Dr Vinothini Venkatachalam PhD, AFHEA, MIMMM

School of Metallurgy and Materials
Research Fellow of Ceramic science and Engineering

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0) 791 823 2397
Email
v.venkatachalam@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@vinu_2022
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Address
School of Metallurgy and Materials
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Vinothini is a Senior research Fellow in the School of Metallurgy & Materials at the University of Birmingham, UK, looking at the development of ultra-high-temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs) using radio frequency-enhanced chemical vapour infiltration for aerospace applications.

She is an Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy, U.K. She is a member of the European Ceramic Society, the American Ceramic Society, and a professional member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3). She has published and presented several research papers as well as contributed to review many research papers.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Materials, Loughborough university, 2011
  • M.S by research in Metallurgy and Materials, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), 2005
  • B.Tech in Ceramic Technology, Anna university, 2002
  • Associate fellow of Higher Education (AFHEA),
  • Professional member of the institute of metals, minerals, and materials (iom3) (MIMMM),
  • Member of American ceramic society (Acers)
  • Member of European ceramic society (ECers),
  • STEM Ambassador
  • Discover Materials Ambassador (DMA)

Biography

Vinu worked as a Scientist at the National Aerospace Laboratory, India, on ternary carbides and joining of advanced materials for aerospace applications prior to obtaining her PhD from the Department of Materials at Loughborough University. Then she moved to industrial R&D, working at Syfer Technology on developing a new range of capacitor devices, which received an outstanding innovative product of the year at the 10th Elektra European Electronics Industry Awards, 2012. She resumed her academic research, as a Research Fellow, at the Technical University of Denmark, working on high-temperature corrosion & protective coatings in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) / electrolyser cells (SOEC) conditions. Vinu has a wide international experience of ceramic processing, from powders to the product, in academia and industry.

Teaching

Vinu delivers a limited number of lectures within the curriculum of the postgraduate module titled "Materials for Challenging Environments." She also supervises on the numerous Final year undergraduate & post graduate projects.

Postgraduate supervision

Vinu is supervising a PhD project on evaluating the fibre architecture & matrix composition on the performance of ceramic matrix composites for ultra-high temperature applications.

Research

Ceramics & Ceramic Matrix composites (CMCs) processing and Characterization

  • Microwave / Radiofrequency assisted chemical vapour infiltration (MW-CVI/ RF-CVI)
  • Ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs)
  • Sustainable processing
  • Ceramic protection coatings
  • High temperature oxidation
  • SOFC/ SOEC
  • Nano materials synthesis, Microwave processing
  • Ternary carbides, Joining of dissimilar materials.

Publications

Highlight publications

Venkatachalam, V, Blem, S, Gülhan, A & Binner, J 2022, 'Thermal Qualification of the UHTCMCs Produced Using RF-CVI Technique with VMK Facility at DLR', Journal of Composites Science, vol. 6, no. 1, 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs6010024

Baker, B, Venkatachalam, V, Zoli, L, Vinci, A, Failla, S, Sciti, D & Binner, J 2021, 'Ablation behaviour of carbon fibre ultra-high temperature composites at oblique angles of attack', Materials and Design, vol. 212, 110199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2021.110199

Binner, J, Porter, M, Baker, B, Zou, J, Venkatachalam, V, Rubio Diaz, V, D'Angio', A, Ramanujam, P, Zhang, T & Tammana, SRCM 2019, 'Selection, processing, properties and applications of ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites, UHTCMCs – a review', International Materials Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1080/09506608.2019.1652006

Venkatachalam, V, Vaidhyanathan, B & Binner, J 2020, 'Synthesis of nanocrystalline barium titanate: Effect of microwave power on phase evolution', Journal of the European Ceramic Society, vol. 40, no. 12, pp. 3974-3983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2020.04.043

