Professor Paul Withey BSc PhD FIMMM MInstP CEng

Professor Paul Withey

School of Metallurgy and Materials
Professor of Casting Technology

Paul Withey is Professor of Casting Technology.

Paul joined academia in 2018 and in 2019 was awarded an EPSRC Manufacturing Fellowship. He is working with industry to deliver improved casting technology for a number of different applications.

Paul is also knowledgeable about the DeHavilland Comet investigation in the 1950s and has shared his enthusiasm both in talks and documentaries.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Metallurgy and Materials University of Birmingham, 1989
  • BSc in Physics, University of Birmingham, 1986

Biography

Paul Withey qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Physics from the University of Birmingham in 1986. He went on to study for a PhD in magnetic materials in the School of Metallurgy and Materials in 1989.

Following a period in academia where Paul moved into the casting field, he moved to Rolls-Royce in 1994 initially in the research foundry in Bristol and latterly based in the production facility in Derby.

Paul worked on both production methods, yield improvement and new technology and in 2005 he became the Associate Fellow in Casting Technology.

In 2018 Paul returned to Birmingham to continue his academic career, focussing on casting technology.

Teaching

Module lead for High Performance Materials and Advanced Manufacture.

Research

  • Single Crystal Casting
  • Grain defects in single crystal castings
  • Furnace technology

Other activities

Member of the IOM3 Advisory Board and Nominations Committee

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Park, KH, Davies, J & Withey, P 2025, 'Microstructural Investigation of Stress-Induced Degradation of Gamma and Gamma Prime Phases on the Surface of the Aerofoil of Nickel-Based Single Crystal Superalloy Turbine Blades', Crystals, vol. 15, no. 6, 553. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15060553

Park, KH, Gormley, J & Withey, P 2025, 'Surface and subsurface microstructural analysis of cerium under ambient air exposure using in-situ cross sectioning and observation systems', Surfaces and Interfaces, vol. 76, 107955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2025.107955

Goodge, K & Withey, P 2024, 'An Analysis of Direct Operating Costs for the Wright Spirit Electric Aircraft', Aerospace, vol. 11, no. 12, 1007. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11121007

Park, KH & Withey, P 2023, 'Investigation of Hafnium Oxide Containing Zirconium in the Scaled Region on the Surface of As-Cast Nickel-Based Single Crystal Superalloy Turbine Blades', Crystals, vol. 13, no. 2, 277. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13020277

Harrison, J & Withey, PA 2023, 'Precipitation of Topologically Closed Packed Phases during the Heat-Treatment of Rhenium Containing Single Crystal Ni-Based Superalloys', Crystals, vol. 13, no. 3, 519. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13030519

Park, K & Withey, P 2022, 'Compositions of Gamma and Gamma Prime Phases in an As-Cast Nickel-Based Single Crystal Superalloy Turbine Blade', Crystals, vol. 12, no. 2, 299. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12020299

Park, K & Withey, P 2021, 'Formation and Prevention of a Surface Defect on the Aerofoil of As‐Cast Nickel‐Based Single‐Crystal Turbine Blades', Advanced Engineering Materials, vol. 23, no. 9, 2100302. https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202100302

Park, K & Withey, P 2021, 'General view of rhenium-rich particles along defect grain boundaries formed in nickel-based single-crystal superalloy turbine blades: formation, dissolution and comparison with other phases', Crystals, vol. 11, no. 10, 1201. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11101201

Lin, B, Liu, R, Jia, Q, Cui, Y, Withey, PA & Yang, R 2018, 'Effect of yttria inclusion on room temperature tensile properties of investment cast TiAl', Materials Science and Engineering A, vol. 712, pp. 73-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2017.11.100

Park, K & Withey, P 2018, 'Observation of the dissolution of topologically close packed phases by an additional heat treatment in third generation nickel-based single crystal superalloy turbine blades', Advanced Engineering Materials, vol. 20, no. 7, 1700987. https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.201700987

Kim, K & Withey, P 2017, 'Formation of an intermediate layer between grains in nickel-base superalloy turbine blades', Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, vol. 48, no. 6, pp. 2932-2942. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-017-4044-7

Kim, K & Withey, P 2017, 'Microstructural investigation of the formation and development of topologically close-packed phases in a 3rd generation nickel-base single crystal superalloy', Advanced Engineering Materials, vol. 19, no. 6, 1700041. https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.201700041

Comment/debate

Park, KH & Withey, P 2022, 'Correction: Park, K.; Withey, P. General View of Rhenium-Rich Particles along Defect Grain Boundaries Formed in Nickel-Based Single-Crystal Superalloy Turbine Blades: Formation, Dissolution and Comparison with Other Phases. Crystals 2021, 11, 1201 ', Crystals, vol. 12, no. 10, 1384. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12101384

Conference contribution

Williams, H & Withey, P 2025, Accident storytelling: a case study in synoptic learning, engagement and unintended learning outcomes using aircraft accidents. in J Brooks (ed.), EERN 2025 Symposium Proceedings: The Authenticity of Engineering Education: Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Developing Engineers for Industry Today and a Global Tomorrow., 5.2, University of Manchester, pp. 302-309, UK and Ireland Engineering Education Research Network Annual Symposium, manchester, United Kingdom, 3/07/25. https://doi.org/10.71535/f5dfe8de-1b80-4192-8573-54d934996dec

Park, K & Withey, P 2018, Formation of secondary phases in the boundary between surface defect grains and matrix in third generation nickel-based single crystal superalloy turbine blades. in R Shabadi, M Ionescu, M Jeandin, C Richard & T Chandra (eds), THERMEC 2018. Materials Science Forum, vol. 941 MSF, Trans Tech Publications Ltd, pp. 766-771, 10th International Conference on Processing and Manufacturing of Advanced Materials, 2018, Paris, France, 9/07/18. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.941.766

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