Dr Colin Robert

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Lecturer

First year tutor

c.robert@sheffield.ac.uk

Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Dr Colin Robert
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD

Profile: Dr. Colin Robert is actually a lecturer at the university of Sheffield. He was previously working at the University of Edinburgh as a Chancellor's Fellow and EPSRC Innovation Fellow. The common theme of all his research projects is sustainability, from renewable energy generation, to recyclability and reuse. He specialises in advanced composite manufacturing methods, such as the development of a robust tapeline for manufacturing powder epoxy based composites. He is very keen to collaborate with industry in order to hasten the implementation of novel technologies. Since 2019, he has raised £688K as PI and £187K as Co-I in 9 different projects.

Research interests

My research focusses on the overall topic of sustainable composite manufacturing. My team and I are working on new processes to manufacture tidal blades or hydrogen pressure vessels, using bespoke tools and novel technologies, but also working with sustainable polymer system to encompass recyclability and circular economy into our goals.

I also have expertise in nanocomposites for smart applications such as electrical sensors, structural health assessment or actuators, also using novel manufacturing methods.

Key research interests:

Advanced composite manufacturing
Sustainable polymer systems
Smart composites (sensors, actuators)
Hydrogen pressure vessels

Publications

Journal articles

Çelik M, Maguire JM, Hasrin H, Noble T, Robert C & Ó Brádaigh CM (2025) Impregnation behaviour during the production of powder epoxy towpregs. Composites Part B: Engineering, 292, 112065-112065.
Delbart R, Robert C, Truong Hoang TQ & Martinez-Hergueta F (2024) Development of an electro-thermo-mechanical 4D printed multi-shape smart actuator: Experiments and simulation. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 186, 108381-108381.
Delbart R, Papasavvas A, Robert C, Quynh Truong Hoang T & Martinez-Hergueta F (2023) An experimental and numerical study of the mechanical response of 3D printed PLA/CB polymers. Composite Structures, 319, 117156-117156.
Robin D, Thomas N, Laurane R, Juan Carlos FT, Colin R, Thuy Quynh TH & Francisca MH (2023) Multiscale characterisation of the electrical response of 3d printed carbon black polylactic acid. Journal of Materials Science, 58(32), 13118-13135.
(2023) Correction to: Tensile behaviour of unaged and hygrothermally aged discontinuous Bouligand structured CFRP composites. Oxford Open Materials Science, 3(1).
Çelik M, Maguire JM, Noble T, Robert C & Ó Brádaigh CM (2023) Numerical and experimental investigation of Joule heating in a carbon fibre powder epoxy towpregging line. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 164, 107285-107285.
Nwambu C, Robert C & Alam P (2023) Tensile behaviour of unaged and hygrothermally aged discontinuous Bouligand structured CFRP composites. Oxford Open Materials Science, 3(1).
Nwambu C, Robert C & Alam P (2022) Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis of unaged and hygrothermally aged discontinuous Bouligand structured CFRP composites. Functional Composites and Structures, 4(4), 045001-045001.
Çelik M, Noble T, Haseeb A, Maguire J, Robert C & Ó Brádaigh CM (2022) Contact resistance heating of unidirectional carbon fibre tows in a powder-epoxy towpregging line. Plastics, Rubber and Composites, 51(8), 383-392. View this article in WRRO
Waqas M, Robert C, Arif U, Radacsi N, Ray D & Koutsos V (2022) Improving the through‐thickness electrical conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites using interleaving conducting veils. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 139(43).
Zhang H, Zhang K, Li A, Wan L, Robert C, Ó Brádaigh CM & Yang D (2022) 3D printing of continuous carbon fibre reinforced powder-based epoxy composites. Composites Communications, 33, 101239-101239.
Zhang H, Wu J, Robert C, Ó Brádaigh CM & Yang D (2022) 3D printing and epoxy-infusion treatment of curved continuous carbon fibre reinforced dual-polymer composites. Composites Part B: Engineering, 234, 109687-109687.
Davidson JR, Quinn JA, Rothmann C, Bajpai A, Robert C, Ó Brádaigh CM & McCarthy ED (2022) Mechanical characterisation of pneumatically-spliced carbon fibre yarns as reinforcements for polymer composites. Materials & Design, 213, 110305-110305.
Chung M, Skinner WH, Robert C, Campbell CJ, Rossi RM, Koutsos V & Radacsi N (2021) Fabrication of a Wearable Flexible Sweat pH Sensor Based on SERS-Active Au/TPU Electrospun Nanofibers. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13(43), 51504-51518.
Robert C, Mamalis D, Obande W, Koutsos V, Ó Brádaigh CM & Ray D (2021) Interlayer bonding between thermoplastic composites and metals by in‐situ polymerization technique. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 138(40).
Robert C (2021) Erratum to a novel powder-epoxy towpregging line for wind and tidal turbine blades [Compos Part B 203 (2020) 108443]. Composites Part B: Engineering, 205, 108532-108532.
