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Dr. Robin A.L. Drew, PhD

  • Professor, Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering

Contact information

Email:

robin.drew@concordia.ca

Biography

Biography

Educated in the UK, Robin Drew is Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering and was appointed Dean of Engineering and Computer Science at Concordia University from 2008-2013.  Prior to joining Concordia, he was Professor of Materials Engineering at McGill University where he was Chair from 1999-2007 and on faculty since 1984.

His own research interests are in advanced materials and he is internationally renowned for his work on metal foams, metal-ceramic composites(mostly MMCs) metal-ceramic interactions and joining processes. He is author and co-authored of over 200 papers on metals, ceramics, metal-ceramic composites and the fundamentals of metal-ceramic interactions and joining and has contributed chapters to several books and conference proceedings. He has served on a number of international advisory and organizational committees forconferences and symposia and has been an invited speaker at many international meetings.

In 2006 he received a Fellowship from the Metallurgical Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metals and Petroleum (CIM) for his outstanding contributions to materials science and engineering education. He was elected in 2006 as a member of the World Academy of Ceramics (Japan/Italy), being one of only three living Canadians to have received this prestigious award. He took up an Overseas Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, UK in 2008 where spent part of his sabbatical leave.  In the same year, he became a Fellow of the UKInstitute of Mining, Metals and Materials Institute (FIMMM) and was also awarded the prestigious MacDonald Young award of the American Society forMaterials (ASM International). He received the Canadian Materials Physics Award in 2009 and is a past Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE) (2010-2017) and most recently (2013) was inducted as a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (FEIC). He is a Registered as a Professional Engineer of Ontario.

Research areas

Research in advanced materials: porous materials, foams, metal-ceramic composites, metal-ceramic interactions and joining processes.

