Tim Johnson

Technical Director, Tetronics Ltd
PhD Metallurgy and Materials (1990), BSc(Hons) Metallurgy and Materials (1987)

From 1990 to 1998 I was a Research Fellow at the IRC in Materials at Birmingham University on various subjects related to the melting of titanium and other aerospace alloys. The last six years were spent working on the Plasma Melting Unit, some of these as Theme Coordinator, and whilst there I came into contact with Tetronics Ltd, the UK’s only developer and supplier of plasma melting technology and a global leader in its field. In 1998 I went to work for Tetronics as a Process Engineer, working on the development and supply of plasma technology to the metals, materials and environmental industries across the World. In January 2008 I was appointed to the post of Technical Director and from the beginning of 2009 I have had a position on the Board of Directors of Tetronics.

What is the best thing about what you are doing now?
The opportunity to work with a close-knit group of intelligent, well-motivated people from a wide variety of disciplines, on a technology that has commercial applications across a range of industries, from metals to waste management.

What was the best thing about your time as a PhD student here?
In combination with the time as a Research Fellow, the fact that it taught me how to read, to understand, to think and above all other things, to write to a high standard – a skill in very short supply today but needed more than ever in industry in the Information Age.

In what way did living and studying in Birmingham live up to your expectations?
The studying, working and research facilities were excellent, with great links to outside industry. The leisure facilities at the University and in Birmingham generally were also very good.