DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials
The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials, hosted by Wits, involves six other SA universities and three science councils.
The CoE-SM was established in 2004 to provide a network for enabling researchers in strong materials to collaborate across disciplines and institutions, locally and abroad.
Strong materials retain their distinctive properties (e.g. hardness, toughness, mechanical strength and resistance to wear and corrosion) under extreme conditions (conditions of high stress, aggressive wear, very high or very low temperatures, or highly corrosive environments).
CoE-SM focused areas based in the School
Carbides and cermets
- Professor Natasha Sacks, who serves as the Focus Area Coordinator, Professor Lesley Cornish, Associate Professor Josias van der Merwe and Dr David Whitefield
Research is focused on the design and development of new tools and coatings, improving production processes, recycling of scrap metal, and exploring new manufacturing technologies. Tribology and corrosion are critically investigated.
Ceramics
- Professor Jack Sigalas
Efforts in this area are aimed at developing new ceramics for a variety of applications and optimising the processing of conventional ceramics.
Strong metallic alloys
- Professor Lesley Cornish, who serves also as Director of the CoE-SM, Dr Lesley Chown and Dr Josias van der Merwe
Activities centre on developing alloys of titanium, steel and platinum. The alloys are being designed for use at high temperatures in aggressive environments. Other research is aimed at improving the properties of steel and hard metals.
The CoE-SM identifies its focus of research as predicting, designing, synthesizing, evaluating, developing and exploiting strong materials.