Background:

Dr Yi Liu is a Senior Lecturer in Polymers and Composites at Department of Materials, within the School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering. She has over 10 years of research experience on polymer processing and multifunctional composite materials. Yi’s research has centred on sustainable manufacturing, thermal management, recycling, and characterisation of advanced polymer composites and biopolymers, emphasizing the integration of smart materials for lightweight, high-performance, and sustainable applications.

Before joining Loughborough University, she conducted research at Queen Mary University of London, focusing on smart multifunctional nanocomposites and flexible self-regulating heating devices. She later joined Imperial College London, where she worked at the Shell-Imperial Advanced Interfacial Materials Science (AIMS) Centre, focusing on polymer degradation, particularly the physical interactions between polymers and service fluids in the oil and gas industry for sustainability.

Our Polymer research group is seeking highly motivated PhD students and researchers (PDRA/RF)who share a passion for materials science and are interested in polymers and composites. If you are interested in joining our team, please reach out to Yi Liu via emails with information of your CV and technical summary of your research topic of interest.

More information please find on my LinkedIn page:

www.linkedin.com/in/yi-liu-polymers-and-composites

Qualifications:

• PGCert,  Academic Professional Apprenticeship Level 7 (APA), Loughborough University
• PhD,  Queen Mary University of London
• MEng, Queen Mary University of London
• BEng, Beihang University

Key awards:

• Finalist, Top 50 Women in Engineering 2024: Enhanced by Engineering
• Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (IOM3) Composite Award
• Loughborough Inspirational Women Award

Professional affiliations:

• Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Member of EPSRC Peer Review College
• Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3)
• Member of Women’s Higher Education Network (WHEN)
• Member of Discovery Materials Working Group for Materials Outreach
• Member of Women’s Engineering Society (WES)

Current teaching responsibilities:

• MPA201: Introductory Materials Science
• MPA220: Introductory Materials Science and Processing
• MPA321: Introduction to Materials Processing
• TTA002: Materials and Structures
• MPP566: Advanced Processing of Polymers

Current administrative responsibilities:

• Placement Academic Tutor
• Chair of Materials Student-Staff Liaison Committee

Outline of main research interests:

• Sustainable Polymers and Composites: bio-derived polymers, biobased phase change materials, biodegradable PLA.
• Advanced Manufacturing Technologies: Energy efficient composite manufacturing, Easy repairable composites with extended service life.
• Phase Change Composites for Thermal Management: autonomous heating and self-regulating, passive cooling, temperature and straining sensing.

Current and past fundings:

• EPSRC Henry Royce Institute, Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP)
• Innovate UK - Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT)
• Loughborough Talent Match Fund
• EPSRC The Future Composites Manufacturing Hub Synergy Project Fund
• Equipment Capital Fund
• IAS Open Programme Fellowship Fund

I have an extensive publication record, with a strong focus on leading journals such as Advanced Functional Materials, Composite Science and Technology, and Composites Part A. Below are selected examples of my work, for a comprehensive list of my publications, please visit this link, or google scholar.

https://publications.lboro.ac.uk/publications/all/collated/mpyl2.html

Wang, Y, Das, B, Thorn, TDS, Huo, S, Evans, J, Newton, M, Liu, Y, Advani, SG, Papageorgiou, DG, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H (2024) Towards highly homogeneous self-regulating heating of smart nanocomposites, Applied Materials Today, 39, pp.102292-102292, ISSN: 2352-9407. DOI: 10.1016/j.apmt.2024.102292.

Thorn, TDS, Wang, Y, Guo, H, Lu, L, Liu, Y, Bilotti, E, Papageorgiou, DG, Zhang, H (2024) Discontinuous interleaving strategies for toughening, damage sensing and repair in multifunctional carbon fibre/epoxy composites, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 185, pp.108320-108320, ISSN: 1359-835X. DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2024.108320.

