Dr Mehdi Taherishargh
Adjunct Lecturer
School of Engineering
Career Summary
Biography
I started my research work during my M.Sc. studies in Materials Engineering in Department of Materials Engineering, Tehran Poly-technique, Iran (2007-2010). I was one of the pioneers in developing and modification of Friction Stir Processing technique in order to improve the microstructural and mechanical properties of light metals. I found myself very interested in experimental works including process development, manufacturing, and mechanical and microstructural characterisation of the materials. After finishing my M.Sc. program, I started my industrial career in Pishgam Sanat Abzar Co. that provided pipeline services. I cherished the challenges every operation brought to me and soon promoted to Technical Manager. However, as time elapsed, I found that I have to fulfil my potentials to the maximum. PhD studies was the only choice that could satisfy my passion towards the research works and give me the challenges I was craving for.
I started my PhD research in November 2012 in Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Newcastle, Australia. Since then, I have been working on developing, manufacturing, and characterization of porous metals. I introduced innovative Perlite-Metal Syntactic Foam (P-MSF), which offers exceptional structural and mechanical properties. The P-MSF has been by far the lightest and one of the most versatile materials among its kind. Compared with typical metallic syntactic foams, P-MSF offers lower cost, lower density, and easier manufacturing techniques. This attracted a great deal of attention in scientific society. I finished my PhD in May 2016 with outstanding achievements.
Thanks to appealing properties of the P-MSF and its great energy absorbing performance, I could attract industrial funding to upscale the material. Transurban group provided an innovation grant to develop a high performance roadside impact attenuator. This brought me to my Post-Doctoral research career in June 2016. The aim of the project was to improve the energy absorbing of existing crash attenuators by replacing typical energy absorbing modules with high performance P-MSF modules. I successfully designed the P-MSF moduels, developed a process for large scale manufacturing of P-MSF modules, and manufactured the prototype. Furthermore, I developed a drop test rig to test the material. One of the largest drop tests of its kind in Australia was successfully performed on P-MSF energy absorber module in June 2017. The promising results showed that the P-MSF could effectively be used in improving the energy absorbing performance and safety level of crash cushions.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Newcastle
- Certificate of Materials Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology - Iran
- Master of Science (Materials Engineering), Amirkabir University of Technology - Iran
Keywords
- Friction Stir Welding and Processing
- Light Weight Metals
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Characterization
- Metallic Foams
- Microstructural Characterization
Languages
- Persian (excluding Dari) (Mother)
- English (Fluent)
Professional Experience
Professional appointment
Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
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20/5/2016 - | Post-Doctoral Research Associate | Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment - The University of Newcastle (Australia) Mechanical Engineering Australia |
1/8/2009 - 1/11/2012 |
Technical Manager Pishgam Sanat Abzar is delivering pipeline services. The services include but not limited to Hot Tapping and Line Stopping, manufacturing and maintenance of pipelines, and manufacturing of the machineries. As the Technical Manager, I:
My contract terminated when I moved to Australia to continue my education in PhD level. |
Pishgam Sanat Abzar Co. Iran, Islamic Republic of |
Awards
Distinction
Year | Award |
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2007 |
Exceptional Talented BSc Student Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Poly-Technique) |
Prize
Year | Award |
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2014 |
First Prize (Winner) of Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment - The University of Newcastle (Australia) |
Research Award
Year | Award |
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2017 |
Higher Degree By Research Excellence Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment - The University of Newcastle (Australia) |
Teaching
Code | Course | Role | Duration |
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123 |
Principals of Materials Science, Welding Design, Foundry Department of Materials Engineering, Buinzahra Azad University |
Lecturer | 1/9/2011 - 1/6/2012 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (20 outputs)
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2023 |
Le Nué C, Corujeira Gallo S, Vahid A, Wang J, Taherishargh M, Attar H, et al., 'Destabilization Treatment and Its Influence on Microstructure and Matrix Hardness of High-Cr Cast Iron', Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, 54 4952-4965 (2023) [C1] High-chromium cast irons are an essential class of wear-resistant materials commonly used for wear-resistant applications in the mining and steel industries. There is ongoing deba... [more] High-chromium cast irons are an essential class of wear-resistant materials commonly used for wear-resistant applications in the mining and steel industries. There is ongoing debate on the secondary carbide types and their formation sequences during heat treatment. This work examines the microstructural evolution during destabilization treatment of a hypoeutectic high-chromium cast iron containing 2.2 wt pct C and 16.5 wt pct Cr. Starting from an inhomogeneous as-cast microstructure consisting of ~ 28 pct M7C3 eutectic carbide and a mixed matrix of martensite and retained austenite, destabilization treatments resulted in the establishment of near homogeneous structure with a near equilibrium level of carbon concentration in the matrix, which fully transformed to martensite upon cooling. Homogeneously distributed M23C6 secondary carbides with a square-shaped morphology and 100 to 500¿nm in size precipitated during heating up to the destabilization temperature. For higher destabilization temperatures (1000¿°C), M7C3 secondary carbides formed together with M23C6 and were identifiable by a distinctly different morphology (elongated). It was found that the carbon content of the matrix, a function of the destabilization temperature and subsequent eutectic carbide dissolution, controls the martensite start temperature and has a dominating influence on bulk-hardness.
