People in the department
Dr Rebecca Higginson
Senior Lecturer in Metallurgy
Programme Director: Materials Engineering and Automotive Materials
BEng, PhD, FRMS, CSci, CEng, FIMMM, MInstP
Tel: 01509 223161
Fax: 01509 223949
Email: R.L.Higginson @Lboro.ac.uk
Background
Dr Rebecca Higginson graduated from The University College Swansea in 1992 winning the British Steel Travel Award for her practical work. She went on to study for her PhD at Birmingham University on the ‘The Effect of Small Second Phase Particles on the Recrystallisation and Grain Growth in Aluminium’ sponsored by Alcan. In 1995 she became a Post Doctoral Research Associate at Sheffield University working on the thermomechanical processing of stainless steels and aluminium alloys. Whilst at Sheffield she took a part time Postgraduate Diploma in Education. In 2001 she became a Lecturer in Metallurgy at Loughborough University, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2007.
Qualifications
- BEng 1992
- PhD 1995
- FRMS 2002, CSci 2005, CEng 2005, FIMMM 2006, MInstP 2008
Key awards
- Awarded the IOM3 Cook/Ablett Award 2008
Current teaching responsibilities
- MPA100 - Materials and Processing for Designers (IE)
- MPA102 - Experimentation
- MPA103 - Introduction to Materials (IE)
- MPB103 - Materials Characterisation and Mechanics (IE)
- MPC101 - Recycling, Sustainability and Environmental Issues
- MPP140 - Materials Sustainability and the Environment
- MPP340 - Materials Sustainability and the Environment
Current administrative responsibilities
- Programme Director Materials Engineering and Automotive Materials Courses
- Member of Departmental Management Advisory Team (MAT)
- Under 18s Coordinator
- Chair of Teaching & Learning Committee (UG)
- Member: Industrial Advisory Board
- Member: Staff Student Committee
Outline of main research interests
- Oxide Scale Formation and Characterisation
- Texture Development
- Precipitation in HSLA steels, stainless steels and aluminium alloys
- Strain Path
- Electron BackScatter Diffraction (EBSD)
Recent publications
29 Journal and refereed conference papers have been published in the last 5 years including:
- Chang, H.M., Higginson, R.L. and Binner, J.G.P., ''Microstructure and Property Characterisation of 3-3 Al(Mg)/Al2O3 Interpenetrating Composites Produced by a Pressureless Infiltration Technique'', J Mater Sci, 45, 2010, pp 662-668.
- Higginson, R.L., Gibson, M.R., Kell, J. and Tyrer, J.R., ''Weld Pool Shaping and Microstructural Control Using Novel Computer Generated Holographic Optic Laser Welding of Steel and Stainless Steel'', Materials Science Forum, 638-642, 2010, pp 3673-3678.
- Chang, H., Binner, J.G.P., Higginson, R.L., Myers, P., Webb, P. and King, G., ''High Strain Rate Characteristics of 3-3 Metal-Ceramic Interpenetrating Composites'', Materials Science and Engineering A, 528, 2011, pp 2239-2245.
- Higginson, R.L. and Green, G., “Whisker growth morphology of high temperature oxides grown on 304 stainless steel”, Corrosion Science, 53, 2011, pp 1690–1693.
Current and recent grants and contracts (with others)
- Ongoing Materials for Construction of New-Build Supercritical Power Generation Plant, RWE nPower
- Ongoing Prediction of Microstructural Evolution during Long Term Thermal Ageing of Austenitic Steels in Both Parent and Weld Metal, EDF
- 2007-2010 Prediction of Microstructural Evolution and Fracture Toughness in Austenitic Stainless Steels for Extended life Power Station Applications, EDF
- 2006 - 2010 Metallographic Investigation of stress corrosion cracking in CrNi martensitic steels, EPSRC/Alstom
- 2004 - 2007 Oxide Scale formation in Chromium containing steels – Case Studentship, EPSRC
- 2002-2004 Microstructural and Mechanical Characterisation of Oxide Scales in Steels, EPSRC
External collaborators
- Outokumpu Stainless Steel Research Foundation - Fully funded Research Studentship 2004-2007
- ALSTOM Power Materials Research - Fully funded Research Studentship 2006-date
- Solidica Inc. USA – Research Student 2005-date
- Eng D Student – RWE nPower 2008-date
- EDF 2007-date
External roles and appointments
- EPSRC Peer Review Panel 2004-present;
- Currently Secretary of the IOM3 Structure of Materials Committee formerly Chair 2005-Feb 2008;
- Chair of the Royal Microscopical Society Material Selection Committee 2008;
- Council Member of Royal Microscopical Society
Full list of publications
Loughborough CIS Portal: Publications list