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Dirk Engelberg

Dirk Engelberg, FHEA - Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

PhD Metallurgy & Materials Science, MSc Corrosion Science & Engineering (UMIST), Diplom-Ingenieur (FH) Surface Engineering & Materials Science, Prof

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0519-7354

Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

Material Degradation, Contamination/Decontamination, Net Zero Engineering

Personal profile

Biography

Dr. Dirk Lars Engelberg

Title: Professor in Materials Performance & Corrosion

Affiliations: Department of Materials - Metallurgy & Corrosion - Dalton Nuclear Institute (*DNI) - Sellafield Effluent & Decontamination Centre of Expertise (*SEDCoE)

Position: (i) Professor - Research & Teaching, (ii) Corrosion@ Manchester (*formerly UMIST's Corrosion and Protection Centre), (iii) SEDCoE Decontamination Lead. 

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Industry Education/Experience: I’ve developed my interest in corrosion during my apprenticeship as Electroplater (1991-1994), which I completed in 1994 with a certified industry degree (IHK - Industrie & Handels Kammer). I then obtained experience as electroplater in the surface finishing industry, initially focusing on precision electroplating of printed circuit boards followed by functional and decorative coating systems (Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Ag, Au) for engineering application. 

Education: I joined the department of Surface Engineering and Materials Science at Aalen University (HTW Aalen, Germany) from where I graduated with a Diplom-Ingenieur (FH) degree in 2000. Following my move to the Corrosion and Protection Centre (UMIST), I then obtained a MSc in Corrosion Science and Engineering in 2001, and graduated with a PhD on "Grain Boundary Engineering for Intergranular Stress Corrosion Resistance in Austenitic Stainless Steel" under the supervision of Prof. James Marrow (Manchester/Oxford) and Prof. Roger Newman (Manchester/Toronto). In 2005 I joined the Materials Performance Centre (MPC) as Post-Doctoral Research Associate (PDRA) where most of my research was concerned with the effect of microstructure on localised corrosion & stress corrosion cracking in nuclear plant.

Academic Appointments: I was appointed Lecturer in 2010 (BNFL Endowed Lecturer in Geological Disposal), promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2015, and further in 2020 to Full Professor in Materials Performance & Corrosion.

Expertise:  Carbon Steels, Stainless Steels, Aluminum Alloys (mainly 6xxx, 7xxx series), Nickel-alloys; Metallurgy & Processing; Grain Boundary Engineering; Hydrogen & Net-Zero Engineering; Bipolar, Electrochemistry & Corrosion; In-situ Imaging Techniques (Image Analysis, X-ray Computed Tomography, 2D/3D Correlation Methods); Contamination & Dectontamination; Concrete, Mortar, Cement Microstructure; Geological Disposal Corrosion Research (Steel in Cement/Bentonite); High-throughput Corrosion Screening, Rapid Characterisaton Techniques.

Ideas, Innovation & Beyond: (i) Rapid hydrogen concentration analysis in metals, (ii) Local electrochemistry with portable/pen electrodes, (iii) Gradient elecrochemistry & bipolar electrochemistry, (iv) High-throughput corrosion screening, (v)  Micro-sample corrosion & SCC testing, (vi) Sustainability & corrosion , (vii) Next generation electrolysis design, (viii) Net zero engineering.

Further Engagements & Commitments:

Vice Chair (2024 onwards)- European Federation of Corrosion: WP5

Environment Sensitive Fracture (https://efcweb.org/WP5.html)

Section Editor (2024) - Shreir's Corrosion Handbook (Elsevier Publisher)

 

Research interests

My Research Team & Current Projects - October 2025

Advertised & New Projects Agreed

2026 start - currently advertised: 3.5 yrs PhD Propject - Non-contact Electrochemical Decontamination of Legacy Pond Furniture (TBC)

Start 09.26 - New: Correlating Multi-sensing Techniques for Enhanced Fitness-for-Service (FFS) Asset Management, Aramco (Maher Alerwi)

 

Current PhD Projects - My Group (10.2025):

09.25: Zinc Undercoating for Hydrogen Barrier Application, EPSRC IDLA & Tata Steel UK (Joshua Akande)

09.25: Towards Controlling Atmospheric Corrosion of AA6063 in Nuclear Store Environment, CDT SATURN (Katy Greer)

09.25: Elucidating Steel Corrosion Rates in High-salinity Groundwater - A Multi-technique Approach, CDT SATURN (Matt Bishop)

01.25: Linking Corrosion Reactions, Hydrogen Embrittlement, and Adsorption to Surface Passive Film Properties, KISR (Dalal Ali).

