Dan Scotson

Quick facts:

🔬 Research area: Advanced ceramic coatings
✈️ Application: Future aerospace jet engines
📚 A-Levels: Physics, Chemistry, Maths & Further Maths
⭐ Favourite material: Ytterbium disilicate (Yb₂Si₂O₇)

What is your current job / programme of study?

Doctoral Prize Fellow in Materials Science (i.e. research scientist)

What A-Levels (or equivalent) did you do?

Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Further Maths A-Levels

Why did you choose a career in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)?

I enjoyed my A-Levels, but I didn’t have an obvious favourite. Materials Science appealed as a subject combining all three A-Levels, and that it was relevant to solving real-life engineering challenges.

After my thoroughly enjoyable undergraduate degree in Materials Science, I just wanted to continue with research, so I chose to do a PhD focused on ceramic coatings for gas-turbine engines for electricity generation and aeroplanes.

What did you enjoy most about your MSE course?

My favourite part was my master’s year of my undergraduate degree. I enjoyed the practical element with exciting techniques such as X-ray Computed Tomography and Digital Image Correlation (DIC). I also had a great working relationship with my supervisor and research group, and I  liked the cooperative nature of working in a team to solve challenging problems.

What is your research about?

I investigate new ceramic coatings for future aerospace jet engines to help reduce their consumption. A jet engine is a demanding environment for materials, and we need to understand whether these coatings will survive.

What is the coolest thing you have done in your career so far?

While using liquid nitrogen is pretty cool (-196 degrees), using a focused ion beam (FIB) is also fascinating. The ion beam helps to remove material and create a sample so thin that it is electron transparent. Using the FIB therefore requires machining and manipulating a sample much smaller than a hair. The precision involved is just astonishing and rather nerve-racking when operating!

What do you see yourself doing in the future?

I would love to apply my materials science knowledge to applied problems focused upon improving materials performance and sustainability.

What is your favourite material (and why)?

My favourite material is an unusual one: ytterbium disilicate (Yb₂Si₂O₇). My PhD study investigated this material and it’s amazing in terms of its high-temperature performance – you can heat it to 1600 degrees and it’s very stable. It’s a ceramic material and shows that ceramics are more exciting than just making toilets and kitchen crockery!

What advice would you give your 16 year old self?

• 🚀 Push yourself – don’t be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone to try things and make mistakes.
• 📖 Widen your learning – don’t let an exam specification limit you.
• 🌟 Embrace opportunities – say yes to events and opportunities that arise.