Matthew Blacklock

Matthew completed a MEng in Aerospace Engineering at The University of Manchester in 2006. He went on to study a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the same institution, completing in 2010. Matthew then joined the Materials Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, where he worked as part of the National Hypersonic Science Center. Matthew then took the position of Research Fellow at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

Matthew joined Northumbria University in 2017 and works as a Senior Lecturer in the department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering. He specialises in the mechanics of composite materials with an emphasis on advanced computational methods. Matthew is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has a keen interest in engineering education research with a focus on blended learning and the development of tools to aid in feedback for students.

The overarching theme of my research is the mechanics of composite materials with an emphasis on advanced computational methods. This work spans the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science disciplines. More specifically, research topics include the thermo-mechanical behaviour of ceramic matrix composites, statistical characterisation and regeneration of woven composite specimens, and the prediction of damage in textile composites.

My current research focus attempts to transfer my skills and expertise in woven textile composites to the field of additive manufacturing. 3D printed continuous fiber-reinforced composites are an emerging material that have the potential to transform the composites industry. The barrier to realising these benefits is a robust modelling approach that is both fast and accurate. The aim of my research is to develop a suite of modelling tools to enable the design of the underlying material architecture to optimise performance of structures based on operational requirements.