Dr Brant Walkley

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Senior Lecturer

School PGR Lead & UoS-Director of EPSRC CDT SATURN, School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering Deputy Head of the Engineering Graduate School (Interim), Faculty of Engineering

b.walkley@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7528

Room B56, Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Dr Brant Walkley
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Room B56
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD

Profile

I am Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, where I lead the Sustainable Materials at Sheffield(SMASH) research team.

I am Postgraduate Research Lead for the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, and Deputy Head of the Engineering Graduate School for the Faculty of Engineering. I am also the UoS-Director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training SATURN (Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear, 2024-2032), and am Editor for Materials Today Communications

My research has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Innovate UK, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd., National Nuclear Laboratory, and both UK and international industry groups.

I teach a variety of research-led core and applied chemical engineering subjects. I was awarded the ‘Outstanding PGR Supervision Award’ in each of the past three, an ‘Undergraduate Teaching Award’ in 2020, and received a ‘Letter of Commendation for Teaching Excellence’ in 2019 from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Sheffield.

Research interests

My research aims to drive new advances in the development of materials and processes for sustainable infrastructure, environmental remediation, waste management, and clean energy. This will enable industry to meet the needs of our society both sustainably and cost-effectively, improving the well-being of our society and environment.
Broadly speaking, our research group focuses on investigation of composition-structure-property relationships, reaction mechanisms and kinetics, and surface chemistry in cements, glasses, ceramics and nanomaterials using advanced spectroscopic and microstructural techniques. We also explore new approaches to study resource production and consumption, decarbonisation strategies, and cross-sector interactions affecting this.

Current projects focus on:

Development of low-CO2 cements for sustainable infrastructure
Understanding durability and degradation phenomena in low-CO2 cements
Development of materials for encapsulation/immobilisation of radioactive waste
Understanding and controlling radionuclide-cement interactions in cement matrices used for immobilisation of radioactive waste
Understanding mass transport processes in cements for applications in both construction and nuclear sectors
Development and assessment of decarbonisation strategies for construction and the built environment