Barbieri, E, Bilotti, E, Liu, Y, Grimaldi, C (2024) Pyroresistive response of percolating conductive polymer composites, Physical Review Materials, 8(4), 045602, DOI: 10.1103/physrevmaterials.8.045602.

Yao, X, Wang, Y, Thorn, TDS, Huo, S, Papageorgiou, DG, Liu, Y, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H (2023) Tailored out-of-oven energy efficient manufacturing of high-performance composites with two-stage self-regulating heating via a double positive temperature coefficient effect, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 15(48), pp.56265-56274, ISSN: 1944-8244. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c12901.

Wan, K, Kernin, A, Ventura, L, Zeng, C, Wang, Y, Liu, Y, Vilatela, JJ, Lu, W, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H (2023) Toward self-powered sensing and thermal energy harvesting in high-performance composites via self-folded carbon nanotube honeycomb structures, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 15(37), pp.44212-44223, ISSN: 1944-8244. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c08360.

Wang, Y, Yao, X, Thorn, TDS, Huo, S, Porwal, H, Newton, M, Liu, Y, Papageorgiou, D, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H (2023) Energy efficient out-of-oven manufacturing of natural fibre composites with integrated sensing capabilities and improved water barrier properties, Composites Science and Technology, 239, 110062, ISSN: 0266-3538. DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2023.110062.

Thorn, TDS, Liu, Y, Yao, X, Papageorgiou, DG, Robinson, P, Bilotti, E, Peijs, T, Zhang, H (2022) Smart and repeatable easy-repairing and self-sensing composites with enhanced mechanical performance for extended components life, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 165, 107337, ISSN: 1359-835X. DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2022.107337.

Wan, K, Liu, Y, Santagiuliana, G, Barandun, G, Taroni Junior, P, Güder, F, Bastiaansen, CWM, Baxendale, M, Fenwick, O, Papageorgiou, DG, Krause, S, Zhang, H, Bilotti, E (2021) Self-powered ultrasensitive and highly stretchable temperature–strain sensing composite yarns, Materials Horizons, 8(9), pp.2513-2519, ISSN: 2051-6347. DOI: 10.1039/d1mh00908g.

Liu, Y, Asare, E, Porwal, H, Barbieri, E, Goutianos, S, Evans, J, Newton, M, Busfield, JJC, Peijs, T, Zhang, H, Bilotti, E (2020) The effect of conductive network on positive temperature coefficient behaviour in conductive polymer composites, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 139, 106074, ISSN: 1359-835X. DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2020.106074.

Liu, Y, van Vliet, T, Tao, Y, Busfield, JJC, Peijs, T, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H (2020) Sustainable and self-regulating out-of-oven manufacturing of FRPs with integrated multifunctional capabilities, Composites Science and Technology, 190, 108032, ISSN: 0266-3538. DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2020.108032.

Liu, Y, Zhang, H, Porwal, H, Tu, W, Wan, K, Evans, J, Newton, M, Busfield, JJC, Peijs, T, Bilotti, E (2018) Tailored pyroresistive performance and flexibility by introducing a secondary thermoplastic elastomeric phase into graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) filled polymer composites for self-regulating heating devices, Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 6(11), pp.2760-2768, ISSN: 2050-7526. DOI: 10.1039/c7tc05621d.

Liu, Y, Zhang, H, Porwal, H, Tu, W, Evans, J, Newton, M, Busfield, JJC, Peijs, T, Bilotti, E (2017) Universal Control on Pyroresistive Behavior of Flexible Self-Regulating Heating Devices, Advanced Functional Materials, 27(39), pp.1702253-1702253, ISSN: 1616-301X. DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201702253.

External Collaborators: 

• Imperial College London
• Queen Mary University of London
• WMG: University of Warwick
• LMK Thermosafe Ltd
• Virdis Chemical Ltd
• Queen’s University Belfast
• National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS)
• Parker Meggitt