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2019 |
Movahedi N, Taherishargh M, Belova IV, Murch GE, Fiedler T, 'Mechanical and microstructural characterization of an AZ91-activated carbon syntactic foam', Materials, 12 (2019) [C1]
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2019 |
Fiedler T, Taherishargh M, 'Large-scale drop test on perlite metal syntactic foam', Journal of Composite Materials, 53 515-520 (2019) [C1]
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2019 |
Chaves IA, Taherishargh M, Fiedler T, 'Long-term immersion exposure of perlite aluminium syntactic foam in seawater', Journal of Composite Materials, 53 1229-1240 (2019) [C1]
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2018 |
Taherishargh M, Linul E, Broxtermann S, Fiedler T, 'The mechanical properties of expanded perlite-aluminium syntactic foam at elevated temperatures', JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS, 737 590-596 (2018) [C1]
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2017 |
Taherishargh M, Belova IV, Murch GE, Fiedler T, 'The effect of particle shape on mechanical properties of perlite/metal syntactic foam', JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS, 693 55-60 (2017) [C1]
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2017 |
Al-Sahlani K, Taherishargh M, Kisi E, Fiedler T, 'Controlled Shrinkage of Expanded Glass Particles in Metal Syntactic Foams', Materials, 10 (2017) [C1]
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2017 |
Taherishargh M, Katona B, Fiedler T, Orbulov IN, 'Fatigue properties of expanded perlite/aluminum syntactic foams', JOURNAL OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS, 51 773-781 (2017) [C1]
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2017 |
Broxtermann S, Taherishargh M, Belova IV, Murch GE, Fiedler T, 'On the compressive behaviour of high porosity expanded Perlite-Metal Syntactic Foam (P-MSF)', JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS, 691 690-697 (2017) [C1]
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2016 |
Taherishargh M, Vesenjak M, Belova IV, Krstulovic-Opara L, Murch GE, Fiedler T, 'In situ manufacturing and mechanical properties of syntactic foam filled tubes', Materials and Design, 99 356-368 (2016) [C1] Novel foam filled tubes were manufactured via a highly reproducible and cost effective in situ process. Stainless steel tubes were filled with ultralight porous expanded perlite p... [more] Novel foam filled tubes were manufactured via a highly reproducible and cost effective in situ process. Stainless steel tubes were filled with ultralight porous expanded perlite particles and molten aluminium infiltrated the gaps between these particles. During casting, a ternary intermetallic phase was formed between the liquid aluminium and steel tube as a result of a chemical reaction. Quasi-static uni-axial compression testing was applied on the foam, empty tube, and foam-filled tube samples. Additional samples were subjected to quasi-static and dynamic three-point bending tests. The results of the quasi-static testing indicate that the foam filling improves the energy absorption capacity of tubes by 2.23 and 3.9 times for compressive and bending loading conditions, respectively. The dynamic bending tests indicate that both empty tubes and foam filled tubes exhibit a positive strain rate sensitivity. It is further shown that a larger tube wall thickness increases the energy absorption of both empty and foam-filled tubes. Foam-filling further increases the energy absorption capacity and, more importantly, the energy absorption efficiency. The impact of foam filling is more substantial in the case of tubes with lower thickness.
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2016 |
Borovin ek M, Taherishargh M, Vesenjak M, Ren Z, Fiedler T, 'Geometrical characterization of perlite-metal syntactic foam', Materials Characterization, 119 209-215 (2016) [C1] This paper introduces an improved method for the detailed geometrical characterization of perlite-metal syntactic foam. This novel metallic foam is created by infiltrating a packe... [more] This paper introduces an improved method for the detailed geometrical characterization of perlite-metal syntactic foam. This novel metallic foam is created by infiltrating a packed bed of expanded perlite particles with liquid aluminium alloy. The geometry of the solidified metal is thus defined by the perlite particle shape, size and morphology. The method is based on a segmented micro-computed tomography data and allows for automated determination of the distributions of pore size, sphericity, orientation and location. The pore (i.e. particle) size distribution and pore orientation is determined by a multi-criteria k-nearest neighbour algorithm for pore identification. The results indicate a weak density gradient parallel to the casting direction and a slight preference of particle orientation perpendicular to the casting direction.
