Dr Mohammed Azeem

I have dedicated my career to unravelling the intricate relationship between microstructure and properties in a wide range of materials, from metals and intermetallics to non-metals. My research focuses on addressing real-world challenges in materials processing and understanding the underlying microstructural phenomena observed in natural processes, such as magmas.

My academic journey began at the Regional Engineering College, Surathkal (now the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka), where I earned my bachelor's degree in materials science. I continued my studies at the Indian Institute of Science, obtaining a master's degree in materials. In 2006, I joined Tata Motors, applying my knowledge to practical industrial applications. Driven by my scientific curiosity on understanding, I pursued a PhD in materials science at Imperial College London in 2007. During my PhD I worked on high temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs) using in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction.

Following my PhD, I worked at FEI Electron Optics (now Thermo Fisher Scientific), where I contributed to the development of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for life science applications. I then joined the University of Manchester in 2013, followed by University College London in 2018. In late 2018, I took on the role of Director of the Engineering program at the Dalian-Leicester Institute, leading the flying-faculty programme.

Currently I am working on various projects on metals, intermetallics and non-metals, with a prime objective of correlating their properties to the microstructures at multiple scales.

Please note that these are only select publication, for the entire list please refer to my Google Scholar profile.

1. F. Hanan, S.N. Sarmin, A.S. Ismail, M. Jawaid, H. Fouad, M.A. Azeem, Thermal and viscoelastic properties of a bilayer woven kenaf fabric/oil palm EFB mat epoxy hybrid composites, Cellulose, (2024), 1-10 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-024-06239-3)
2. K. Zhang, T. Wigger, R. Pineda, S.A. Hunt, B. Thomas, T. Kwok, D. Dye, G. Plata, J. Lozares, I. Hurtado, S. Michalik, M. Preuss, P.D. Lee,
   M.A. Azeem, Unravelling dynamic recrystallisaJon in a microalloyed steel during rapid high temperature deformation using synchrotron X-rays, Acta Materialia, 221 (2024), 120265 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-023-04197-7)
3. N. Debabeche, O. Kribaa, H. Boussehel, B. Guerira, M. Jawaid, H. Fouad, M.A. Azeem, Effect of fiber surface treatment on the mechanical, morphological, and dynamic mechanical properties of palm petiole fiber/LLDPE composites, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, (2023), 1-14 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-023-04197-7)
4. K. Senthilkumar, M. Chandrasekar, O. Y. Alothman, H. Fouad, M. Jawaid, M.A. Azeem, Flexural, impact and dynamic mechanical analysis of hybrid composites: Olive tree leaves powder/pineapple leaf fibre/epoxy matrix, Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 21 (2022),
   4241-4252 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2022.11.036)
5. T. Wigger, T. Andriollo, C Xu, S. J. Clark, Z. Gong, R. C. Atwood, J. H. Hattel, N. S. Tiedje, P.D. Lee M.A. Azeem, In situ synchrotron investigation of degenerate graphite nodule evolution in ductile cast iron, Acta Materialia, 221 (2021), 117367 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2021.117367)
6. C. Xu, T. Wigger, M.A. Azeem, T. Andriollo, S. Fæster, S. Clark, Z. Gong, R.C. Atwood, J.C. Grivel, J.H. Hattel, P.D. Lee and N.S. Tiedje, Unraveling compacted graphite evolution during solidification of cast iron using in-situ synchrotron X-ray tomography, Carbon, 184 (2021), 799-810 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2021.08.069)
7. M. Rowson, C.J. Bennett, M.A. Azeem, O. Magdysyuk, J. Rouse, R. Lye, J. Davies, S. Bray and P.D. Lee, Observation of microstructure evolution during inertia friction welding using in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Journal of Synchrotron Radiation 28 (2021), 790-803 (https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600577521)
8. M.R. Chandler, A.-L. Fauchille, H. Kyeom Kim, L. Ma, J. Mecklenburgh, R. Rizzo, M. Mostafavi, S. Marussi, R. Atwood, S. May, M.A Azeem, E. Rutter, K. Taylor, P.D. Lee, Correlative optical and X-ray imaging of strain evolution during double-torsion fracture toughness measurements in shale, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 123 (12) (2018) 10,517-10,533 (https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JB016568)
9. M.A. Azeem, M.K. Bjerre, R.C. Atwood, N. Tiedje, P.D. Lee, Synchrotron quantification of
   graphite nodule evolution during the solidification of cast iron, Acta Materialia, 155 (2018), 393–401 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2018.06.007)
10. M.K. Bjerre, M.A. Azeem, N.S. Tiedje, J. Thorborg, P.D. Lee and J.H. Hattel, A graphite nodule growth model validated by in situ synchrotron x-ray tomography, Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering 26 (8) (2018), 085012 (https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-
    651X/aae9ce)
11. M.A. Azeem, P.D. Lee, A.B. Phillion, S. Karagadde, P. Rockett, R.C. Atwood, L. Courtois, K.M. Rahman and D. Dye, Revealing dendritic pattern formation in Ni, Fe and Co alloys using synchrotron tomography, Acta Materialia, 128 (2017) pp. 241–248 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2017.02.022)
12. M.A. Azeem, N.G. Jones, S.L. Raghunathan, V.A. Vorontsov and D. Dye, Functional stability of a ferromagnetic polycrystalline Ni 2 MnGa high temperature shape memory alloy, Scripta Materialia, 130 (2017) pp. 274–277 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2016.12.012)
13. B.L. Ennis, E. Jimenez-Melero, E.H. Atzema, M. Krugla, M.A. Azeem, D. Rowley, D. Daisen-berger, D.N. Hanlon and P.D. Lee, Metastable austenite driven work-hardening behaviour in a TRIP-assisted dual phase steel, International Journal of Plasticity 88 (2017) pp. 126–139 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijplas.2016.10.005)
14. T.P. Chapman, K.M. Kareh, M. Knop, T. Connolley, P.D. Lee, M.A. Azeem, D. Rugg, T.C. Lindley and D. Dye, Characterisation of short fatigue cracks in titanium alloy IMI 834 using X-ray microtomography, Acta Materialia, 99 (2015) 49–62 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2015.07.069)
15. M.A. Azeem and D. Dye, Lattice instability during the martensitic transformation in the high temperature shape memory alloy Zr (Cu 0.5 Co 0.25 Ni 0.25), Journal of Alloys and Compounds 618 (2015) 469–474 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2014.08.141)
16. S. Karagadde, P.D. Lee, B. Cai, J.L. Fife, M.A. Azeem, K.M. Kareh, C. Puncreobutr, D. Tsivoulas, T. Connolley and R.C. Atwood, Transgranular liquation cracking of grains in the semi-solid state Nature communications 6 (2014) 8300–8300 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9300)
17. M.A. Azeem and D. Dye, In situ evaluation of the transformation behaviour of NiTi-based high temperature shape memory alloys, Intermetallics 46 (2014) 222–230 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intermet.2013.11.009)
18. V.V. Shastry, V.D. Divya, M.A. Azeem, A. Paul, D. Dye and U. Ramamurty, Combining indentation and diffusion couple techniques for combinatorial discovery of high temperature shape memory alloys, Acta materialia 61 (15) (2013) 5735–5742 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2013.06.017)
19. S. Gollapudi, M.A. Azeem, A. Tewari and U. Ramamurty, Orientation dependence of the indentation impression morphology in a Mg alloy, Scripta Materialia 64 (2) 2011 189–192 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2010.09.041)
20. M.A. Azeem, A. Tewari, S. Mishra, S. Gollapudi and U Ramamurty, Development of novel grain morphology during hot extrusion of magnesium AZ21 alloy, Acta Materialia 58 (5) (2010) 1495–1502 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2009.10.056)
    
