Selected engineering work

Materials, experiments
& simulation.

I’m Shufan, a materials engineer combining hands-on experiments, materials characterization and simulation.

00 / Laboratory & materials characterization

Hands-on work, reliable measurements.

I managed five high-vacuum instruments at RWTH Aachen University, including calibration, maintenance, troubleshooting and user training.

Microstructure

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) · Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) · X-ray diffraction (XRD)

Thermophysical properties

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) · Laser flash analysis (LFA) · Dilatometry (DIL)

Laboratory operations

Vacuum systems · calibration · training

DualBeam FIB-SEM instrument with microscopy and elemental analysis workstations in the laboratory. — DualBeam focused ion beam (FIB) and scanning electron microscopy for microstructure analysis.

Differential scanning calorimetry equipment on a laboratory bench for thermal characterization. — Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC): heat capacity and thermal transitions.

Sintering experiments

Electric current-assisted sintering (ECAS) uses electrically generated heat to densify ceramic powders rapidly. Flash sintering heats 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) directly by current through the specimen, while ultrafast high-temperature sintering (UHS) heats it indirectly with electrically heated graphite felt.

Flash sintering apparatus with an external split furnace surrounding the central specimen tube. — 8YSZ dog-bone specimen and electrodes, inserted into a tube surrounded by an external furnace.

8YSZ ceramic dog-bone specimen suspended from electrode wires before insertion into the flash sintering tube. — 8YSZ dog-bone specimen and electrodes, inserted into a tube surrounded by an external furnace.

Ultrafast high-temperature sintering setup with graphite felt clamped between copper electrodes. — Graphite felt between copper electrodes provides rapid heating for 8YSZ sintering.

Selected projects

Four studies, from apparatus to models

01 / Process development

Scaling up FAST/SPS

Field-assisted sintering technology / spark plasma sintering (FAST/SPS)

RWTH Aachen University · Jülich Research Center

Self-passivating ‘smart’ tungsten alloys for fusion reactors

My roleResearch project & thesis supervision

Scaling tungsten-alloy samples from Ø 20 mm pellets to 100 × 100 mm tiles. I supervised the experimental and Abaqus modelling study, connecting material measurements with process design.

ResultIdentified ways to reduce temperature gradients through tooling, insulation and holding time.

FAST/SPS
Abaqus
Thermal management
Research supervision

FAST/SPS sintering machine showing the press frame, sintering chamber, control cabinet and service connections. — Machine and schematic: die, upper and lower punches, and electrodes connected to a pulsed direct-current (DC) supply.

FAST/SPS cross-section showing the die around the powder sample, upper and lower punches, and anode and cathode electrodes connected to a pulsed direct-current source. — Machine and schematic: die, upper and lower punches, and electrodes connected to a pulsed direct-current (DC) supply.

Size comparison: an illustrative silver-grey pellet, 20 mm diameter and 5 mm thick, beside an original photograph of a 100 by 100 by 7 mm tungsten-alloy tile. The tile is five times wider. — Ø 20 × 5 mm pellet → 100 × 100 × 7 mm tile. Pellet: illustrative rendering. Tile photo: Bram et al.

Original Abaqus temperature fields for laboratory and large-scale sintering tools, with enlarged separate Celsius legends. Laboratory process: 1250 °C; large-scale process: 1460 °C. — Original temperature fields with enlarged Celsius legends. Different process conditions; model views are not to scale.

02 / Collaborative research

Thermal management via COMSOL

RWTH Aachen University · Fraunhofer Institute · Magnetec GmbH

Compact Nanocrystalline Soft Magnets via FAST/SPS

My roleCollaborative modelling & thermal-mechanical characterization

Investigating local overheating during sintering of E-core components. I guided and contributed to the team’s Abaqus and COMSOL Multiphysics study of electrical contacts and heat flow.

ResultLocated tool hot spots and evaluated spacer designs to reduce overheating.

COMSOL
Abaqus
Coupled physics
Tool design

Observed tool damage beside the original Abaqus temperature field at 348 seconds, predicting temperatures above 1000 °C at the spacer–punch interface. — Observed tool damage alongside the modelled hot spot at the spacer–punch interface.

COMSOL temperature fields at 617 seconds showing the complete FAST/SPS tool assembly with its 20–930 °C scale and a detail of the E-core sample with its separate 418–505 °C scale. — Complete setup and E-core temperature fields, with separate temperature scales.

03 / Experimental engineering

Perovskite solar cell recycling

Accurec Recycling · Research & development internship

My roleExperimental setup design & process investigation

Removing thin-film layers from perovskite solar cells using microwave vacuum distillation (MVD). I built the vacuum and gas-handling setup and used FactSage thermodynamic calculations to select test conditions.

ResultObserved plasma formation and coating removal on selected samples. Elemental recovery remained to be quantified.

Vacuum systems
Experimental design
FactSage
Process safety

The MVD experiment’s vacuum pump, pressure measurement equipment, valves and gas connections on a laboratory bench. — Vacuum, nitrogen supply and pressure control for MVD experiments.

MVD experiment · 10-second recording

Plasma formation during a microwave vacuum distillation (MVD) experiment.

Three rows of triangular solar-cell glass samples showing dark coatings becoming lighter and more transparent during microwave vacuum distillation tests. — Glass samples become lighter and more transparent as surface layers are removed during MVD tests.

04 / Experiment & simulation

Predicting ductile & brittle fracture

RWTH Aachen · Master’s thesis · X70 pipeline steel

My roleExperimental and numerical investigation

Predicting temperature-dependent fracture in X70 pipeline steel. I combined Charpy impact tests with finite element models of ductile damage and brittle cleavage.

ResultReproduced key fracture features across ductile, transition and brittle regimes.

Fracture mechanics
Charpy testing
Finite element modelling
Model validation

Actual ductile and brittle fracture surfaces above finite element results for upper-shelf, transition-region and lower-shelf behaviour of X70 steel. — Experiment above; simulation below. Ductile, transition and brittle fracture.

Get in touch

Have a materials challenge
in mind?

Let’s discuss materials research, process development or simulation.

yifrankfan@gmail.com Connect on LinkedIn

Materials, experiments& simulation.