04.2024: Hydrogen Retention in Metals under Cryogenic Exposure (Kun Bai).

04.2024: Bipolar Electrochemistry for Probing the Effect of Hydrogen Embrittlement on SCC of Stainless Steel (Ge Zhang).

04.2024: Development of a New Approach to Prevent Hydrogen Embrittlement (HE) in Aluminum Alloys (Qianlong Wang).

2023-2027: Capability Development for Probing AGR Fuel Cladding Performance, EPSRC i-Case & NNL (George Livesey).

2022-2026: Corrosion os Stainless Steel in HCl Vapour Environment, CDT GREEN (Burcu Eroglu).

2022-2026: LIBS Surface Damage Charaterisation, CDT GREEN (Mitchell Leites).

2021-2026: In-situ Imaging and Chemistry Mapping of Corrosion Processes in Product Store Environment, CDT GREEN (Tom Hillman).

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My Research Interest

Net Zero Engineering & Innovation:

  • Nuclear - Radwaste Storage - Containment Material - Immobilisation
  • Contamination & Decontamination - Characterisation Techniques
  • Hydrogen - Electrochemistry - Rapid Hydrogen Analysis - Diffusion
  • Solvo-Metallurgy - Caustic Exposure - Molten Salt - Sub-molten Salt
  • Medical/Net Zero - Passivation - On-site Testing - Surface Analysis
  • Novel Techniques - Bipolar Electrochemistry - Bipolar Electrolysis - Gradient Electrochemistry

Metallurgy & Materials Engineering:

  • Metallurgy - Steels, Stainless Steels, Nickel Alloys, Alumnium Alloys 
  • Microstructure Design & Engineering
  • Thermal & Thermo-mechanical Treatments
  • Surface Finishing (Shot Peening, Blasting, Passivation etc.)

Corrosion & Materials Characterisation

  • Localised Corrosion and Environment Assisted Cracking (HE, HISC, SCC, AISCC)
  • Sensitisation, Sensitisation Testing and Intergranular Corrosion
  • Pitting & Crevice Corrosion
  • Advanced 3-D Material Characterisation Techniques
  • "In-situ" Observations - X-ray Computed Tomography - Digital Image Analysis & Correlation
  • Nuclear Waste Disposal & Containment Materials
  • Decontamination & Decommissioning Technlogy (Laser scabbling, Electrochemical, Mechanical)

Cement & Concrete

  • Microstructure Engineering of Cement and Concrete
  • Corrosion of Steel & Stainless Steel in Cementitious Environment
  • Autogenous Strain Development & Hydration (Digital Volume Correlation)
  • Laser Scabbling & Surface Treatment of Concrete

Keywords: Net Zero Engineering, Corrosion, Material Degradation & Mitigation Strategies, Electrochemistry, Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC), Hydrogen Embrittlement, Materials Performance, Surface Functionality & Optimisation, 2D/3D/4D In-situ Assessment, X-ray Computed Tomography, Contamination & Decontamination Techniques, Novel Assessment & Inspection Techniques.

Teaching

MSc Corrosion Control Engineering (CCE) - MATS66301 Principles of Corrosion (15 credits, unit coordinator, redox, electrochemistry, theory, Nernst, Butler-Volmer, Pourbaix, corrosion rate measurements and electrochemical techniques - DVM, LPR, Potentiodynamic, EIS)

MEng Materials Science & Engineering - Yr 1 (MSE) - MATS16402 Materials Shaping the World (20 credits, unit coordinator, corrosion intro, rust, batteries, environment, coatings, protection & prevention).

