The theme of the research was centered around the scrutiny of scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) images and their evaluation to determine the affects of aberrations and environmental instabilities on the data recorded. From this a series of image-processing tools have been developed for improved resolution and signal-to-noise performance. In parallel with this microscope suite environmental analysis and scanning-confocal electron-optical geometries for crystal structure mapping are being pursued.

Conducted three months research into 7xxx series aluminium alloy age hardening culminating in the report "Heat Treatment Design for 7xxx Series Aluminium Alloys from First Principles Characterisation"Abstract:"The properties of the 7xxx series alloys make them an extremely useful family of engineering materials. Their age hardenability allows high strengths to be achieved relative to other Aluminium alloys. Two-stage heat treatments have been found to have mixed effects across different Aluminium alloy series. The cause of these responses is not fully understood and development of new heat treatments often requires a significant amount of trial and error. This process is often inefficient and time consuming, and may not lead to the optimum result.In this work four samples, an Al-Zn-Mg Ternary and three microalloyed variants, were investigated. The hardening contributions of different precipitate phases were evaluated by the complimentary use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and micro-Vickers hardness measurements. These measurements have led to a greater understanding of the hardening, and microstructural, roles of each phase and to the development of a bespoke two-step ageing treatment. This two-step treatment was implemented and evaluated and lead to an increase in strength of up to 17% compared with specimens prepared by one-step ageing treatments."