Phil Prangnell joined the Manchester Materials Science Centre after completing his PhD in Metal Matrix Composites at Cambridge University. His research activities are focused on studying advanced thermomechanical processing and joining techniques for light alloys (mainly aluminium and titanium). In particular, he is interested in understanding and modelling interactions between phase transformations, deformation microstructures, and industrial processes. He has worked extensively with the aerospace industry on developing advanced manufacturing techniques for aerospace alloys. In recent years his welding research had focused on joining dissimilar metals and friction welding, as well as variations on the friction stir welding process (e.g. stationary shoulder FSW etc.). He is also actively engaged in understanding relationships between microstructure and properties in additive manufacturing. He has worked on other areas of aerospace manufacture such as creep-age forming, and has a long standing interest in ultra-high strain deformation. He was recently awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair, in partnership with Airbus, and is actively engaged in developing the Manchester-Airbus collaboration in metallurgical excellence.

He is a director of LightForm, a Manchester programme grant aiming to embed intelligent metallurgical engineering in forming wrought semi-finished products and has a strong interest in post graduate training, being as Co-director of the EPSRC Centre of Doctoral Training in Advanced Metallic Systems with Sheffield University, for the last ten years.

• Engineering and Process Metallurgy

Prof Prangnell’s research is focused on developing a fundamental understanding of how light alloys interact with advanced processing technologies and involves the control and prediction of microstructures during thermomechanical processing, forming, additive manufacture and joining. He has worked extensively with the aerospace industry on developing welding techniques for aerospace alloys. In recent years his welding research had focused on joining dissimilar metals and friction welding, as well as variations on the friction stir welding process (e.g. FSSW, static shoulder FSW, USW etc.). He is also actively engaged in understanding relationships between microstructure and properties in additive manufacturing. He has worked on other areas of aerospace manufacture, such as creep-age forming, and has a long standing interest in ultra-high strain deformation.

Main research areas currently include; 

i) Optimising advanced welding processes for joining light alloys in multi-material structures - focusing on friction joining techniques, joining dissimilar materials (e.g. steel to aluminium) and metals to composites. 

ii) Microstructure control during thermomechanical processing and forming of aerospace and automotive alloys

iii) Microstructure property relationships in additive manufacture with metals