Aug 4, 2020   SOURCE: BusinessWire

University of Nottingham Ningbo China Scholar Dedicated to Developing Sustainable Materials

Xiaosu Yi, a Li Dak Sum Chair Professor in Advanced Materials and Composites at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), has gained - along with his research team - various achievements in developing sustainable materials, multifunctional composites and advanced aeronautical composite technology.

Last year, a joint China-Europe project “ECO-COMPASS” was completed. The project aimed to evaluate the potential applications of ecologically improved composite materials in the aeronautics sector through international collaboration. Among the 19 participating organisations, Xiaosu is the Chinese coordinator.

Xiaosu and partners adopted ramie, a specialty plant resource in China, and successfully developed a ramie fabric-reinforced composite, which was proven to have excellent mechanical properties. "Its application may accelerate the upgrading of the flax industry, and contribute to global technology development," he said. “Our research and technology should have international competitiveness.”

In 2017, UNNC established a joint lab in sustainable composite materials - the ACC-Tech, with the joining of Xiaosu. Now in the lab, there is a rowing boat co-developed by the team and a rowing boat manufacturer in Hangzhou. It is made of bio-sourced green resin composite materials instead of resin materials derived from fossil resources but with equivalent performance.

"Although it is not yet commercialised, green material is an inevitable trend," says Xiaosu. He believes that the laboratory should play a leading role in technology advancement and provide society with more innovative products.

Deeply influenced by Xiaosu, Dongyuan Hu, one of Xiaosu’s doctoral students said that he wants to enter the industry after graduation. “Professor Yi is very approachable and inspiring. He has always told us not just to research for the sake of it, but to research for application," said Dongyuan.

“For our research, I see a bright future, where light-weight, low-noise, cost- and energy-effective cars are constructed with green structural composite materials,” said Xiaosu. "I look forward to more young people who are interested to join and contribute more innovative ideas. I will share my experience with them as much as I can."