Murthy, TSRC, Reeman, L, Zou, J, Venkatachalam, V, Baker, B, Wang, M & Binner, J 2020, 'Role of rare earth oxide particles on the oxidation behaviour of silicon carbide coated 2.5D carbon fibre preforms', Open Ceramics, vol. 2, 100018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceram.2020.100018

Recent publications

Article

Venkatachalam, V, Esser, B & Binner, J 2024, 'Processing and performance of ultra high temperature ceramic matrix composite (UHTCMCs) using radio frequency assisted chemical vapour infiltration (RF-CVI)', Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol. 185, 108358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2024.108358

Murthy, TSRC, Zou, J, Venkatachalam, V, Biroju, RK, Theis, W & Binner, J 2024, 'Radio frequency-assisted zirconium carbide matrix deposition for continuous fiber-reinforced ultra high temperature ceramic matrix composites', Journal of the American Ceramic Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.20010

Galizia, P, Sciti, D, Binner, J, Venkatachalam, V, Lagos, MA, Servadei, F, Vinci, A, Zoli, L & Reimer, T 2023, 'Elevated temperature tensile and bending strength of ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites obtained by different processes', Journal of the European Ceramic Society, vol. 43, no. 11, pp. 4588-4601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2023.03.055

Tammana, SRCM, Venkatachalam, V, Zou, J, Porter, M & Binner, J 2023, 'Oxidation studies of SiC-coated 2.5D carbon fibre preforms', Open Ceramics, vol. 15, 100385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceram.2023.100385

Tammana, SRCM, Duan, M, Zou, J, Wade, J, Venkatachalam, V, Baker, B, Nayebossadri, S & Binner, J 2022, 'Ablation behaviour of Cf–ZrC-SiC with and without rare earth metal oxide dopants', Open Ceramics, vol. 10, 100270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceram.2022.100270

Galizia, P, Vinci, A, Zoli, L, Monteverde, F, Binner, J, Venkatachalam, V, Lagos, MA, Reimer, T, Jain, N & Sciti, D 2021, 'Retained strength of UHTCMCs after oxidation at 2278 K', Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol. 149, 106523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2021.106523

Venkatachalam, V 2019, 'Comparison of MnCo2O4 coated Crofer 22 H, 441, 430 as interconnects for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell stacks', Journal of Alloys and Compounds. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2019.153229

Silvestroni, L, Melandri, C, Venkatachalam, V, Binner, J & Sciti, D 2019, 'Merging toughness and oxidation resistance in a light ZrB2 composite', Materials and Design, vol. 183, 108078, pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2019.108078

Venkatachalam, V 2017, 'Effect of coating density on oxidation resistance and Cr vaporization from solid oxide fuel cell interconnects', Journal of Power Sources. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.04.023

Vinothini, V, Vaidhyanathan, B & Binner, J 2011, 'Microwave assisted synthesis of barium zirconium titanate nanopowders', Journal of Materials Science, vol. 46, pp. 2155–2161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-010-5052-9

Abstract

Venkatachalam, V 2011, 'Microwave Processing of Nanostructured Multilayered Ceramic Capacitors: • B.Vaidhyanathan, K.Annapoorani, V.Venkatachalam and J.Binner'.

Venkatachalam, V 2010, 'Fabrication of Nano-structured Ceramic Components for Engineering Applications: • B.Vaidhyanathan, J.Binner, K.Annapoorani, A.Paul and V.Venkatachalam'.

Conference contribution

Venkatachalam, V 2014, INFLUENCE OF MN-CO SPINEL COATING ON OXIDATION BEHAVIOUR OF FERRITIC SS ALLOYS FOR SOFC INTERCONNECTAPPLICATIONS. in materials science and technology.

Venkatachalam, V 2014, OPTIMIZATION OF FERRITIC STEEL POROUS SUPPORTS FORPROTONIC FUEL CELLS WORKING AT 600°C. in materials science and technology.

Other contribution

Venkatachalam, V 2011, A new means of controlling phase evolution during nano electroceramic synthesis..

View all publications in research portal