Professor Philip Withers

Phil's main interests lie in the application of advanced techniques to assess the structural integrity of engineering materials and components. This requires information about the residual stresses, as well as the effect of the externally applied stresses experienced in service. To this end he has built instruments for residual stress measurement at central neutron and synchrotron facilities, and founded a Unit for Stress and Damage Characterisation. Recently this has been complemented by the non-destructive imaging of structural evolution in 3D by X-ray computer micro-tomography. Together the Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility at Manchester, the Diamond Light Source-Manchester beamline (I12I) (completion early 2012) and beamlines at the ESRF provide an extensive suite of imaging instruments covering a wide range of length and timescales.

• Structural Evolution using the Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility
• Research Complex at Harwell for Energy and Biomaterials Imaging
• Manchester-Diamond Light source Beamline project
• Nanotomography
• Metal matrix composites (Ti-SiC fibre and Al particulate)
• Laser peening and other life extending surface treatment technologies
• Crack tip field displacement mapping and crack tip residual stress interactions
• Weld residual stresses, their modelling and mitigation
• New residual stress measurement technologies
• Stress related transformations including ferro electric and shape memory transitions

• Withers PJ, Bhadeshia HKDH. Overview - Residual stress part 1 and 2 - Measurement techniques Source: MATERIALS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 17, 355-365, 2001.
• Peel M, Steuwer A, Preuss M, et al. Microstructure, mechanical properties and residual stresses as a function of welding speed in aluminium AA5083 friction stir welds Source: ACTA MATERIALIA 51,: 4791-4801 2003
• Oliver EC, Daymond MR, Withers PJ, Interphase and intergranular stress generation in carbon steels, Source: ACTA MATERIALIA 52 1937-1951 ,2004
• Steuwer A, Santisteban JR, Turski M, et al., High-resolution strain mapping in bulk samples using full-profile analysis of energy-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction data, Source: JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, 37, 883-889, 2004
• Withers PJ, Residual stress and its role in failure, REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS , 70: 2211-2264 2007,
• Marrow TJ, Buffiere JY, Withers PJ, et al. High resolution X-ray tomography of short fatigue crack nucleation in austempered ductile cast iron, Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FATIGUE 26: 717-725, 2004
• Threadgill PL, Leonard AJ, Shercliff HR, et al., Friction stir welding of aluminium alloys, Source: INTERNATIONAL MATERIALS REVIEWS 54, 49-93, 2009
• Turski M, Bouchard PJ, Steuwer A, et al , Residual stress driven creep cracking in AISI Type 316 stainless steel, ACTA MATERIALIA, 56 , 3598-3612, 2008
• Hashimoto T, Zhou X, Luo C, et al.Nanotomography for understanding materials degradation, Source: SCRIPTA MATERIALIA 63, 835-838 , 2010
• Hung YC, Bennett JA, Garcia-Pastor FA, et al. Fatigue crack growth and load redistribution in Ti/SiC composites observed in situ, ACTA MATERIALIA 57 , 590-599 , 2009
• Shirzadi AA, Bhadeshia HKDH, Karlsson L, et al, Stainless steel weld metal designed to mitigate residual stresses, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF WELDING AND JOINING 14 , 559-565, 2009

http://www.mxif.manchester.ac.uk/