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2015 |
Sulong MA, Taherishargh M, Belova IV, Murch GE, Fiedler T, 'On the mechanical anisotropy of the compressive properties of aluminium perlite syntactic foam', Computational Materials Science, 109 258-265 (2015) [C1] Abstract A novel metallic syntactic foam is produced using a counter-gravity infiltration casting method. To this end, expanded perlite particles are combined with an aluminium al... [more] Abstract A novel metallic syntactic foam is produced using a counter-gravity infiltration casting method. To this end, expanded perlite particles are combined with an aluminium alloy matrix. This enables close control of geometry at a relatively low production cost. The mechanical properties of the material are studied using finite element analysis. Numerical calculation models are generated directly from micro-computed tomography in order to capture their complex internal geometry. For verification purposes, numerical results are compared with experimental measurements of similar samples where available. But in contrast to experimental testing the numerical analysis is non-destructive and hence allows the repeated testing of samples in multiple loading directions. Thus, material anisotropy can be investigated for the first time. To this end, the quasi-elastic gradient, the 1% offset yield stress and the plateau stresses are obtained from virtual compression tests in three perpendicular directions (one coincides with the casting direction). Results indicate a weak anisotropy of the mechanical properties.
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2015 |
Fiedler T, Taherishargh M, Krstulovic-Opara L, Vesenjak M, 'Dynamic compressive loading of expanded perlite/aluminum syntactic foam', Materials Science and Engineering: A, 626 296-304 (2015) [C1] This paper addresses the analysis of expanded perlite/aluminum (EP/A356) syntactic foams under dynamic compressive loading conditions. Experimental and numerical analysis are cond... [more] This paper addresses the analysis of expanded perlite/aluminum (EP/A356) syntactic foams under dynamic compressive loading conditions. Experimental and numerical analysis are conducted in order to determine compressive stress-strain response, effective material properties and deformation mechanisms. Foam samples are manufactured by combining A356 aluminum alloy with expanded perlite particles that introduce 60-65% porosity. Under compressive loading these pores gradually collapse resulting in an approximately constant macroscopic stress level of the syntactic foam. Testing at different compression velocities shows that the expanded perlite particles increase the compression resistance at higher strain rates. The effective material properties of the syntactic foam increase both with density and loading velocity. Infrared (IR) thermal imaging and finite element analysis allowed the independent identification of the dominant deformation mechanism: single struts that are parallel to the loading direction buckle and trigger the formation of multiple collapse bands that are approximately perpendicular to the loading direction.
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2015 |
Taherishargh M, Belova IV, Murch GE, Fiedler T, 'Pumice/aluminium syntactic foam', Materials Science and Engineering: A, 635 102-108 (2015) [C1] A novel filler material is introduced to produce high strength metal-matrix syntactic foam. Packed beds of pumice particles, a low-cost natural porous volcanic glass, with the siz... [more] A novel filler material is introduced to produce high strength metal-matrix syntactic foam. Packed beds of pumice particles, a low-cost natural porous volcanic glass, with the size range of 2.8-4mm were infiltrated with molten aluminium alloy. The resulting syntactic foams were subjected to microstructural observations and chemical analysis. Furthermore, quasi-static compression testing was applied on heat treated samples. The material strength and the deformation mechanism under compressive loading of the pumice particles and foams were investigated. The results indicate that there is a limited chemical reaction between the particles and matrix. The pumice particles considerably enhance the strength of the foam and result in an average plateau stress of 68.25MPa and specific energy absorption of 24.8MJ/m3. Pumice particles show higher strength in the direction of tubular pores. The mechanical anisotropy of pumice particles is likely to cause a slight variation in the directional properties of the foams.