Publications

Journal articles

Rihner MCS, Whittle JW, Gadelhaq MHA, Mohamad SN, Yuan R, Rothman R, Fletcher DI, Walkley B & Koh LSC (2025) Life cycle assessment in energy-intensive industries: Cement, steel, glass, plastic. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 211, 115245-115245.
Adetona AJ, Levin I, Morley N, Hussein O, Siame BI, Walkley B, Sinclair DC & Reaney IM (2024) Aqueous cold-sintering of Na0.7CoO2: A benign, facile method for the densification of Na-ion compounds. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 44(16), 116792-116792.
da Silva MRC, Andrade Neto JDS, Walkley B & Kirchheim AP (2024) Effects of kaolinite and montmorillonite calcined clays on the sulfate balance, early hydration, and artificial pore solution of limestone calcined clay cements (LC3). Materials and Structures, 57(8).
Geddes DA, Walkley B, Matsuda T & Provis JL (2024) Multi-year cementitious hydrate product formation in non-Portland high performance concretes. CEMENT, 100111-100111.
Stefanini L, Walkley B & Provis JL (2024) Basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag as an additive in sodium carbonate-activated slag cements. Materials and Structures, 57(7).
Marsh ATM, Brown AP, Freeman HM, Walkley B, Pendlowski H & Bernal SA (2024) Determining aluminium co-ordination of kaolinitic clays before and after calcination with electron energy loss spectroscopy. Applied Clay Science, 255, 107402-107402.
Simoni M, Kearney SA, Robshaw TJ, Turner J, O'Donoghue K, Geddes DA, Sharrad CA, Ogden MD & Walkley B (2024) Encapsulation of iodine-loaded adsorbents in blended Portland cement and geopolymer wasteforms. Cement and Concrete Research, 179, 107480-107480.
Santana HA, Ruviaro AS, Ribeiro DV, Cilla MS, Walkley B & M. R. Dias C (2024) Thermally-treated asbestos-cement wastes as supplementary precursor for geopolymeric binders: CO2 emission and properties. Waste Management, 182, 225-236.
Geddes DA, Walkley B, Galliard CL, Hayes M, Bernal SA & Provis JL (2024) Effect of exposure of metakaolin‐based geopolymer cements to gamma radiation. Journal of the American Ceramic Society. View this article in WRRO
Stefanini L, Ansari D, Walkley B & Provis JL (2024) Characterisation of calcined waste clays from kaolinite extraction in alkali-activated GGBFS blends. Materials Today Communications, 38, 107777-107777.
Silva MRCD, Andrade Neto JDS, Walkley B & Kirchheim AP (2024) Exploring sulfate optimization techniques in Limestone Calcined Clay Cements (LC3): limitations and insights. Cement and Concrete Research, 175, 107375-107375.
Adetona AJ, Wang G, Walkley B, Sinclair DC & Reaney IM (2023) Effect of ZrO2 stoichiometry on the structural and electrical properties of Na3Zr2−xSi2PO12-2x solid electrolyte. Journal of the European Ceramic Society.
Simoni M, Woo CL, Zhao H, Iuga D, Svora P, Hanein T, Kinoshita H & Walkley B (2023) Reaction mechanisms, kinetics, and nanostructural evolution of magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H) gels. Cement and Concrete Research, 174, 107295-107295.
Robshaw TJ, Kearney S, Turner J, Simoni M, Baidak A, Sharrad CA, Walkley B & Ogden MD (2023) Radioiodine abatement – Development of radioiodine targeting strategies in the light of zero emission. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 165, 104918-104918.
Stefanini L, Ghorbani S, De Schutter G, Matthys S, Walkley B & Provis JL (2023) Evaluation of copper slag and stainless steel slag as replacements for blast furnace slag in binary and ternary alkali-activated cements. Journal of Materials Science, 58(31), 12537-12558.
Ghorbani S, Stefanini L, Sun Y, Walkley B, Provis JL, De Schutter G & Matthys S (2023) Characterisation of alkali-activated stainless steel slag and blast-furnace slag cements. Cement and Concrete Composites, 105230-105230.
Stefanini L, Walkley B & Provis JL (2023) Investigating the retarding effect of CAC in alkali-activated cements. Frontiers in Materials, 10, 1212177.