Robert C, Thitasiri WB, Mamalis D, Hussein ZE, Waqas M, Ray D, Radacsi N & Koutsos V (2021) Improving through‐thickness conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced polymer using carbon nanotube/polyethylenimine at the interlaminar region. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 138(5).
Robert C, Pecur T, Maguire JM, Lafferty AD, McCarthy ED & Ó Brádaigh CM (2020) A novel powder-epoxy towpregging line for wind and tidal turbine blades. Composites Part B: Engineering, 203, 108443-108443.
Brown SC, Robert C, Koutsos V & Ray D (2020) Methods of modifying through-thickness electrical conductivity of CFRP for use in structural health monitoring, and its effect on mechanical properties – A review. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 133, 105885-105885.
Keirouz A, Zakharova M, Kwon J, Robert C, Koutsos V, Callanan A, Chen X, Fortunato G & Radacsi N (2020) High-throughput production of silk fibroin-based electrospun fibers as biomaterial for skin tissue engineering applications. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 112, 110939-110939.
Murray JJ, Robert C, Gleich K, McCarthy ED & Ó Brádaigh CM (2020) Manufacturing of unidirectional stitched glass fabric reinforced polyamide 6 by thermoplastic resin transfer moulding. Materials & Design, 189, 108512-108512.
Alam P, Mamalis D, Robert C, Floreani C & Ó Brádaigh CM (2019) The fatigue of carbon fibre reinforced plastics - A review. Composites Part B: Engineering, 166, 555-579.
Alam P, Robert C & Ó Brádaigh CM (2018) Tidal turbine blade composites - A review on the effects of hygrothermal aging on the properties of CFRP. Composites Part B: Engineering, 149, 248-259.
Chung M, Radacsi N, Robert C, McCarthy ED, Callanan A, Conlisk N, Hoskins PR & Koutsos V (2018) On the optimization of low-cost FDM 3D printers for accurate replication of patient-specific abdominal aortic aneurysm geometry. 3D Printing in Medicine, 4(1).
Tung TT, Robert C, Castro M, Feller JF, Kim TY & Suh KS (2016) Enhancing the sensitivity of graphene/polyurethane nanocomposite flexible piezo-resistive pressure sensors with magnetite nano-spacers. Carbon, 108, 450-460.
Levin ZS, Robert C, Feller JF, Castro M & Grunlan JC (2013) Flexible latex—polyaniline segregated network composite coating capable of measuring large strain on epoxy. Smart Materials and Structures, 22(1), 015008-015008.
Robert C, Feller JF & Castro M (2012) Sensing Skin for Strain Monitoring Made of PC–CNT Conductive Polymer Nanocomposite Sprayed Layer by Layer. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 4(7), 3508-3516.
Roumy L, Truong-Hoang T-Q, Touchard F, Robert C & Martinez-Hergueta F () Electro-Mechanical Characterisation and Damage Monitoring by Acoustic Emission of 3D-Printed CB/PLA. Materials, 17(5), 1047-1047.
Nwambu CN, Robert C & Alam P () Viscoelastic properties of bioinspired asymmetric helicoidal CFRP composites. MRS Advances, 7(31), 805-810.
Fahrunnida , Sayekti PR, Robert C, Retnoaji B & Alam P () Morphological and Viscoelastic Properties of the Cicada Tymbal. Macromol, 2(3), 315-323.
Nwambu C, Robert C & Alam P () The Tensile Behaviour of Unaged and Hygrothermally Aged Asymmetric Helicoidally Stacked CFRP Composites. Journal of Composites Science, 6(5), 137-137.
Çelik M, Noble T, Jorge F, Jian R, Ó Brádaigh CM & Robert C () Influence of Line Processing Parameters on Properties of Carbon Fibre Epoxy Towpreg. Journal of Composites Science, 6(3), 75-75.
Noble T, Davidson JR, Floreani C, Bajpai A, Moses W, Dooher T, McIlhagger A, Archer E, Ó Brádaigh CM & Robert C () Powder Epoxy for One-Shot Cure, Out-of-Autoclave Applications: Lap Shear Strength and Z-Pinning Study. Journal of Composites Science, 5(9), 225-225.
Bajpai A, Davidson JR & Robert C () Studies on the Modification of Commercial Bisphenol-A-Based Epoxy Resin Using Different Multifunctional Epoxy Systems. Applied Mechanics, 2(2), 419-430.
Floreani C, Robert C, Alam P, Davies P & Ó Brádaigh CM () Mixed-Mode Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of Glass and Carbon Fibre Powder Epoxy Composites—For Design of Wind and Tidal Turbine Blades. Materials, 14(9), 2103-2103.
Hassan E, Zekos I, Jansson P, Pecur T, Floreani C, Robert C, Ó Brádaigh CM & Stack MM () Erosion Mapping of Through-Thickness Toughened Powder Epoxy Gradient Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Plates for Tidal Turbine Blades. Lubricants, 9(3), 22-22.
Archer C, Campbell I, Cheyne F, Meng ALJ, Senanszky C, Mamalis D, Robert C & Alam P () Correction: The Mechanical and Material Designs of Composite Ju|’hoansi Arrowheads. Journal of Composites Science, 4(4), 150-150.
Archer C, Campbell I, Cheyne F, Meng ALJ, Senanszky C, Mamalis D, Robert C & Alam P () The Mechanical and Material Designs of Composite Ju|’hoansi Arrowheads. Journal of Composites Science, 4(3), 139-139.
Sayekti PR, Fahrunnida F, Cerniauskas G, Robert C, Retnoaji B & Alam P () The Impact Behaviour of Crab Carapaces in Relation to Morphology. Materials, 13(18), 3994-3994.
Robert C, Pillin I, Castro M & Feller J-F () Multifunctional Carbon Nanotubes Enhanced Structural Composites with Improved Toughness and Damage Monitoring. Journal of Composites Science, 3(4), 109-109.

