Webinars
28 January 2026
NIC Webinar: Unlocking the Potential of Non-Metallic Materials: Characterisation Challenges and Future Solutions
Non-metallic materials present engineers and designers with significant opportunities, including enhanced corrosion resistance, manufacturing efficiency, and substantial weight reduction. When fibres are incorporated to create thermoplastic composites, the benefits extend further, offering tailored properties and additional savings. However, the successful industrial exploitation of these materials relies on robust design data. This is complicated by the challenges inherent in characterising these relatively new material classes, often leading to reduced confidence in a product's in-service safety.
This webinar will delve into the complexities of non-metallic material characterisation, examine the impact of unreliable material data on design integrity, and discuss the pathways being developed to address these shortcomings in the future.
Speakers
Dr Chris Worrall
Technology Fellow and Consultant – Polymer Composite Technologies
TWI Ltd
Chris is an expert in composite materials and a Consultant and Technology Fellow at TWI. His 35 year career covers: joining, mechanical behaviour, fire testing, finite element analysis, electromagnetic surface waves and metamaterials. Chris started his career in the oil and gas industry participating in the Marinetech North West project, and also spent 10 years working in Japan in the automotive, aerospace and energy sectors. He has presented guest lectures at Cambridge, Liverpool and Surrey University, and holds the position of ‘Engineer in Residence’ at Liverpool university. Recently, Chris has been supporting the Non-metallic Innovation Centre (NIC) in providing non-metallic solutions for the oil and gas industry.