Independent consultant · Oxfordshire

Materials research characterization support.

Investigation of materials morphology, structure, defects and impurities, root-cause of failure: polymers, alloys, powders, heterogeneous catalysts, coatings, adhesives. You can get a scientist with 20+ years of hands-on lab experience and clear written report that tells you what went wrong and what to do about it..

Discuss analysis scope See services

The first 30-minute scoping call is free and confidential.

SEM image of bare carbon foam: an open-cell network of smooth struts, 1 mm scale bar. Bare
SEM image of carbon foam struts coated with a dense, fibrous layer of carbon nanofibers. Coated with carbon nanofibers
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of carbon foam bare and coated with carbon nanofibers
  • PhDPhysical Chemistry
  • 20+ yrsindustry & research
  • Expertise in microscopic and spectroscopic analysis of solid materials: powders and thin films: metals, ceramics, polymers, powders, semiconductors, micro and nanoparticles
  • Detailed analysis of scientific manuscripts performed in a style of peer review carried out for preparation of manuscripts for publication in international journals, as well as correcting structure, content and use of words in order to enhance clarity, flow and scientific validity.

Typical questions

Clients usually call when something has gone wrong

  • “Is there oxidation, corrosion or chemical degradation?”(EDS, XPS, FTIR,XRD)
  • "What is this residue or particle?"Unknown contamination, inclusions, discolouration (EDS, WDS)
  • “Is the surface roughness within specification?"(AFM, profilometry)
  • “Are there defects, cracks, voids, delamination, pinholes?“(SEM, optical microscopy)
  • “Is the coating uniform and continuous? What is coating thickness (nm-µm range) and hardness”(XPS depth profiling, ellipsometry, cross‑section SEM, nanoindentation)
  • “Are particles agglomerated or well-dispersed? What is particle size distribution”(TEM, SEM, Dynamic light scattering)

Services

What I can do for you

Each service draws on work I have done in industry, as a job rather than as a side interest.

Coating & thin-film failure investigation

Root-cause analysis of delamination, adhesion loss and coating integrity failures.

  • Cross-hatch & abrasion
  • Contact angle
  • Film thickness
  • SEM

Contamination & materials characterisation

Identification of unknown particles, residues and compositional differences, and a plain-English account of what the results mean for your process.

  • SEM-EDS
  • FTIR
  • Raman
  • XRD
  • XPS
  • TEM
  • ICP

Thermal degradation of the material

Performance and storage-stability data for fluids, pastes, coatings and suspensions.

  • TGA
  • DSC
  • Environmental chamber

Characterization strategy design using advanced analytical techniques. Interpretation of SEM/XRD/IR data

Combination of academic and industrial experience.

Outsourced R&D support: technical reports, grant proposal support, support for SMEs.

Data interpretation, Journal figure preparation, Reviewer response support

Also available

  • Technical writing: Scientific manuscripts drafting from your existing data or reviewing your article draft; preparing literature and patent reviews.
  • Catalysis & nanomaterials consulting: heterogeneous catalysts, metal nanoparticles, carbon nanofibres, and catalyst deactivation and reactivation, based on a PhD and ten years of research in the field.

Analytical toolkit

I have run these instruments myself

I have operated these techniques myself and interpreted the results, so I can choose the right tests for your problem and skip the ones that won't help. When a project needs instrument time, I arrange it at specialist analytical facilities. You deal with one person, get one quote and receive one report.

  • SEM-EDS
  • TEM
  • XPS
  • XRD
  • FTIR
  • Raman
  • UV-Vis
  • TGA
  • DSC
  • Dynamic light scattering
  • AFM
  • Nanoindentation
  • Hardness
  • Tensile Strength
  • Optical Microscopy

How it works

From first call to final report

  1. Scoping call

    A free 30-minute call about what failed, when, and what you have already tried. I'm happy to sign an NDA first.

  2. Written quote

    A fixed scope, the techniques proposed, a timeline and a price. There are no surprise costs.

  3. Samples & analysis

    You send failed and reference samples, or I collect them. I plan and run the analysis.

  4. Report & debrief

    A written report with a summary, annotated images, the root cause and recommendations, followed by a call to go through it with you.

Confidential by default. Your samples, data and results stay confidential, and the results belong to you.

Pricing

Pricing on request, agreed before work starts

Every problem is different, so every engagement is quoted individually and in writing after a free scoping call. You'll know the full cost before any work begins.

Failure investigation

Fixed fee

per investigation

The most common engagement: a full root-cause investigation with a written report. The fee depends on the number of samples and techniques.

Consulting projects

Day rate

for longer engagements

For longer projects, on-site work, formulation support or ongoing technical help.

Short engagements

Hourly

for focused tasks

For second-opinion reviews, quick technical questions and advice calls.

Request a quote

External instrument time, if your project needs it, is itemised in the quote.

Contact

Tell me what failed

A short description is enough to start: the material, what went wrong and when you noticed it. I'll reply within one working day to arrange a free scoping call.