Chapters

Delbart R, Roumy L, Harcourt M, Robert C, Touchard F, Truong-Hoang TQ & Martínez-Hergueta F (2024) 4D-printed composite actuators, Additive Manufacturing of Polymer-Based Composite Materials (pp. 147-183). Elsevier
Delbart R, Roumy L, Harcourt M, Robert C, Touchard F, Truong-Hoang TQ & Martínez-Hergueta F (2024) 5 4D-printed composite actuators, Additive Manufacturing of Polymer-Based Composite Materials (pp. 147-183). Elsevier

Conference proceedings papers

Çelik M, Stehling R, Botha J, Noble T, Robert C, Brádaigh CMÓ & Fernando D (2023) Powder epoxy based composites for structural strengthening applications. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials
Quinn JA, Ward I, Robert C, Brádaigh CMÓ & McCarthy ED (2023) CRITICALITY OF DELAMINATION FLAWS IN FIBRE REINFORCED COMPOSITES. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials
Robert C, Pecur T, McCarthy ED & Brádaigh CMÓ (2019) Tidal turbine blade composites using basalt fibre reinforced powder epoxy. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials, Vol. 2019-August

Teaching activities

First year tutor
Lecturer in MAT2320, MAT61020
Course organiser of MAT3330

Professional activities and memberships: Memeber of SAMPE, IOM3