Multiscale process engineering

Our group brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to provide an integrated multi-scale approach to experimental product and process characterisation, process and systems modelling with a view to providing innovative manufacturing solutions.

Smart and formulated products are complex systems pervasive across virtually all industrial sectors, including chemicals, healthcare, homecare, mining, food, hygiene, agricultural, automotive and energy industries. They represent a global economic market worth trillions of dollars. 

The large scale sustainable and efficient manufacture of such products with consistent quality is an area of significant interest to the high value manufacturing sector in the UK. This sector is characterised by a high rate of innovation in product lines, and short timescales for development. Manufacturing challenges include cost reduction, improved quality control, targeting novel function, higher productivity, waste reduction and lower energy utilisation.  

To improve existing technologies and develop new products it is vital to overcome the challenges associated with designing complex processes and systems across the entire innovation chain, from discovery of new materials via processing and manufacturing to the delivery of products.  

Multiscale Engineering provides manufacturing solutions through the application of science and engineering concepts across all relevant length and time scales: 

• the molecular scale that characterise reactions, solid formation and the behaviour of solid surfaces
• the scale of turbulence that determines the transport rates and local disruptive forces
• the particle scale that covers the movement and collisions of particles involved in generating structure   
• the equipment scale containing the process. 

We contribute to educating the research leaders of the future in the design, manufacture and commercialisation of complex products, through the EPSRC Centres for Doctoral training in Molecules to Product and Fluid Dynamics.

Further information

View all members of our research group and publications.

PhD projects

We have opportunities for prospective postgraduate researchers. Find out more.

Contact us

If you would like to discuss an area of research in more detail please contact the Research Group Leaders, Dr Frans Muller or Dr Ali Hassanpour.