As I have relative freedom with my work, I prefer to work into the evening rather than be an early riser. I will typically perform desk-based tasks at the beginning of my day and tick a few items from my to-do list which helps to keep me on track. Then I will rotate around conducting or planning experiments in the lab or managing other projects/extra-curricular areas. This entails a lot of reviewing literature, planning, thesis writing, and ultimately time management!

Most facilities I need are in the Polymer Processing Lab. Here, I make use of internal batch mixers and extruders for creating composites which I then hot press. There is also plenty of characterisation equipment (such as differential scanning calorimetry, haze, capillary rheometry, and tensile testing). We also have a wet chemistry lab that I use to create and purify new substances for testing; plus, the Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre (LMCC) provides space for electron microscopy and other advanced characterisation techniques to delve into the physical structures of the materials. Combining these techniques gives a great overview of the composite’s properties.

I really want to work in the field of discards, that includes waste but also beyond it, such as why people waste and, not just what or how much. My PhD was not industrially sponsored but I have secured two additional placements thanks to the University around this area. One was for Unilever research and development in their Biosourcing and Biotechnology team assessing alternative carbon sources for materials and formulation ingredients. The other is for WRAP, a waste and resources charity that promotes sustainable resource use through materials selection, design, recycling, and other areas.

In five years’ time, I hope to be managing areas related to recycling and wastes, improving the circularity of discarded resources that have lost value to the initial user, but are not inherently worthless.