Xue L, Zhang Z, Walkley B, Liu H, Jiang Y & Wang H (2023) Retarding effect of gypsum for hybrid alkali-activated cements (HAACs) at ambient temperature. Materials Today Communications, 35, 106182-106182.
Yorkshire AS, Stennett MC, Walkley B, Provis JL, Townsend LT, Haigh LT, Hyatt NC, Mottram LM & Corkhill CL (2023) Spectroscopic identification of Ca-bearing uranyl silicates formed in C–S–H systems. Scientific Reports, 13.
Ke X, Baki VA, Large AI, Held G, Walkley B & Li J (2022) Atomic-scale characterisation of sodium aluminosilicate hydrates (N-A-S-H) and Mg-substituted N(-M)-A-S-H using XANES. Applied Geochemistry, 105515-105515.
Robshaw TJ, Turner J, Tuck O, Pyke C, Kearney S, Simoni M, Sharrad CA, Walkley B & Ogden MD (2022) Functionality screening to help design effective materials for radioiodine abatement. Frontiers in Chemistry, 10. View this article in WRRO
Gluth GJG, Ke X, Vollpracht A, Weiler L, Bernal SA, Cyr M, Dombrowski-Daube K, Geddes DA, Grengg C, Le Galliard C , Nedeljkovic M et al (2022) Carbonation rate of alkali-activated concretes and high-volume SCM concretes: a literature data analysis by RILEM TC 281-CCC. Materials and Structures, 55(8).
Henning R, Sturm P, Geddes DA, Keßler S, Walkley B & Gluth GJG (2022) The influence of curing temperature on the strength and phase assemblage of hybrid cements based on GGBFS/FA blends. Frontiers in Materials, 9.
Derkani MH, Bartlett NJ, Koma G, Carter LA, Geddes DA, Provis JL & Walkley B (2022) Mechanisms of dispersion of metakaolin particles via adsorption of sodium naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde polymer. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 628(Part B), 745-757.
Avet F, Li X, Ben Haha M, Bernal SA, Bishnoi S, Cizer Ö, Cyr M, Dolenec S, Durdzinski P, Haufe J , Hooton D et al (2022) Report of RILEM TC 267-TRM phase 2: optimization and testing of the robustness of the R3 reactivity tests for supplementary cementitious materials. Materials and Structures, 55(3). View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, Geddes DA, Matsuda T & Provis JL (2022) Reversible Adsorption of Polycarboxylates on Silica Fume in High pH, High Ionic Strength Environments for Control of Concrete Fluidity. Langmuir, 38(5), 1662-1671.
Ren J, Zhang L, Walkley B, Black JR & San Nicolas R (2022) Degradation resistance of different cementitious materials to phosphoric acid attack at early stage. Cement and Concrete Research, 151.
Yorkshire AS, Stennett MC, Walkley B, O'Sullivan SE, Mottram LM, Bailey DJ, Provis JL, Hyatt NC & Corkhill CL (2022) Spectroscopic evaluation of UVI–cement mineral interactions: ettringite and hydrotalcite. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 29(1), 89-102.
Robshaw TJ, Turner J, Kearney S, Walkley B, Sharrad CA & Ogden MD (2021) Capture of aqueous radioiodine species by metallated adsorbents from wastestreams of the nuclear power industry : a review. SN Applied Sciences, 3(11). View this article in WRRO
Longhi MA, Rodríguez ED, Walkley B, Eckhard D, Zhang Z, Provis JL & Kirchheim AP (2021) Metakaolin-based geopolymers : efflorescence and its effect on microstructure and mechanical properties. Ceramics International.
Zhong M-X, Walkley B, Bailey DJ, Blackburn LR, Ding H, Wang S-Q, Bao W-C, Gardner LJ, Sun S-K, Stennett MC , Corkhill CL et al (2021) Synthesis of Ca1-xCexZrTi2-2xAl2xO7 zirconolite ceramics for plutonium disposition. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 556, 153198-153198.
Longhi MA, Zhang Z, Walkley B, Rodríguez ED & Kirchheim AP (2021) Strategies for control and mitigation of efflorescence in metakaolin-based geopolymers. Cement and Concrete Research, 144, 106431-106431.
Mostaed A, Walkley B, Hatnean MC, Balakrishnan G, Lees MR, Beanland R, Sinclair DC & Reaney IM (2021) Characterizing oxygen atoms in perovskite and pyrochlore oxides using ADF-STEM at a resolution of a few tens of picometers. Acta Materialia, 208. View this article in WRRO
