Rate My Professor Yanwen Liu

Yanwen Liu serves as a DSTL Research Fellow in the School of Engineering at the University of Manchester. He earned a degree in petrochemical engineering before pursuing a PhD in Corrosion and Protection at the same university from 1996 to 2001, where his dissertation investigated mechanisms to slow the corrosion of aerospace aluminium alloys through the functional roles of pigments in protective coatings. Following his doctorate, Liu gained industry experience developing lubricants and corrosion-inhibiting oils. Since 2012, he has collaborated on projects sponsored by AkzoNobel, exploring alternatives to toxic chromate-based paints for architecture and aviation applications. His current role focuses on applying advanced analytical microscopy and spectroscopy to elucidate physical and chemical degradation processes in metals and coatings, including X-ray tomography for analyzing degradation and leaching pathways.

Liu's research centers on corrosion protection of metal substrates via coatings and inhibitors, aiming to understand coating failure mechanisms and extend their service life for sustainable applications. He contributes to the Sustainable Coatings by Rational Design (SusCoRD) project, partnering with industry to optimize formulations using nanoscale property analysis, computer simulations, and accelerated laboratory tests that replicate decades of environmental exposure. His methodologies include high-resolution analytical electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and rational design approaches to predict ingredient interactions. Liu has authored or co-authored 39 research outputs, including recent works such as 'High resolution analytical microscopy of damage progression within a polyester powder coating after cyclic corrosion testing' (2025, Progress in Organic Coatings), 'Oxidation behavior and subsequent mechanical properties of SiC/BN/SiBCN composite after exposure to steam at high temperature' (2025, Corrosion Science), 'The persistence of interphase regions in epoxy-amine coatings' (2025, Progress in Organic Coatings), 'Multi-Analytical Study of Damage to Marine Ballast Tank Coatings After Cyclic Corrosion Testing' (2024, Corrosion and Materials Degradation), and 'Probing the Nanostructure and Reactivity of Epoxy-Amine Interphases' (2024, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces). Earlier contributions include studies on organic coatings pigmented with strontium aluminium polyphosphate for zinc alloy protection. With over 2,400 citations on Google Scholar, Liu's scholarship significantly influences materials science and corrosion engineering, advancing eco-friendly solutions for aerospace, marine, and architectural sectors.