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2015 |
Taherishargh M, Sulong MA, Belova IV, Murch GE, Fiedler T, 'On the particle size effect in expanded perlite aluminium syntactic foam', Materials and Design, 66 294-303 (2015) [C1] Packed beds of expanded perlite (EP) particles with three different size ranges (1-1.4, 2-2.8, and 4-5.6. mm) have been infiltrated with molten Al to produce EP/A356 Al syntactic ... [more] Packed beds of expanded perlite (EP) particles with three different size ranges (1-1.4, 2-2.8, and 4-5.6. mm) have been infiltrated with molten Al to produce EP/A356 Al syntactic foam. A T6 heat treatment was applied to the foams. The effects of EP particle size on microstructural, geometrical, and mechanical properties of the foams were investigated. The EP particle size determines the number of cells across the sample diameter (7-25). It also influences the microstructural characteristics of the cell-wall alloy and the homogeneity of the cell-wall geometry. Enhanced microstructural characteristics and a greater geometrical homogeneity of the cell-wall in the case of smaller EP particles result in superior mechanical properties. The compressive deformation becomes more uniform by decreasing the EP particle size resulting in smoother and steeper stress-strain curves. As a result, these foams exhibit higher plateau stresses and improved energy absorption. The number of cells across the sample diameter does not have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the samples considered.
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2014 |
Taherishargh M, Belova IV, Murch GE, Fiedler T, 'Low-density expanded perlite-aluminium syntactic foam', Materials Science and Engineering: A, 604 127-134 (2014) [C1] This paper addresses an innovative syntactic foam (SF) formed by counter-gravity infiltration of a packed bed of low-cost expanded perlite (EP) particles with molten A356 aluminiu... [more] This paper addresses an innovative syntactic foam (SF) formed by counter-gravity infiltration of a packed bed of low-cost expanded perlite (EP) particles with molten A356 aluminium. The uniform distribution of EP particles in foams causes an even density throughout the height. Due to the low density (~0.18g/cm3) of EP, the average density of these foams is only 1.05g/cm3 which is considerably lower than most studied SFs. Owing to the high porosity of the filler material (~94%), the total porosity of the new foam reaches 61%. Microstructural observations reveal no sign of damage or unintended EP particle infiltration. EP shows a good wettability whilst essentially no reaction occurs at the EP-metal interface. Under compression, EP/A356 syntactic foam shows stress-strain curves consisting of elastic, plateau and densification regions. On account of its consistent plateau stress (average value 30.8MPa), large densification strain (almost 60%), and high energy absorption efficiency (88%) EP/A356 syntactic foam is an effective energy absorber. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.
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2014 |
Taherishargh M, Belova IV, Murch GE, Fiedler T, 'On the mechanical properties of heat-treated expanded perlite-aluminium syntactic foam', MATERIALS & DESIGN, 63 375-383 (2014) [C1]
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2012 |
Asadi P, Besharati Givi MK, Parvin N, Araei A, Taherishargh M, Tutunchilar S, 'On the role of cooling and tool rotational direction on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir processed AZ91', International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 63 987-997 (2012) [C1] Abstract This paper deals with an experimental investigation focused on the effects of water cooling treatment, friction stir processing pass number, and tool rotational direction... [more] Abstract This paper deals with an experimental investigation focused on the effects of water cooling treatment, friction stir processing pass number, and tool rotational direction on the microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir processed AZ91 magnesium alloy. Specimens were produced using different combinations of process parameters. Parallel to increasing the amount of oxide particles in the processed area, water cooling was found to reduce the final grain size and enhance their hardness and strength. Changing the rotational direction in each pass reduces the grain size severely (from 150 to ~4 µm) and increases the hardness (from 63 to 98 HV) and strength (from ~130 to ~250 MPa). However, no significant difference was found in wear resistance of the specimens produced with different process parameters. ©Springer-Verlag London Limited 2012.
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2011 |
Barmouz M, Asadi P, Besharati Givi MK, Taherishargh M, 'Investigation of mechanical properties of Cu/SiC composite fabricated by FSP: Effect of SiC particles' size and volume fraction', Materials Science and Engineering: A, 528 1740-1749 (2011) [C1] In this experiment, copper-base composites reinforced with 30. nm and 5 µm SiC particles are fabricated on the surface of a purecopper sheetvia friction stir processing (FSP). Mic... [more] In this experiment, copper-base composites reinforced with 30. nm and 5 µm SiC particles are fabricated on the surface of a purecopper sheetvia friction stir processing (FSP). Microstructure, mechanical properties and wear resistance of friction stir processed (FSPed) materials are investigated as a function of volume fraction of SiC particles. Results show that, applying FSP, without SiC particles, increases the percent elongation significantly (more than 2.5 times) and decreases copper's strength. Adding micro- and nano-sized SiC particles decreases the tensile strength and percent elongation. Increasing the volume fraction or decreasing the reinforcing particle size enhances the tensile strength and wear resistance and lowers the percent elongation. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.