Li L, Walkley B, Reaney IM & Sinclair DC (2021) The influence of Fe2O3 reagent grade purity on the electrical properties of ‘undoped’ LaFeO3 ceramics: a cautionary reminder. Journal of the European Ceramic Society.
Wang L, Geddes DA, Walkley B, Provis JL, Mechtcherine V & Tsang DCW (2020) The role of zinc in metakaolin-based geopolymers. Cement and Concrete Research, 136. View this article in WRRO
Yliniemi J, Walkley B, Provis JL, Kinnunen P & Illikainen M (2020) Influence of activator type on reaction kinetics, setting time, and compressive strength of alkali-activated mineral wools. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. View this article in WRRO
Vasconcelos RGW, Walkley B, Day S, Tang CC, Paraskevoulakos H, Gardner LJ & Corkhill CL (2020) 18-month hydration of a low-pH cement for geological disposal of radioactive waste: The Cebama reference cement. Applied Geochemistry. View this article in WRRO
Longhi MA, Rodríguez ED, Walkley B, Zhang Z & Kirchheim AP (2020) Metakaolin-based geopolymers: Relation between formulation, physicochemical properties and efflorescence formation. Composites Part B: Engineering, 182. View this article in WRRO
Yliniemi J, Walkley B, Provis JL, Kinnunen P & Illikainen M (2020) Nanostructural evolution of alkali-activated mineral wools. Cement and Concrete Composites, 106. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, Page SJ, Rees GJ, Provis JL & Hanna JV (2020) Nanostructure of CaO-(Na2O)-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O gels revealed by multinuclear solid-state magic angle spinning and multiple quantum magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 124(2), 1681-1694. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, Ke X, Hussein OH, Bernal SA & Provis JL (2020) Incorporation of strontium and calcium in geopolymer gels. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 382. View this article in WRRO
Longhi MA, Walkley B, Rodríguez ED, Kirchheim AP, Zhang Z & Wang H (2019) New selective dissolution process to quantify reaction extent and product stability in metakaolin-based geopolymers. Composites Part B: Engineering, 176. View this article in WRRO
Green AC, Lath D, Hudson K, Walkley B, Down JM, Owen R, Evans HR, Paton‐Hough J, Reilly GC, Lawson MA & Chantry AD (2019) TGFβ inhibition stimulates collagen maturation to enhance bone repair and fracture resistance in a murine myeloma model. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. View this article in WRRO
Hughes CE, Walkley B, Gardner LJ, Walling SA, Bernal SA, Iuga D, Provis JL & Harris KDM (2019) Exploiting in-situ solid-state NMR spectroscopy to probe the early stages of hydration of calcium aluminate cement. Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, 99(J. Magn. Reson. 57 1984), 1-6. View this article in WRRO
Prentice DP, Walkley B, Bernal SA, Bankhead M, Hayes M & Provis JL (2019) Thermodynamic modelling of BFS-PC cements under temperature conditions relevant to the geological disposal of nuclear wastes. Cement and Concrete Research, 119, 21-35. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B & Provis JL (2019) Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of cements. Materials Today Advances, 1. View this article in WRRO
Criado M, Walkley B, Ke X, Provis JL & Bernal SA (2018) Slag and Activator Chemistry Control the Reaction Kinetics of Sodium Metasilicate-Activated Slag Cements. Sustainability, 10(12). View this article in WRRO
Li X, Snellings R, Antoni M, Alderete NM, Ben Haha M, Bishnoi S, Cizer Ö, Cyr M, De Weerdt K, Dhandapani Y , Duchesne J et al (2018) Reactivity tests for supplementary cementitious materials: RILEM TC 267-TRM phase 1. Materials and Structures, 51. View this article in WRRO
Dong B, Yan J, Walkley B, Inglis KK, Blanc F, Hull S & West AR (2018) Synthesis and characterisation of the new oxyfluoride Li+ ion conductor, Li5SiO4F. Solid State Ionics, 327, 64-70. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, Kashani A, Sani M, Ngo TD & Mendis P (2018) Examination of alkali-activated material nanostructure during thermal treatment. Journal of Materials Science, 53(13), 9486-9503. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, Rees G, San Nicolas R, van Deventer J, Hanna J & Provis J (2018) New Structural Model of Hydrous Sodium Aluminosilicate Gels and the Role of Charge-Balancing Extra-Framework Al. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 122(10), 5673-5685. View this article in WRRO
