About
Mark Swayne
Postgraduate Researcher
Mark Swayne is a PhD researcher in I-Form and is based in DCU working in the area of material process development. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from University College Cork. He is currently a first year Advanced Metallic Systems Centre for Doctorial Training (AMSCDT) student working under Prof. Dermot Brabazon. His main research focus is in the area of laser surface modification of stainless steel and titanium electrodes.
Research Interests (Lay Summary)
Mark started his PhD with I-Form in 2020 and is investigating the area of laser surface modification for the improvement of antifouling and corrosion properties of stainless steel and titanium electrodes. Researching the impact that different manufacturing process parameters such as laser power and scan speed have on the end product will be crucial for the optimization of the corrosion and antifouling properties.
The area of laser surface modification of processing vessels has seen a huge rise in popularity in food, medical and pharmaceutical industries, particularly in the area of self-cleaning surfaces.
Technical Summary
The aim Mark’s work is to gain an understanding into how different laser processing parameters influence the antifouling and corrosion properties of stainless steel and titanium electrodes. The antifouling properties will be improved by the formation of a surface texture which will reduced the surface tension and wettability of the electrode. The corrosion properties can be altered by the modification of the surface layers.
Design of experiment (DOE) and other statistical analysis will be performed on the laser modified surface to identify the optimum processing parameter to minimize corrosion and antifouling on the surface of the electrodes.