University on optical fibre sensors for damage assessment in composite materials.
Research interests
His research interests primarily concern the development of `SMART´ systems for health monitoring and mitigation in composite materials. He also has an interest in the nanomechanical testing of polymeric and other viscoelastic materials.
Health monitoring of composites is important for their widespread use in safety-critical applications, such as aerospace structures. One focus of the research is therefore the implementation of sensors which provide large area coverage without imposing excessive parasitic weight. The development of sensors based on a philosophy of low cost but high sensitivity is a focus of his research. This has led to the development of a resistance-based and optical systems, which employ the reinforcing fibre as the sensing element, that are capable of damage location and quantification. He had also developed of optical sensor systems using custom drawn chalcogenide glass fibres. A second focus of his research in smart materials is that of damage mitigation. Once damage is identified a response must be initiated, in this case some form of integral self-healing technology is desirable. One such system is the thermoplastic self-healing system developed by Dr Hayes and colleagues the employs a thermoplastic dissolved in a thermosetting resin system, which can be induced to heal when heated. He is also working on alternative methods of healing involving the development of supramolecular polymer systems.
A further research interest is in the nanomechanical testing of viscoelastic materials. Nanoindentation, as a technique for determining the mechanical properties of small volumes of material, was primarily developed on hard elastic coatings. It is therefore difficult to apply the technique to viscoelastic materials. Dr Hayes has developed techniques that enable measurements using nanoindentation to be directly compared with those obtained from macromechanical tests on bulk polymers for both bulk polymers and polymer coatings.
Professional activities and recognition
- Member of the EPSRC Peer Review College
- Member of the scientific committee for the conference Deformation and Fracture of Composites
Recent publications
- How Wide Do You Want the Jar?: The Effect on Diameter for Ease of Opening for Wide-mouth Closures. Yoxall, A; Langley, J; Janson, R; et al. Packaging Technology and Science 23 (1) 11-18 (2010).
- Calibrating a nanoindenter for very shallow depth indentation using equivalent contact radius. Tadjiev, DR; Hand, RJ; Hayes, SA. Philosophical Magazine 90 (13) 1819-1832 (2010).
- Chemical Monitoring of Composite Matrices by Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy. Bailey, PBS; Hayes, SA; Hand, RJ; et al. Emboding Intelligence In Structures and Integrated Systems 56 297-302 (2009).
- Data reduction methodologies for single fibre fragmentation test: Role of the interface and interphase. Johnson, AC; Hayes, SA; Jones, FR. Composites Part A-Applied Science and Manufacturing 40 (4) 449-454 (2009).
- Nano-indentation and surface hydration of silicate glasses Hand, RJ; Tadjiev, DR; Hayes, SA. Journal of The Ceramic Society of Japan 116 (1356) 846-850 (2008).
- Self-healing of damage in fibre-reinforced polymer-matrix composites. Hayes, SA; Zhang, W; Branthwaite, M; et al. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 4 (13) 381-387 (2007).
Research group
Self-sensing composites
Dr Tim Swait is a post-doctoral researcher developing resistance-based self-sensing technology for aerospace applications.
Abdul Rauf is developing an optical self-sensing system employing reinforcing fibres as the light-guide.
Peter Wilson is extending the optical self-sensing work to assess the properties of composites containingn the sensor, and also to improve the sensitivity of the system.
Self-healing composites and polymers
Richard Grainger is developing thermally re-mendable thermosetting resin systems for aerospace composite production.
Elliot Fleet is synthesising supramolecular polymer systems, with thermally reversible cross-links, in order to obtain improved mechanical properties while maintaining their healing ability.
Additional composites research
Austin Lafferty is studying the use of carbon nanotubes to reinforce polymer foams, while simultaneously altering their electrical properties.
Jack Howarth is assessing the properties of composites produced from recycled carbon-fibres.
Nanoindentaion of Polymers
Pierre Samson is developing techniques for extracting the mechanical properties of sub-micron polymer coatings from those of the substrate.
Veronica Salas is studying the measurement of strain-rate sensitivity of polymers using nanoindentation.