Engineering

Dr Yaan Liu

Dr Yaan Liu

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Engineering

I am a Research Fellow at the Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing (CALM) & Exeter Technologies Group (ETG) (http://engineering.exeter.ac.uk/research/etg/) in the Department of Engineering, one of the UK’s leading additive manufacturing (AM) centre for high-performance polymeric materials and a wide range of commercial AM technologies.

 

My research drives innovation in AM and materials science by advancing the understanding of material-process interactions. During my PhD, I was the first to report on fabricating nanoscale 3D metal-polymer nanocomposites (silver, gold, and copper) using simultaneous two-photon lithography.

 

In 2018, I joined CALM at Exeter and began researching powder-based AM of PEEK nanocomposites. I developed innovative techniques for efficiently and safely producing PEEK-graphene nanocomposites for the powder bed fusion (PBF) process. I also independently initiated research on AM porous PEEK for medical applications, creating PEEK-NaCl composite powder feedstock. 


In 2022, I secured my first PI-led project through an Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) grant, demonstrating the feasibility of using PBF to produce SiC materials. Later, I was awarded the Royal Society Short Industry Fellowship to tackle key challenges in PBF of SiC, including developing printable SiC powders and enhancing their bulk density.

 

Projects as Principal Investigator (PI):

  • PI | Royal Society Short Industry Fellowship (2024–2025) £72,857
    Unlocking the Potential of SiC Powders in Additive Manufacturing (SIF_R1_241007)
  • PI | Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) (2022–2023) £38,500
    Feasibility Study on Additive Manufacturing of Silicon Carbide (AKT 108) 

 

Projects as Lead Researcher:

  • Theta Technologies (2024–Present)
    Investigating Non-Destructive Testing Techniques for AM Structures
  • Joint Industry Project with Victrex, Arkema, and Kumovis (2021–2023)
    Exploring PAEKs in AM for Cranial Implant Applications
  • Innovate UK (2018–2021)
    Multifunctional PAEK Nanocomposites for Additive Manufacturing (F4 PAEK) (Ref: 104051)

 

Projects as Co-Researcher:

  • EPSRC Project (2022–Present)
    Near-Room Temperature Solid-State Hydrogen Storage (EP/Y007778/1)
  • Innovate UK (2021–2023)
    Carbon Forest Products: 3D Heatsinks from Sustainably Sourced Lignin Carbon (Ref: 10003392)
  • Innovate UK (2021–2023)
    Overprinting with High-Performance Polymers (OverHiPP) (Ref: 10004428)
  • EPSRC RiR Program with MTC & Thales (EP/T517240/1)

  AM PEEK in Submarine Applications

  • EPSRC (2018–2020)

   High-Performance Polymeric Composite Materials for Multifunctional AM Components (EP/N034627/1)

 

Conference presentations:

  • Y. Liu, Y. Chen, R. Davies, O.Ghita, Fabrication of 3D printed surface - porous PAEK structures: potential applications. High Performance Polymeric Additive Manufacturing. November 11-12, 2024.
  • Y. Liu, Y. Chen, R. Davies, O.Ghita, Fabrication of 3D printed surface- porous PAEK structures. 2024 Implant Polymers: UHMWPE & PEEK Conference. Jun 20-21, 2024.
  • Y. Chen, Y. Liu, C. A. Comelli, O. Ghita, Improving Overprinted PA-CF/PA6 Interface Bonding by Atmospheric Plasma Treatment, 38th Polymer Processing Society Conference. May 22-26, 2023.
  • Y. Liu, N. Yi, R. Davies, P. McCutchion, O. Ghita, Additive Manufacturing of PEEK Cranial Implants: Powder Bed Fusion or Material Extrusion? 2022 Combined UHMWPE, PEEK, and Polymer Implant Additive Manufacturing Conference. June 23-24, 2022.
  • Y. Liu, Q. Hu, F. Zhang, C. Tuck, D. Irvine, R. Hague, Y. He, M. Simoelli, G. A. Rance, E. F. Smith, R. Wildman, Additive Manufacture of 3D Metal-polymer Nanocomposites by Simultaneous Multiphoton Polymerisation and Photoreduction, IOP Institute of Physics: Printing and Graphics Science Group 2018. March 28, 2018.
  • Q. Hu, Y. Liu, F. Zhang, R. Wildman, C. Tuck, R. Hague, Fabrication of 3d Polymer Metal Nano-composites in a Single Step by Two-photon Induced Polymerisation and Metal Salt Reduction, Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium. 2015.1036-1042.

 

Magazine articles

View full profile