Research and Teaching;
together with Opinions and Fiction writing.
This web site is about subjects on Polymers, Plastics, Rheology and Processing that covers a research active period from the 1970s to 2020 followed by some reflective assessments up to the current time and links to my fiction novels. I do hope you will find something of interest!
A significant amount of the work is visual and for example all the graphics shown above have their own special stories to tell.
The site should prove useful to people who want relatively simple and often visual explanations about a range of scientific and engineering topics. The web site also provides a teaching and research record of work I was involved with at Bristol, Sussex and Cambridge University. Powerpoint presentations and lecture notes can provide a different and simpler way to convey information when compared to formal publications. Click on the blue underlined headings to go to appropriate sections of the web site.
There are specific sections on;
Polymers, Rheology, Fluid Mechanics, Innovative Processing, Scientific Apparatus,
The Sustainability of Plastics. “Something to Say“ Publications.
You will find short introductions to each of the headline topics followed by a selection of presentations that describe different aspects of the various scientific and technological fields. The presentations cover a lifetime (50 years!) of research in different areas of science, followed by innovation and then application to processes and products.
There are also my Cambridge University lecture notes on both;
Rheology and Polymers.
Science, Engineering and innovation all have visual and creative parts and some aspects are covered in“Something to say”. The section includes short articles such as how scientists and engineers can be thought of as creative people in addition to a range of topics that could be classified as opinions rather than scientific facts. There is a cluster of very visual Movie clips ,again most of the movies involve flow describing various processes and experiments.
Oppenheimer (2023)
The Oppenheimer story has been brought to the forefront by the recent 2023 Blockbuster Hollywood film. The film is based on a 700 page 2005 gripping book called ‘American Prometheus’ that in my opinion is a ‘must read’ for scientists, engineers and policy makers. My short summary of some key issues raised in the book is given below.
Oppenheimer 2023
Predicting the future! (2023 onwards!)
I believe that over the last century scientists, technologists and engineers are the people that have had the most influence on the ever changing world that we currently live in and it is my hope that they, and others will accept and recognise this. The short piece below attempts to articulate why I think this is so.
Predicting the future.
Engineering awareness in the 21st Century ( 2023)
Recently (February 2023) Tony Blair and William Hague have joined forces to alert the UK to the potential of what they call the next ‘digital industrial revolution’. Below is a small piece I wrote on how engineering now is everywhere in every day life. My own note is one of caution, however in the spirit of Blair and Hague there are of course many opportunities for countries to grasp in this ‘second industrial revolution’.
Engineering awareness in the 21st Century
Plastics use and reuse. (2016-current)
2016 was a watershed when I belatedly realised that although ‘Plastics are Fantastic’, they have also created ‘Global Plastics Cancer’.
The Sustainability of Plastics.
I have recently included a short piece on the ‘Future of Plastics’.
The Future of Plastics 2023
Innovative Processing.
Process and Product Innovation was a very important part of our work and you will find sections on several separate inventions.
High Modulus Polyethylene (1970s to 2000s)
How to turn a low cost thermoplastic into a super stiff fibre.
High Modulus Polyethylene
Oscillatory Flow Mixing (1980s -2010s)
How to create inertial fluid mixing without ‘classic’ turbulence.
Oscillatory Flow Mixing
Flexible Chocolate (1990s – 2000s)
How to shape form chocolate without meltng it.
Flexible chocolate
Plastic Microcapillary Films (2000s – 2020s)
How to form multiple hollow channels in a plastic film.
Plastic Microcapillary Films
Something different; Two Fiction books!
High Tension (1990s -2000s)
This was my first attempt at writing fiction. Originally written in the 1990s the fiction ‘discovery story’ remained unpublished in my desk draw for a decade. Then, a brave French editor offered to publish the book. When I now revisit the story, I can understand why the book never resonated widely with readers; however it has acted as a useful learning curve for future fictional writing.
High Tension-pdf
Daymouth (2022- current)
Daymouth is a fiction location; however those people familiar with the UK Devon Salcombe estuary will recognise geographical features of this beautiful area. The characters are fiction and the story follows the way ‘Adam Ranworth’ adjusts from London life to living in what many would consider an idyllic coastal town. The story is fast moving with a strong nautical flavour and involves the interplay of the rich and not so rich. A mix of Local and National issues play out in the story with the book reaching a climax on the Cote d’azur.
The book is easy reading, unsophisticated and hopefully enjoyable.
Daymouth is available as both an ebook and a paper back.
https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/crime-and-thrillers/daymouth
The scientific component of research described on this web site has either been created by myself, or an army of Postoctoral or PhD students working with me at Bristol, Sussex, CEMEF (France) and Cambridge. I am indebted to all their talents in contributing to this work and acknowledge their invaluable contribution. Any publications that appear on this web site are for educational purposes only.