Dr Abigail Ackerman will now hold the position of RAEng Research Fellow in the Department of Materials. She first joined the department as a Research Postgraduate in 2014.

It is an honour to receive the support of both the Royal Academy of Engineering and Imperial College London to improve sustainability in materials science. Dr Abigail Ackerman

In recent years, Dr Ackerman has collaborated with Dr Stella Pedrazzini and Professor Mary Ryan, researching corrosion in steel and nickel. Additionally, she has been investigating hydrogen behaviours in titanium alloys alongside Professor Baptiste Gault. Dr Ackerman also received the June Wilson Award and the Head of Department's fund for postdoctoral research in 2022.

Dr Ackerman's new project will be titled 'Hydrogen and Seek: Understanding hydrogen in engineering alloys'. The focal point of the project will be understanding the fundamental effects of hydrogen on materials and using that knowledge to improve sustainability in industry. This includes developing corrosion-resistant electrode materials for use in low-carbon electrolytic iron extraction and furthering the understanding of hydrogen embrittlement in materials such as titanium and zirconium. This research will be underpinned by the use of the new Imperial Centre for Cryo Microscopy of Materials and in support of Imperial College’s Transition to Zero Pollution initiative. 

Dr Ackerman commented: “It is an honour to receive the support of both the Royal Academy of Engineering and Imperial College London to improve sustainability in materials science.

It has become apparent that traditional materials production methods, particularly in steel making, do not support global climate goals, and I am excited to have the opportunity to make a tangible positive impact through this research.”

This article has been adapted from a press release from the Royal Academy of Engineering.