Professor Alessandro Mottura MEng, PhD, SFHEA

Professor Alessandro Mottura

School of Metallurgy and Materials
Head of School of Metallurgy and Materials
Professor of Physical Metallurgy

Contact details

Address
School of Metallurgy and Materials
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Alessandro Mottura is a Professor of Physical Metallurgy in the School of Metallurgy and Materials. He received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Imperial College London (2010), working under Professor Mike W Finnis and Professor Roger C Reed, and his MEng in Materials Science and Engineering from Imperial College London (2006). Following his PhD, Professor Mottura joined the group of Professor Tresa M Pollock as a Research Fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara and was hired by the University of Birmingham in June 2012.

His research interests revolve around the understanding of how chemistry affect phase stability and mechanical properties in advanced alloys (Ni-based superalloys, Co-based superalloys, Ti alloys). His research work combines atomic-scale modelling methods with a wide variety of experimental techniques.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, 2010
  • MEng in Materials Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, 2006

Biography

Alessandro Mottura received his MEng degree (first class) in Materials Science and Engineering in 2006, from Imperial College London. He went on to study for a PhD in Metallurgy under the supervision of Professor Mike W Finnis and Professor Roger C Reed, also at Imperial College London. During his PhD, Alessandro Mottura focussed on explaining how rhenium additions affect the creep properties of single-crystal Ni-based superalloys. This work was part of a wider effort to establish a more rigorous path to the design of new alloys, carried out in collaboration with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and the University of Birmingham. Alessandro’s research involved the use of density functional theory (DFT) simulations, atom probe tomography (APT) and extended x-ray absorption fine spectroscopy (EXAFS) to establish and clarify the role of rhenium in these alloys.

After obtaining his PhD, Alessandro joined the group of Professor Tresa M Pollock, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. At UCSB, Alessandro kept working on using DFT simulations to guide the design of new γ’-strengthened Co-based superalloys. Beside his involvement on the design of new Co-based superalloys, Alessandro also worked on building a new 3-dimensional characterisation tool that utilises a femtosecond laser to ablate material layer by layer, and an electron microscope to image the newly revealed surface at each step. Albeit working in a similar way to FIB-tomography (or serial-sectioning) this technique allows the generation of much larger multi-modal datasets that include both chemical and crystallographic information.

Alessandro joined the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham in 2012. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2016 and then Professor in 2019. He is currently Head of School and Undergraduate Admissions Tutor for the School of Metallurgy and Materials.

Teaching

Teaching Programmes

  • LC Communication and Critical Reasoning
  • LI Materials Engineering Design
  • LI Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Alloys and Applications
  • LI Physical Materials Science
  • LM Simulations and Modelling of Materials

Postgraduate supervision

No PhD projects available at this time.

Research

Research themes

  • Effect of chemistry on phase stability, formation and transformations
  • Effect of chemistry on mechanical properties
  • Point, line and planar defects
  • Evolution of microstructure during creep
  • Solute partitioning in microstructure
  • Multi-scale, multi-modal 3-dimensional material analysis
  • Femtosecond laser tomography

Research activity

  • Stability of the γ’ phase in Co-based superalloys 
  • Solute additions and high temperature properties in Ti alloys 
  • Solute effects on creep properties in Ni-based superalloys

Publications

Sample publication list

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Modelling and simulations of advanced alloys: phase stability, phase transformations and mechanical properties; characterisation of metallic materials at the atomic scale; materials for aerospace and energy applications.

Expertise

Modelling and simulations of advanced alloys: phase stability, phase transformations and mechanical properties; characterisation of metallic materials at the atomic scale; materials for aerospace and energy applications.