Ceramics at TWI

Alec Gunner
Alec joined TWI in 2002 with an MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge. He has industrial experience in PEM fuel cells and OLED displays, including hydrolysis deposition, thin film metal PVD, spin coating and photolithography.

As a Senior Project Leader and the Ceramics section manager, Alec is involved in TWI's interests in fuel cells and ceramic coatings, particularly transparent conducting materials.

Alec also has experience in photolithographic patterning and etch chemistries for display fabrication, together with knowledge of jig and tool design, and prototype pattern making.

Alan Taylor
Alan joined TWI in 1995 with a PhD in Physics from Warwick University. As a Principal Project Leader in the Ceramics Section of the Advanced Materials and Processes Group he manages projects on the use of ceramics and glasses, ceramic-to-metal joining, and sol-gel derived ceramic coatings.

Alan has been closely involved in TWI's sol-gel coatings and nanotechnology activities and he is on the scientific advisory panel for a number of conferences in this area. His activities span a wide number of industrial sectors and involve a number of different coating technologies and end use applications.

Nick Ludford
Nick joined TWI in 2005 with a MSc in Advanced Materials Technology and a Phd in Metallurgy. Nick is a Project Leader in the Ceramics Section.

He has managed projects involving joining a wide variety of ceramics and high temperature materials using brazing and diffusion bonding. He is also involved in the development and management of collaborative projects.

Abbas Mirlashari
Abbas joined TWI as a Project Leader in September 2007, with a BEng in Electronical and Electronics engineering.

He has managed, and is involved in projects concerning friction bonding of aluminium to alumina, heat treatments of advanced aerospace materials and the organisation of European collaborative projects.

Paloa De Bono
Paloa joined TWI on a internship, shortly after completing a degree in Chemical Engineering. Poloa excelled as an intern and was quickly promoted to the permanent position of Project Leader.

Poloa has managed and is involved in projects concerning many types of coatings specifically sol-gel based anti-reflective coatings. She has helped in the organisation of European collaborative projects.

Gillian Dixon-Payne
Gillian joined TWI in August 2006 as an administrator for the Ceramics group. Prior to joining TWI, Gillian was employed at Addenbrooke's Hospital in various secretarial/administrative roles.