DrAbigail Ackerman

Abigail Ackerman is a Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow at Imperial College London, studying the effects of hydrogen in engineering alloys. Her research is focussed on sustainable metallurgy and supporting ethical practices in the development of metallurgical advances.

Hydrogen interaction in metal can be both advantageous and catastrophic. Hydrogen is beneficially used in the direct reduction of iron. The steel making industry accounts for 8% of worldwide CO2 emissions, and to achieve low carbon goals by 2050, alternative extraction methods must be developed. Traditional blast furnace techniques have an energy consumption of 19.8 GJ/t, yet direct reduction via hydrogen based low temperature electrolysis reduces this to 13 GJ/t. By developing corrosion resistant electrode materials for direct reduction via the understanding of hydrogen in this process, my group is increasing resilience in the UK steel supply chain, whilst contributing to the global responsibility of reducing CO2 emissions.

Contrarily, hydrogen embrittlement in structural metals can cause catastrophic failure of high-risk components. The fundamental effects of hydrogen in materials such as zirconium and titanium are not fully understood. Hydrogen transport and storage in renewable technologies has a need for protection against hydrogen embrittlement to prevent catastrophic failure. In detecting, measuring, and tracking hydrogen in these materials, a deeper understanding of current embrittlement theories can be formed.

Abigail completed her BSc in Physics with Planetary Science at the University of Leicester in 2014. She then moved the Imperial College London to complete her PhD with Prof. David Dye on the topic of Microstructure Control in Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo, sponsored by Rolls-Royce plc., and industrially supervised by Prof. David Rugg.

Abigail has previously worked with Dr. Stella Pedrazzini and Prof. Mary Ryan, designing and building unique corrosion test equipment to replicate in service conditions in gas turbine engines and industrial boilers, and with Prof. Baptiste Gault on understanding hydrogen embrittlement in titanium alloys.

Abigail is passionate about supporting diversity and inclusion in materials science and is active in mentoring and outreach. She is currently working to move metallurgy into a new, more sustainable era.