Kashani A, Ngo TD, Walkley B & Mendis P (2017) Thermal performance of calcium-rich alkali-activated materials: A microstructural and mechanical study. Construction and Building Materials, 153, 225-237. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, San Nicolas R, Sani MA, Bernal SA, van Deventer JSJ & Provis JL (2017) Structural evolution of synthetic alkali-activated CaO-MgO-Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2 materials is influenced by Mg content. Cement and Concrete Research, 99, 155-171. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, San Nicolas R, Sani M-A, Gehman JD, van Deventer JSJ & Provis JL (2016) Synthesis of stoichiometrically controlled reactive aluminosilicate and calcium-aluminosilicate powders. Powder Technology, 297, 17-33. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, San Nicolas R, Sani MA, Rees GJ, Hanna JV, van Deventer JSJ & Provis JL (2016) Phase evolution of C-(N)-A-S-H/N-A-S-H gel blends investigated via alkali-activation of synthetic calcium aluminosilicate precursors. Cement and Concrete Research, 89, 120-135. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, San Nicolas R, Sani M-A, Gehman JD, van Deventer JSJ & Provis JL (2016) Phase evolution of Na2O–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O gels in synthetic aluminosilicate binders. Dalton Transactions, 45(13), 5521-5535. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, Provis JL, San Nicolas R, Sani M-A & van Deventer JSJ (2015) Stoichiometrically controlled C–(A)–S–H/N–A–S–H gel blends via alkali-activation of synthetic precursors. Advances in Applied Ceramics, 114(7), 372-377. View this article in WRRO
Bernal SA, Provis JL, Walkley B, San Nicolas R, Gehman JD, Brice DG, Kilcullen AR, Duxson P & van Deventer JSJ (2013) Gel nanostructure in alkali-activated binders based on slag and fly ash, and effects of accelerated carbonation. Cement and Concrete Research, 53, 127-144.
Marsh ATM, Brown AP, Freeman HM, Neumann A, Walkley B, Pendlowski H & Bernal SA () Mineralogical characteristics influence the structure and pozzolanic reactivity of thermally and mechano-chemically activated meta-kaolinites. Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
Tan Y, Gardner LJ, Walkley B, Hussein OH, Ding H, Sun S, Yu H & Hyatt NC () Optimization of Magnesium Potassium Phosphate Cements Using Ultrafine Fly Ash and Fly Ash. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
Kearney S, Robshaw TJ, Turner J, Sharrad CA, Walkley B & Ogden MD () Encapsulation of iodine-loaded metallated silica materials by a geopolymer matrix. MRS Advances.
Fisher AJ, Ding H, Rajbhandari P, Walkley B, Blackburn LR, Stennett MC, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC, Harrison MT & Corkhill CL () Chemical structure and dissolution behaviour of CaO and ZnO containing alkali-borosilicate glass. Materials Advances.
Luukkonen T, Yliniemi J, Walkley B, Geddes D, Griffith B, Hanna JV, Provis JL, Kinnunen P & Illikainen M () Characterization of an aged alkali-activated slag roof tile after 30 years of exposure to Northern Scandinavian weather. RSC Advances, 12(40), 25822-25832.
Manning JRH, Walkley B, Provis JL & Patwardhan SV () Mimicking Biosintering: The Identification of Highly Condensed Surfaces in Bioinspired Silica Materials. Langmuir. View this article in WRRO
Walkley B, Ke X, Hussein O & Provis JL () Thermodynamic properties of sodium aluminosilicate hydrate (N–A–S–H). Dalton Transactions.
Walkley B, Ke X, Provis JL & Bernal SA () Activator Anion Influences the Nanostructure of Alkali-Activated Slag Cements. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