    
    

PhD students

Aakifa Farookh: Aaakifa is working on undestanding hot cracking and cracking of large FCC grains during deformaiton in semi-solid regime. The motivation for Aakifa's work is derived from brittle-like cracking (Liquation Cracking) that was observed in large AlCu crystals at very low loads during indentation in semi-solid regime. Understanding the mechanisms of crackign in these regimes is pivotal for understanding refinement of microstrcture and cracking of large dendritic grains during thermo-mechanical processing at very high temperatures. As part of her PhD project, Aakifa has designed a high temperature mechanical deformaiton systems and she uses following advanced characterization techniques for her project; X-ray Computed Tomography at national and international synchrotron facilites, Diffraction Contrast Tomography (DCT), Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). 

Mei Ding: Cast irons are unique materials that have the ability to dampen large loads. They are used in cyclic loading environments, such as the hubs of wind turbines and in high temperature regions of large diesel engines such as those used in maritime applications. The distribuition of graphite patterns and their morphology is key to damping capacity and fatigue life of cast iron. Mei is using high energy X-ray synchrotron sources to capture the formation, evolution and interaction of graphite nodules in cast iron alloys. Interaction of nodules and their co-growth with Fe dendrites is also coptured and is being quantified. The rich data on nucleation, buoyancy, growth and interactions of graphite patterns will provide a representative quantitative data which can be incorporated into solidificaiton models for large casting, which can sometimes weigh as much as 300 tonnes!! 

Currently, I teach following modules

EG2121 - Materials Processing

EG3422 - Aerospace Materials and Structures

Advanced Characterization techniques

In the past I have delivered following modules

EG1101 - Mechanical Engineering

PhD, Imperial College London

MSc, Indian Institute of Science

BEng, Karnataka Regional Engineering College (currently, National Institute of Technology, Karnataka), India