Curriculum Vitae: Dr Andrew John Gant.
Education/Training:
1986-1990: BEng (Hons.) Mechanical Engineering, University of Bradford.
Final Year Dissertation: Liquid Phase Sintering of T6 Grade High Speed Steel with Additions of Copper-Phosphorous.
Postgraduate Employment:
1990-1991: 3rd Engineer, Nuclear Electric PWR Project Group, Sizewell B Commissioning Team.
1991-1996: Research Assistant RA1B, Engineering Materials Group, University of Bradford.
Subject areas: Assessment of effect of ceramic additives on sintering and sintering kinetics (Kingery plots) in PM high speed steel. Evaluation of compatibility of the hard ceramic/solid lubricant/matrix and the effect of the additives on heat treatment responses. Investigation of microstructure-property relationships in terms of fracture toughness, strength, flaw size/shape analysis, Weibull analysis, and tribological characteristics.
Postgraduate Qualification:
PhD; "Structure-Property Relationships in Sintered High Speed Steel Composites Containing Hard Ceramic and Solid Lubricant Additions", University of Bradford, December 1996.
Postdoctoral Employment:
1) BAE Systems
1996-1998: R&D Engineer, Metallics & Non-metallics R & D Group, Structural Technology, BAE Systems, Warton.
Experience:
Input into new airframe materials research projects; feasibility studies on use of novel welding methods for airframe aluminium alloys; selection of candidate Eurofighter components for welded construction. Development of welded components using monotonic mechanical property and fatigue crack propagation data from test samples in conjunction with data on conditions applied to existing components.
Carbon-fibre composite wing and fuselage materials; developing test protocols, supervision of manufacture and/or testing of samples, components and fuselage mock-ups in order to assess lightning strike and birdstrike damage. Modify components and re-test to minimise degradation and retain radar signature (where appropriate).
2) National Physical Laboratory
1998- to date: Research Scientist (1998-9), Higher Research Scientist (1999-2001), Senior Research Scientist (2001); National Physical Laboratory.
Experience:
Characterisation of hardmetals, powder metallurgical materials, ceramics, composites and coatings;
To date a wide variety of work has been undertaken, but can be summarised as follows;
Study of mechanisms of abrasion and abrasion-corrosion synergy; correlation of wear performance with mechanical and microstructural parameters (hardmetals, ceramics, PM materials).
Study of thermal fatigue and post-thermal fatigue properties; monotonic tensile and mechanical fatigue; fractography and correlation of microstructures with post-thermal cycling properties (MMCs and CMCs).
Study of mechanisms of micro-abrasion (coatings for cutting tools and textile machinery).
Study of mechanisms of sliding wear (hardmetals, ceramics, PM materials).
Study of notched fatigue performance; effect of microstructural variables and processing routes (PM materials).
Study of Hertzian fracture (glass, ceramics).
Study of edge flaking and correlation with more conventional measures of toughness (glass, ceramics, hardmetals, PM).
Development of novel ("user-friendly") pre-cracking method for PM steels.
Development of new ceramic composite cutting tool materials; their preparation, testing and selection of prototype/candidate materials (based on silicon nitride and alumina-zirconia).
Other Responsibilities and Roles:
Project Manager: "DSM2 Standards for Materials"; DTI-funded project enabling senior NPL staff to carry out and disseminate their activities on BSI, CEN and ISO standards committees. Responsibilities involve drawing up project proposals, dissemination, reporting to DTI on progress, ensuring project milestones are met, and deciding on future project direction with DTI.
Task Manager: "Characterisation and Performance of Materials" (DTI-funded project); responsible for ensuring delivery of project milestones concerning image analysis of powder-route materials; liasing with and directing work of colleagues.
Third Party Work (consultancy): Execution of testing, analysis and reporting of tribological, thermal and mechanical behaviour of materials and components (steels, ceramics, hardmetals, composites). Analysis of previously failed components (fractography, etc.).
Junior Staff: supervision of project work, training.
Professional Qualifications:
AMIMechE
Associate of the Institute of Materials
Publications List
REFEREED JOURNAL PAPERS
1. JD Bolton, AJ Gant, RJM Hague Liquid Phase Sintering of High Speed Steels, Journal of Materials Science 26 (1991) 5203.
2. JD Bolton, AJ Gant Phase Reactions and Chemical Stability of Ceramic Carbide and Solid Lubricant Particulate Additions in Sintered High Speed Steels Powder Metallurgy 36 (1993) 267.
3. JD Bolton, AJ Gant The Heat Treatment of High Speed Steel Composites Frontiers for Engineering Materials (1995) 93.
4. JD Bolton, AJ Gant Liquid Phase Sintering of Metal Matrix Composites Containing Solid Lubricants Journal of Materials Processing 56 (1996) 136.
5.JD Bolton, AJ Gant Heat Treatment Response of Sintered High Speed Steel Composites Containing Additions of Manganese Sulphide, Niobium Carbide and Titanium Carbide Powder Metallurgy 39 (1996) 27.
6. JD Bolton, AJ Gant Microstructural Development and Sintering Kinetics in Ceramic Reinforced High Speed Steel Metal Matrix Composites Powder Metallurgy 40 (1997) 143.
7. JD Bolton, AJ Gant Fracture in Ceramic-reinforced Metal Matrix Composites Based on High Speed Steel Journal of Materials Science 33 (1998) 939.
8. AJ Gant, MG Gee Wear of Tungsten Carbide-cobalt Hardmetals and Hot Isostatically Pressed High Speed Steels under Dry Abrasive Conditions Wear 251 (2001) 908.
