Dr Olga Zinovieva

My research focuses on developing predictive approaches for the design and manufacture of high-performance engineering materials, with particular emphasis on additive manufacturing, mechanics of materials and materials subjected to extreme environments. I combine computational materials science, mechanics of materials, high-performance computing and targeted experiments to establish quantitative links between manufacturing conditions, microstructure, defects and mechanical performance under a range of loading conditions. A central theme of my work is moving advanced manufacturing from trial-and-error optimisation towards knowledge-based manufacturing supported by experimentally validated digital models.

A major part of my current research is the development of multiscale and multiphysics modelling methods for metal additive manufacturing. The key research question I am aiming to answer is: Can we boost material properties in advanced manufacturing using a simulation-led approach? I am building knowledge and tools enabling the prediction of microstructure and mechanical properties, so we can engineer additively manufactured materials for specific needs. This work underpins my ARC DECRA project, Enhancing properties of advanced 3D printed alloys, which investigates how microstructure and process-induced stresses can be predicted and controlled to improve the properties of commercial and bespoke alloys. The broader objective is to establish transferable process–structure–property modelling and validation workflows that can support process optimisation, qualification and engineering design.

My second research direction addresses the development of advanced and architectured materials for extreme loading. I investigate how material composition, microstructure, manufacturing defects and structural architecture govern deformation, energy absorption and failure under impact and blast-like loading, aiming to design better engineering materials for protection. Current activities include metallic microlattices, fibre- and nanoparticle-reinforced composites, and lightweight protective structures. This research combines additive and composite manufacturing with high-rate mechanical testing, advanced microscopy, micro-computed tomography, synchrotron imaging and neutron diffraction, together with computational modelling. 

A growing third direction is sustainable, multimaterial and transferable manufacturing. Current activities include preliminary research on recycled metal feedstocks for additive manufacturing, development of a new multimaterial wire-arc additive manufacturing capability for functionally graded materials, and investigation of how modelling and experimental evidence can be transferred between materials, machines and manufacturing facilities. Across these research streams, my aim is to develop reusable computational tools, experimental methodologies and validation strategies that enable advanced materials and manufacturing processes to become more predictable, sustainable and reliable.