Chapters

Kearney S, Yorkshire AS, Geddes DA, Hanein T, Nelson S, Provis JL & Walkley B (2022) Cement-based stabilization/solidification of radioactive waste, Low Carbon Stabilization and Solidification of Hazardous Wastes (pp. 407-431). Elsevier
Walkley B (2018) Geopolymers, Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series (pp. 406-407). Springer International Publishing
Walkley B (2018) Geopolymers, Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series (pp. 1-2). Springer International Publishing
San Nicolas RVR, Walkley B & van Deventer JSJ (2017) Fly ash-based geopolymer chemistry and behavior, Coal Combustion Products (CCP's) (pp. 185-214). Elsevier View this article in WRRO
Adams T, Amaya P, Bentz DP, Bittner JD, Bittner A, Blythe GM, Bradley LJN, Butalia T, Carriker NE, Castleman J , Csetenyi LJ et al (2017) List of contributors, Coal Combustion Products (CCP's) (pp. xi-xii). Elsevier

Conference proceedings papers

Gluth GJG, Ke X, Vollpracht A, Weiler L, Bernal SA, Cyr M, Dombrowski-Daube K, Geddes D, Grengg C, Le Galliard C , Nedeljkovic M et al (2023) Carbonation Rate of Alkali-Activated Concretes: Effects of Compositional Parameters and Carbonation Conditions (pp 1029-1037)
Gluth GJG, Ke X, Vollpracht A, Bernal SA, Cizer Ö, Cyr M, Dombrowski-Daube K, Geddes D, Grengg C, Le Galliard C , Nedeljkovic M et al (2023) RILEM TC 281-CCC Working Group 6: Carbonation of Alkali Activated Concrete—Preliminary Results of a Literature Survey and Data Analysis (pp 667-676)
Matsuda T, Mine R, Geddes DA, Walkley B & Provis JL (2022) Development of ultra-low shrinkage and high strength concrete without Portland cement with experimental study on its fabrication. fib Symposium (pp 763-772)
Matsuda T, Sakamoto R, Geddes DA, Walkley B & Provis JL (2021) An experimental study on shrinkage and mechanical properties of ultra-low shrinkage and high strength zero-cement concrete. fib Symposium, Vol. 2021-June (pp 729-738)
Matsuda T, Geddes DA, Walkley B & Provis JL (2020) Properties and micro strucure of ultralow shrinkage and high strength zero-cement-concrete. Proceedings of the fib Symposium 2020: Concrete Structures for Resilient Society (pp 76-83)
Matsuda T, Geddes DA, Walkley B & Provis JL (2020) Properties and micro strucure of ultralow shrinkage and high strength zero-cement-concrete. fib Symposium (pp 76-83)
Patwardhan S, Manning J, Jorge M, Centi A, Walkley B & Provis J (2019) Understanding interfacial interactions to unlock the potential of bioinspired nanomaterials. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 258

Preprints

Stefanini L, Walkley B & Provis JL (2024) Basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag as an additive in sodium carbonate-activated slag cements, Research Square Platform LLC.
Marsh A, Brown A, Freeman H, Walkley B, Pendlowski H & Bernal S (2024) Determining aluminium co-ordination of kaolinitic clays before and after calcination with electron energy loss spectroscopy, American Chemical Society (ACS).
Silva M, Neto JSA, Walkley B & Kirchheim AP (2024) Effects of kaolinite and montmorillonite calcined clays on the sulfate balance, early hydration, and artificial pore solution of limestone calcined clay cements (LC3), Research Square Platform LLC.
Ogden MD, Robshaw TJ, Kearney S, Turner JR, Simoni M, Baidak A, Sharrad CA & Walkley B (2022) Radioiodine Abatement – Development of Radioiodine Targeting Strategies in the Light of Zero Emission, SSRN Electronic Journal.
Mostaed A, Walkley B, Hatnean MC, Balakrishnan G, Lees MR, Beanland R, Sinclair DC & Reaney IM (2020) Characterizing oxygen atoms in perovskite and pyrochlore oxides using ADF-STEM at a resolution of a few tens of picometers, arXiv.