9. R Morrell, AJ Gant, Edge Chipping of Hard Materials International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials 19 (2001) 293.
ABSTRACTS
1. JD Bolton and AJ Gant, Phase Reactions and Chemical Stability of Ceramic and Solid Lubricant Particles added to Sintered High Speed Steels, Powder Metallurgy World Congress (PM’94), vol 2, Paris, June 1994.
2. JD Bolton and AJ Gant, Heat Treatment and Mechanical Properties of Sintered High Speed Steel Composites Containing Solid Lubricants and Hard Phases, Powder Metallurgy World Congress (PM’94), vol 2, Paris, June 1994.
3. JD Bolton, AJ Gant Properties of Sintered High Speed Steel Metal Matrix Composites Designed for Enhanced Wear Performance, Advances in Powder Metallurgy and Particulate Materials, vol 5, Washington DC, June 1996.
4. JD Bolton, AJ Gant. Fracture in Ceramic Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites Based on High Speed Steel, International Symposium on Processing and Fabrication of Advanced Materials VI, Singapore, November 1997.
5. MG Gee and AJ Gant. Ball Cratering Experiments on Hardmetals, Proc. 21st Meeting International Research Group on Wear of Engineering Materials IRG-OECD, Amsterdam, March 1999.
6. R Morrell and AJ Gant. Edge Chipping of Hard Materials, 7th International Conference on Science of Hardmetals (ICSHM7), Ixtapa, Mexico, March 2001.
7. AJ Gant and MG Gee. Wear of Tungsten Carbide-cobalt Hardmetals and Hot Isostatically Pressed High Speed Steels under Dry Abrasive Conditions 13th International Conference Wear of Materials, Vancouver, April 2001.
NPL OPEN REPORTS (A)
1. M G Gee, A J Gant and W P Byrne, An NPL Rotating Wheel Abrasion Test, NPL Measurement Note CMMT(MN)30, November 1998.
2. M G Gee, A Gant, W P Byrne and B Roebuck, Abrasion and Reciprocating Wear Testing of Ceramics and Hardmetals, NPL Report CMMT(A)166, May 1999.
3. M G Gee, A Gant and L Van den Berg, Scratch Testing and Fine Scale Abrasion Testing of Hardmetals and Ceramics. NPL Report CMMT(A)175, May 1999.
4. M G Gee and A Gant, Rotating Wheel Abrasion Tests on Hardmetals and Ceramics, NPL Measurement Note CMMT(MN)46, May 1999.
5. AJ Gant and R Morrell, CPD3 T3: Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Properties of a Unidirectional Titanium Matrix Composite and a Cross-Ply Ceramic Matrix Composite, NPL Report CMMT(A)188, July 1999.
6. M G Gee, AJ Gant and T Reid, Design of Impact Abrasion Test System, NPL Report CMMT(A)227, July 1999.
7. M G Gee, A Gant, Procedure for Rotating Wheel Abrasion Testing, NPL Report MATC(A)54, July 2001.
NPL COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE REPORTS (D)
1.S Owen-Jones, M G Gee and A J Gant, Examination of Worn Components, NPL Report CMMT(D)119.
2. M G Gee and A J Gant, Ball Cratering for the Measurement of Coating Wear. NPL Report CMMT(D)162, October 1998.
3. A J Gant and M G Gee, Simulative Wear Tests and Examination of Field Tested Textile Machinery Parts. NPL Report CMMT(D)170, November 1998.
4. M G Gee and A J Gant, Modified ASTM G65 Abrasion Tests on Steels, Hardmetals, Ceramics and Coatings. NPL Report CMMT(D)172, December 1998.
5. A J Gant, L A Lay and R Morrell, EC INNOVATION Project IN308231 ‘NANOCUT’- First six-month report, NPL Report CMMT(D)222, July 1999.
6. R Morrell and A J Gant, EC INNOVATION project IN308231 ‘NANOCUT’- NPL contribution, July-December 2000, NPL Report MATC(D)04, January 2001.
7. M G Gee, A J Gant, I M Hutchings, A Critical Evaluation of Abrasion Testing, NPL Report MATC(D)24, April 2001.
NPL TEST REPORTS
1. A J Gant and R Morrell, Ceramic Hydraulic Valve Component Failures, Ref CMMT-1139, May 1999.
2. R Morrell and A J Gant, Density and Thermal Expansion of Metal Alloys, Ref CMMT-1145, August 1999.
3. A J Gant, Microstructural Assessment of Hydraulic Valve Components, Ref CMMT-1211, September 1999.
4. W P Byrne A J Gant A Pearce and R Morrell, Ultimate Compression and Fatigue Tests on Ceramic Femoral Heads, Ref CMMT-1070E, October 1999.
5. M G Gee and A Gant Examination of Silicon Nitride Ball Bearings. Ref: CMMT-1324, March 2000.
6. M G Gee and A Gant, Friction of Rubber Against Steel, Ref CMMT-1398, July 2000
7. M G Gee and A Gant, ASTM G65 Abrasion Testing of Steel Samples, Ref CMMT – 1474 January 2001.
OTHER NPL REPORTS
1. A J Gant, Status Report for Industrial Advisory Group: Guidelines for the Preparation of Fine Grained Hard Materials and of Porous Powder Metallurgical Materials, September 2000.
2. E G Bennett and A J Gant, Industrial Advisory Group Measurement Note: Measurement of Total Porosity and Pore Size Distribution in Powder Metallurgical High Speed Steels, October 2001.
3. A J Gant and A T May, Industrial Advisory Group Measurement Note: Abrasion of Powder Metallurgical High Speed Steels in Corrosive Media, October 2001.