Tony Maxwell is a Material Scientist in the Advance Engineering Materials Group at National Physical Laboratory (NPL). He received his degree in Material Science and Technology from Brunel University, and a doctorate in Physics from the University of Leeds. Before joining NPL he worked in industry and spent three years as a research fellow at the University of Leeds and the École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI) in Paris developing novel polyester-additive blends for use in anti-counterfeit security products.
During his career at NPL he has worked on the development of test methods and standards for assessing the durability of plastics and composites. He developed novel nanoindentation and nano-thermal-analysis methods for micro-scale mapping of polymers and coatings and developed measurement techniques for assessing the performance of biomedical and healthcare products including tissue scaffolds and bioresorbable implants.
Areas of interest
His current areas of interest include the development of accelerated test methods for assessing the durability of polymeric systems and the rheology of fluids and adhesives. He is also working closely with colleagues from across the laboratory to develop techniques for measuring the permeability of hydrogen gas through polymers for emerging net zero technologies.
Tony is a member of the ISO standards committee on the testing of plastics, in which he has contributed to its work in the development of standards for the ageing of plastics. He has (co)authored over 60 scientific publications (Google scholar) and in recognition of his contributions to the development of measurement techniques in the polymer industry was made a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (FIMMM).
Recent publications
W.R. Broughton and A.S. Maxwell, Accelerated Life Testing and Aging, chapter in Characterization and Failure Analysis of Plastics, T.J. Menna (ed), ASM Handbook, Volume 11b, ASM International, 2022
J. E. Bone, G. D. Sims, A. S. Maxwell, S. Frenz, S. L. Ogin, C Foreman, R. A. Dorey, On the relationship between moisture uptake and mechanical property changes in a carbon fibre/epoxy composite, Journal of Composite Materials, 56, 2189-2199, 2022