Research group

Postdoctoral Research Associates:

Dr Dan Geddes, UKRI Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre For Mineral-based Construction Materials (EPSRC)

PhD researchers:

Sylvia Gomes, Solidification routes for encapsulation of radioiodine (EPSRC & National Nuclear Laboratory)
Cameron Halliwell, Understanding cement- superplasticiser interactions in geopolymer encapsulants for safe disposal of radioactive waste (EPSRC & Sellafield Ltd)
William McMahon, Decarbonising Construction: Understanding the Chemistry and Engineering of Low-Carbon Alkali-Activated Cements (EPSRC Industrial & DB Group (Holdings) Ltd)
Cameron Halliwell, Understanding cement- superplasticiser interactions in geopolymer encapsulants for safe disposal of radioactive waste (EPSRC & Sellafield Ltd)
Ava Sjoberg, Understanding cement-superplasticiser interactions in blended Portland cement wasteforms (Nuclear Decommissioning Authority)
Isabelle Smith, Next-generation low-carbon cement wasteforms for safe disposal of radioactive waste (GREEN CDT (EPSRC) & Sellafield Ltd)
Madeline Rihner, Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Cement (Energy Institute & EPSRC)
Ella Cliff, Understanding reaction mechanisms, kinetics and structural evolution in low-carbon cements (EPSRC)
Charlotte Nevin, Resolving reaction mechanisms, kinetics and mass transport in radionuclide-loaded geopolymer cement wasteforms (GREEN CDT (EPSRC) & Sellafield Ltd)
Kyle O'Donoghue, Geopolymer reaction mechanisms and kinetics for immobilisation of radioactive waste (EPSRC)
Jess McWilliams, Encapsulation of contaminated oils in geopolymer cements (GREEN CDT (EPSRC))

Recruitment:

I'm always keen to support people who are passionate about the development of sustainable materials, chemical engineering, materials chemistry and science and engineering more generally. Prospective PhD/PDRA/Research Fellows are encouraged to send me an expression of interest along with their CV. There are a number of scholarship schemes through which prospective PhD researchers can apply for PhD funding, as well as schemes to support postdoctoral and research fellows, and I will gladly support talented individuals in these applications for projects which align with the broad research themes below.

Materials for sustainable infrastructure
Materials for environmental remediation
Materials for sustainable energy production and storage

Prospective PhD/PDRA/Research Fellows who have already secured funding are also very welcome to propose their own research ideas

Grants

Current grants

2023-2026: Developing technology and specifications for metakaolin-based geopolymers as robust and promising stabilisers for fuel debris removal (EPSRC)
2023-2026: UKRI Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre For Mineral-based Construction Materials (EPSRC)
2023-2026: New processing technology to convert waste products into a valuable additive for cement and concrete (Green Lithium Ltd.)
2023-2028: Centre of Expertise for Thermal and Immobilisation (Sellafield Ltd.)
2023-2027: Decarbonising Construction: Understanding the Chemistry and Engineering of Low-Carbon Alkali-Activated Cements (EPSRC Industrial CASE PhD studentship w/ DB Group (Holdings) Ltd)
2023-2027: Solidification routes for encapsulation of radioiodine (GREEN CDT EPSRC PhD studentship w/ National Nuclear Laboratory)
2022-2024: Efflorescence control of geopolymer cements (Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership w/ Tremco Construction Products Group)
2022-2026: Novel Superplasticising Additives to Enhance the Performance of Low Carbon Cements for a Net Zero Future (Energy Institute EPSRC DTP PhD studentship)
2022-2026: Understanding cement-superplasticiser interactions in geopolymer encapsulants for safe disposal of radioactive waste (EPSRC Industrial CASE PhD studentship w/ Sellafield Ltd)
2022-2026: Understanding cement-superplasticiser interactions in blended Portland cement wasteforms (Nuclear Decommissioning Authority PhD studentship)
2021-2025: Next-generation low-carbon cement wasteforms for safe disposal of radioactive waste (GREEN CDT EPSRC PhD studentship w/ Sellafield Ltd)
2021-2025: Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Cement (Energy Institute EPSRC DTP PhD studentship)
2021-2025: Understanding reaction mechanisms, kinetics and structural evolution in low-carbon cements (EPSRC DTP PhD studentship)
2021-2025: Understanding reaction mechanisms and kinetics in geopolymer wasteforms for radioactive waste disposal (GREEN CDT EPSRC PhD studentship w/ Sellafield Ltd)
2018-2023: Research into the development and chemistry of sustainable cement and concrete materials (Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co Ltd)