MSc NTEC - PHYS65160 Reactor Materials & Life-time Assessment (15 credits, unit coordinator, Reactor materials, Stainless Steels, Ni-base alloys, Corrosion Engineering, Corroion Rate & Failures, Application of Characterisation Techniques); also available in Distance Learning (DL)

Foundation Year - Group Projects: (2021/2022) Failure Analysis of a Corroded Pressure Vessel: A Case Study; (2022/23) 3D Reverse Engineering using Photogrammetry & Additive Manuacturing; (2023/24) Net Zero Engineering – Hydrogen Storage & Its Legacy; (2025/2026) TBC 

Final Year MSE Project 25/26: Evaluating the feasibility of using household wastewater for domestic hydrogen production and the design of a suitable electrolyser ("Cheap & Cheerful Hydrogen Synthesis").

MSc Projects 2025: (i) Stainless Steel - Hydrophobic Surfaces for Contamination Control, (ii)NDT for Early Detection of Corrosion & Stress Corrosion Cracking, (iii) Joining CFRP to Light Metals – Microstructure & Corrosion Behaviour, (iv) Joining CFRP to Steel – Microstructure & Corrosion Behaviour, (v) Corrosion of TIG vs TIPTIG Welded Super Duplex Stainless Steel for CCUS Application.

Activities and esteem

09.2025 - Presentations & Talks at International Conferences/Workshops:

(i) 21st/22nd August 2025 - Roger Newman Symposium - Toronto/Canada: Residual Stress Driven SCC 

(ii) EuroCorr2025 / Stavanger: (JS - Hydrogen in Energy Transistion) Novel Approaches to Assess Meso-scale Hydrogen-Material Interaction,  (WP4) Understanding oxide formation on cavitation peened Alloy 182 in hydrogenated high-temperature water, (WP5) HCl Vapour-Driven Corrosion of Type 316L Stainless Steel, (WP6) Spectral and Chemical Correlation Between Hyperspectral Imaging and Corrosion Processes for Stand-off Corrosion Monitoring, (Special Session - SS Corrosion): Investigating the Corrosion Behaviour of Laser-Induced Ablation Sites on Type 316L Stainless Steel

(iii) SteelyHydrogen2025 - Ghent/Belgium 14-16.10.25: Micro- and Meso-scale Hydrogen Concentration Analysis in Steel and Stainless Steel: New Approaches & Ideas.

(iv) Stainless Steel World 2025 - Maastricht, 18th-20th Nov. 2025: Corrosion Screening for Stainless Steel –  Application of Inspection & Corrosion Assessment Tags.

(v) Duplex Stainless Steel World 2026 - Rotterdam, May 2026 - Title: Corrosion Behaviour of GTAW-TIP TIG Welded Super Duplex Stainless Steel.

(vi) FESI (ESIA18–ISSI2026) - Glasgow 18th-20th May 2026.

(vii) 3rd International Online Conference on Corrosion and Materials Degradation (CMD 2026): 30.06.-02.07.2026 / Scientific Event Committee 

Link: https://sciforum.net/event/CMD2026?section=#welcome

Opportunities

Advertised Research Positions & PhD Projects:

I am always open to discuss ideas & opportunities for self-funded and industry-sponsored students.

Areas of expertise

  • QD Chemistry
  • Corrosion
  • Electrochemistry
  • Materials Performance
  • Degradation
  • Bipolar Elecrochemistry
  • Electrolysis
  • Hydrogen
  • Q Science (General)
  • Materials Science
  • Metallurgy
  • Microscopy
  • Cement & Concrete
  • Stainless Steel
  • Nickel Based Superalloy
  • Aluminium alloys
  • Surface engineering
  • TS Manufactures
  • Materials Engineering
  • Characterisation
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Corrosion
  • Surface engineering
  • Metallurgy

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

  • Advanced materials
  • Dalton Nuclear Institute
  • Energy

Keywords

  • Corrosion
  • Metallurgy
  • Nuclear Waste Management
  • Electrochemistry
  • Materials Performance
  • Materials Processing
  • Surface Engineering
  • Cement
  • Concrete
  • Microscopy
  • in-situ Monitoring
  • Stainless Steels
  • Nickel base Superalloys
  • Peening & Blasting Treatments
  • Hydrogen
  • Net zero

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  2. SDG 4 - Quality Education
    SDG 4 Quality Education
  3. SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
    SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
  4. SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
    SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
  5. SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  6. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

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