MAGLab Team

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Principal Investigator

Dr Dikai Guan

Guan Headshot HR

I am a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in the Department of Materials Science and Engieering, The University of Sheffield.

Before taking up my fellowship, I completed my PhD at the University of Sheffield in November 2015 and focused on magnesium research area as a postdoc in Sheffield from 2015. In 2019, I joined the Henry Royce Institute @Sheffield and was the lead user of using the JSM-7900F SEM/EBSD/EDX and another JXA-8530F Electron Probe Microanalyzer (EPMA). 

Currently, my research activities focus on delivering my fellowship project "Development of strong, formable, stainless and low-cost magnesium alloys for next generation cars".


Postdocs:

Dr Xun Zeng

Xun Zeng

In 2016, I started my PhD in Magnesium Innovation Center, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany. I got my PhD degree from the Technical  University of Berlin in 2021.
I am interested in developing high performance Mg alloys. My research topic focused on the deformation and recrystallization mechanisms of Mg alloys. I am motivated to apply the advanced techniques like TKD and HRDIC to explaining the experimental results.


Dr Abhishek Pariyar

Abhishek Pariyar
Abhishek Pariyar

I completed my PhD in 2020 from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in collaboration with the Laboratory of Excellence-DAMAS and LEM3 Laboratory (University of Lorraine), France. After that, I pursued my postdoctoral work for 1 year at Labex-DAMAS and LEM3 Laboratory. During my PhD, I developed Al-based materials with high-temperature grain and strength stability. 

My research interests lie in structure-property correlations and understanding the underlying mechanisms for material behaviour using advanced characterization techniques.


PhD students:

Mr Xingjian Zhao

Xingjian Headshot

I got my BEng degree of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2019. After that, I obtained my MSc degree of Advanced Materials Science at University College London in 2020.

These two educational experiences have aroused my great interests in metallic materials. And thus, I joined MAGLab team and chose ‘developing ultra-fine grained magnesium alloys’ as my PhD research project topic. My supervisors are Dr Dikai Guan (Primary), Prof Mark Rainforth (Secondary), Dr Joao Gandra (Industrial, TWI)


Mr Yanheng Xie

Yanheng Xie

I got my BEng degree in Material Forming and Control Engineering from the Hefei University of Technology in 2019. After this, I obtained a MSc degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield in 2020.

In my study career, research in the field of light alloy has always been my interest. Therefore, I had the idea to continue my PhD study at the University of Sheffield, and I joined MAGLab in September 2021. My research topic is mainly about the use and design of high strength and high toughness magnesium alloys. My supervisors are Dr Dikai Guan (Primary), Dr Claire Uttom (Secondary), Dr Matthew Murphy (Industrial, Luxfer MEL Technologies)


Mr Haoran Yi

Haoran Yi

I got my BEng degree at Wuhan University of Technology in 2019, major in materials science and engineering. The same year I came to UK and continue my study as a postgraduate student in Advanced Materials Science, at the University College London. During years I have developed great interest and passion upon materials science, therefore I choose to continue my education as a PhD student and join MAGLab, where I will conduct exciting projects aiming to apply Machine-Learning method into novel alloys design. My supervisors are Dr Dikai Guan (Primary) and Dr Haiping Lu (Secondary).


MEng Student:

Mr Karol Murgrabia

Karol Murgrabia

In 2018 I started MEng in materials science and engineering at the University of Sheffield. In my second year of studies, I have received Guy Simpson Prize in Glass Technology for outstanding examination results. In 2020 I took part in the summer internship organized by the Henry Royce Institute. The following summer I worked at Knowles company which produces electronic components for critical applications. I became interested in advanced light alloys, therefore I have joined MAGlab team to work on my final year project.


Visiting Scholar:

Dr Liang Yuan (2-year visiting researcher)

Liang Yuan

I got my PhD degree of Materials Science at Northwestern Polytechnical University in 2016. The same year I joined Shaanxi University of Science & Technology and engaged in both teaching and scientific research.

My research interest focused on the phase transformation and mechanical properties of structural alloys. Currently, I also try to analyze some crucial phenomena like PLC effect and twinning-detwinning during the deformation of alloys by using advanced techniques. And thus, I joined MAGLab team as a 2-year visiting scholar in September 2021.


PGT students:

Miss Sasatorn Sermkit

Sasatorn Sermkit

I obtained my BEng degree at Chulalongkorn University, majoring Metallurgy and Materials engineering. Currently, I am a student in a major of Aerospace Materials. I participate in MAGLab and my PGT project is Developing low-cost high performance metal-metal Mg-Ti composite for aerospace applications.


Alumni

Master students:

Mr Xin Wang

Xin Wang

I obtained my BEng degree of Materials Forming and Control Engineering at Lanzhou University of Technology in 2010. and then I worked at Sinotec company in Shanghai for several years, which provides turbocharge products to some enterprises.

Last year, I came to The University of Sheffield as a PGT in Aerospace Materials. My master's project is about an investigation of recrystallization during annealing in AZ31 magnesium alloy.


Miss Dongli An:

To be updated

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