Past grants

2023: Joint ROK-UK Project for the non-destructive characterization of novel wasteforms targeting C-14 solidification (National Research Foundation of Korea)
2023: Alternative materials for encapsulation of nuclear waste in a net zero world (NNL Game Changers) (National Nuclear Laboratory)
2022-2023: Development of low-carbon cement utilising waste from Al dross recycling (Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership w/ Altek Europe Ltd.)
2021-2022: Enhancing analytical capabilities in soils for low-carbon technologies (White Rose Collaboration Fund w/ Civil Engineering, University of Leeds and Environment and Geography, University of York)
2020-2022: Developing additives to improve durability and engineering properties of alkali-activated materials (Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership w/ Lubrizol Ltd)
2020-2022: Iodine abatement in irradiated nuclear fuel recycling (Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy)
2020-2021: C-14 abatement in irradiated nuclear fuel recycling (Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy)

Teaching activities

I am Module Leader for GEE104/CIV11001 Thermofluids, teaching the thermodynamics component of this module.

As the UoS-Director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training SATURN (Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear, 2024-2032) I also lead the Radioactive Waste Management component of the Taught Programme for this CDT, as well as the Specialist Skills Training module at The University of Sheffield.

I supervise ~10 MEng and MSc Research Projects each year for undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules.

I have previously taught a variety of research-led core and applied chemical engineering subjects, including heat and mass transfer, solid-gas separation processes, environmental engineering, and chemical engineering design projects.

Professional activities and memberships

I am an Associate Member of IChemE

I am a Senior Member of RILEM (International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures)

A Member of RILEM Technical Committees:

267-TRM: Tests for reactivity of supplementary cementitious materials
TC UMW : Upcycling Powder Mineral “Wastes” into Cement Matrices
TC CUC: Carbon dioxide uptake by concrete during and after service life

I am a Fellow of Higher Education Academy.

I founded and Chair The University of Sheffield / NDA Group Cements Academic and Industry Forum.

I am UoS Academic Lead for Innovandi, the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) Research Network.

Professional activities and recognition

Associate Member, Institute of Chemical Engineers
Affiliate Member of RILEM (Member of Technical Committees TC-267 TRM and TC-281 CCC)
Editorial Panel Member of ICE Construction Materials
Guest Editor, Frontiers in Built Environment
Guest Editor, Sustainability
Invited Expert Panel Member of Net Zero: Decarbonising Construction, UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
Invited reviewer for more than 340 international journals
Undergraduate Teaching Award recipient, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2020
Development Opportunity Award recipient, 2018 and 2019
First Prize, 6th Early Career Presentation Contest, World Materials Research Institute Forum, 2018
Dedicated Outstanding Thesis Mentor Award recipient, 2017 and 2018
Learned Society Fund Award recipient, 2017, 2018 and 2019
Environmental Mineralogy Group Early Career Researcher Bursary recipient, 2017
The Deal Recognition Award recipient, 2017
The University of Melbourne MATS scholar, 2015
Best Tutor Award, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Melbourne, 2015
The University of Melbourne PORES scholar, 2014
Australian Ceramic Society Bursary recipient, 2014
Best Paper - First Prize, 34th Annual Cement and Concrete Science Conference, 2014
Australian Research Council Special Research Centre PFPC Travel Grant recipient, 2013 and 2014
Australian Research Council APA scholar, 2012 – 2016

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Dr Brant Walkley

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