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2011 |
Asadi P, Givi MKB, Abrinia K, Taherishargh M, Salekrostam R, 'Effects of SiC particle size and process parameters on the microstructure and hardness of AZ91/SiC composite layer fabricated by FSP', Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 20 1554-1562 (2011) In this study, friction stir processing (FSP) was employed to develop a composite layer on the surface of as-cast AZ91 magnesium alloy using SiC particles (5 µm and 30 nm). The ef... [more] In this study, friction stir processing (FSP) was employed to develop a composite layer on the surface of as-cast AZ91 magnesium alloy using SiC particles (5 µm and 30 nm). The effects of the rotational and traverse speeds and the FSP pass number on the microstructure and microhardness of the friction stir processed (FSPed) layer with and without SiC particles were investigated. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed for microstructural analysis. FSP produces a homogeneous microstructure by eliminating the precipitates near the grain boundaries. The analyses showed that the effects of the rotational and traverse speeds on the microstructure of specimens produced without nano-sized SiC particles are considerable; however, they are negligible in the specimens with particles. While the second FSP pass enhances the microstructure and microhardness of the samples with SiC particles, it has no significant effect on such properties in the samples without SiC particles. © 2011 ASM International.
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Show 17 more journal articles |
Conference (3 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
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2018 |
Szlancsik A, Katona B, Orbulov IN, Taherishargh M, Fiedler T, 'Fatigue properties of EP/A356 aluminium matrix syntactic foams with different densities', IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Balatonkenese, Hungary (2018) [E1]
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2017 |
Chaves IA, Fiedler T, Melchers RE, Taherishargh M, 'Corrosion trials of composite perlite aluminium foam', EUROCORR 2017 - The Annual Congress of the European Federation of Corrosion, 20th International Corrosion Congress and Process Safety Congress 2017 (2017) Lightweight composite materials such as syntactic perlite aluminium foams have been gaining much attention from the automotive, aerospace and nautical industries due to their supe... [more] Lightweight composite materials such as syntactic perlite aluminium foams have been gaining much attention from the automotive, aerospace and nautical industries due to their superior mechanical and energy absorbing properties. Yet, there is still no empirical evidence of its mechanical performance under extreme corrosive marine environments. This study reports on 18 month corrosion field trials of such composite foam immersed in natural temperate marine waters off the southeast coast of Australia. Further, natural fresh water corrosion trials were also performed on the foams in order to quantify potential long-term phenomenological factors. Unloading Young's modulus, 1% offset yield stress as well as plateau stress after exposure fall within the scatter of previously reported unexposed samples. The results indicate no short-term loss of mechanical performance for natural exposure conditions. Reasons and implications are discussed.
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2010 |
Taherishargh M, Parvin N, Asadi P, 'Effect of processing parameters on thermo-mechanically affected zone of friction stir processed AZ91 magnesium alloy', ASME 2010 10th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, ESDA2010 (2010) AZ91 Magnesium alloy was subjected to friction stir processing (FSP). The microstructural analyses of the friction stir processed (FSPed) specimens were carried out and the effect... [more] AZ91 Magnesium alloy was subjected to friction stir processing (FSP). The microstructural analyses of the friction stir processed (FSPed) specimens were carried out and the effects of pass number, rotational speed, and traverse speed upon thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) were investigated. The TMAZ is consisted of a region with highly elongated grains and a partially recrystalized zone. Decreasing the rotational speed and increasing the traverse speed increased the thickness of recrystallized zone; while, the thickness of the other zone decreased. On the other hand, it lessened the gradient of the grain size from the stir zone (SZ) to the base metal. Applying several FSP passes, lead to more homogeneous TMAZ structure with the finer grain size. © 2010 by ASME.
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Grants and Funding
Summary
Number of grants | 1 |
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Total funding | $96,775 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20151 grants / $96,775
High Performance Roadside Safety Barrier (HPRSB) $96,775
Funding body: Transurban Limited
Funding body | Transurban Limited |
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Project Team | Associate Professor Thomas Fiedler, Dr. Mehdi Taherishargh |
Scheme | Innovation Grant |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2015 |
Funding Finish | 2017 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | Grant - Aust Non Government |
Category | 3AFG |
UON | N |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Past Supervision
Year | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
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2021 | PhD | Effects of Filler and Matrix Materials on the Properties of Metal Syntactic Foams | PhD (Mechanical Engineering), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Dr Mehdi Taherishargh
Position
Adjunct Lecturer
School of Engineering
College of Engineering, Science and Environment
Contact Details
mehdi.taherishargh@newcastle.edu.au | |
Links |
Research Networks Research Networks |