Publications

PUBLICATION SUMMARY


REFEREED JOURNAL PAPERS
  1. E. Moosavi-Khoonari, F. Jalilian, F. Paray and R. A. L. Drew, “Wettability Behavior of Zinc-Based Alloys on Cast Iron”, Metallogr. Microstruct. Anal. DOI 10.1007/s13632017-0349-6, April 2017
  2. 2. E. Rezabeigi, P.M. Wood-Adams, and R.A.L Drew. “Crystallization of polylactic acid under in situ deformation during nonsolvent induced solid-liquid phase separation”, submitted to the Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, submitted on 8 August-2016 (Manuscript# polb.20160465).
  3. 3. E. Rezabeigi, M. Sta, M. Swain, J. McDonald, N.R. Demarquette, R.A.L. Drew, and P.M. Wood-Adams, “Electrospinning of porous polylactic acid fibers during nonsolvent induced phase separation” accepted to the Journal of Applied Polymer Science, DOI: 10.1002/app.44862 , February 2017.
  4. 4. E. Rezabeigi, P.M. Wood-Adams, and R.A.L Drew, “Morphological examination of highly porous polylactic acid/Bioglass® scaffolds produced via nonsolvent induced phase separation”, Journal of Biomedical Materials Research (Applied Biomaterials) DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.33784, September 2016.
  5. A.Alem, M.D. Pugh and R.A.L Drew, “Reaction bonded silicon nitride foams: The influence of iron disilicide on microstructure and mechanical strength ”Ceramics International 41(3), pp 4966-74, April 2015
  6. A. Alem, R.A.L. Drew, M. D. Pugh, “Sintered reaction bonded silicon nitride foams with a high level of interconnected porosity”, J.Mater. Sci., 50(2)  pp 570-576, Jan 2015
  7. E. Rezabeigi, P. Wood-Adams and R.A.L. Drew, “Production of porous polylactic acid monoliths via nonsolvent induced phase separation”, Polymer, 55(26), pp 6743-53, Dec 2014
  8. L.Y. Aguirre-Perales, R.A.L Drew and I-H Jung, “The Effect of In Situ Intermetallic Formation on Al-Sn Foaming Behavior” Metall. and Mat. Trans. A,  45A(9),  pp 3714-3727, Aug 2014 
  9. A.Alem, R.A.L. Drew and M.D. Pugh, “The influence of the nitriding parameters on the microstructure and strength of the open-cell reaction bonded silicon nitride foams fabricated by wet processing,”J. Mater. Sci., 49(14), pp 4780-4789,  Jul 2014
  10. E. Rezabeigi, P.Wood-Adams and R.A.L. Drew, "Synthesis of 45S5 Bioglass® via a straightforward Organic, Nitrate-free Sol-gel Process" Mater.Sci. & Eng. C,40,  pp 248-252, Jul 2014
  11. E. Rezabeigi, P.M. Wood-Adams and R.A.L.Drew, “Isothermal ternary phase diagram of the polylacticacid-dichloromethane-hexane system” Polymer, 55(14), pp 3100-3106, Jun 2014
  12. A.Alem, M. D. Pugh, R.A.L. Drew, “Open-cell reaction bonded silicon nitride foams: Fabrication and characterization”, J. Europ.Ceram. Soc., 34(3), pp 599–609, 2014
  13. L.Y. Aguilar-Perales, I.H. Jung and R.A.L. Drew, “Foaming Behaviour of Metallurgical Al-Sn Foams, Acta Mater. 60(2), pp 759-769, 2012
  14. P.M. Proa-Flores, G.Mendoza-Suarez and R.A.L. Drew, “Effect of TiH2 surface area in aluminum foaming using the powder metallurgy method”. J Mater.Sci., 47(1), pp 455-464, 2012
  15. L.Y. Aguilar-Perales, I.H. Jung and R.A.L. Drew, “Effect of Dehydrogenation Process of TiH2 in Al Foams”, Metall. Mater. Trans. 43A(1), pp 1-5, 2012
  16. E. Khoonsari, F.Jalilian, F. Paray and D. Emadi, “Cast Joining of Cast Iron to Aluminum Casting Matrix”, Mater. Sci. Tech. 27(11), pp 1707-1717, 2011
  17. M. Lafrance,  M. Isac,  F. Jalilian, K.E. Waters, R.A.L. Drew, “The reactive stabilization of Al-Zn foams using a powder metallurgy approach”, Mater. Sci.Eng. A528(2)1   pp  6497-6503, 2011
  18. R. Vintila,  A. Charest, R.A.L. Drew and M. Brochu,” Synthesis and consolidation via spark plasma sintering of nanostructured Al-5356/B(4)C composite” Mater. Sci and Eng A528(13-14), pp 4395-4407,2011
  19. D. Poirier, R.A.L. Drew, M.L. Trudeau and R. Gauvin, “Fabrication and properties of mechanically milled alumina/aluminum nanocomposites”, Mater. Sci and Eng. A527(29-30) , pp 7605-7614, 2010   
  20. E. Khoonsari, F.Jalilian, F. Paray and D. Emadi, " Interaction of 308 stainless steel insert with A319 aluminum casting alloy," Mater. Sci.and Tech., 26(7), pp 833-41, 2010
  21. A.J. Klinter, C.A. Leon and R.A.L. Drew, “The Optimum Contact Angle Range for Metal Foam Stabilization: an Experimental Comparison with the Theory” J. Mater. Sci. 45(8) (Special Issue), pp 2174-2180, 2010.
  22. A.J. Klinter, C.A. Leon and R.A.L. Drew, “Wetting Phenomena of Al-Cu alloys on Sapphire”, Acta Materialia 58, pp. 1350-1360, 2010.
  23. J.A. Fernie, R.A.L. Drew and K.M. Knowles, “Joining of Engineering Ceramics” Inter. Mater. Rev., 54(5), pp 283-331, 2009.         
  24. O. Ozdemir, J.E. Gruzleski and R.A.L. Drew, “Effect of Low-levels of Strontium on the Oxidation Behavior of Selected Molten Aluminum-Magnesium Alloys”, Oxid. Met. 72, pp 241-257, 2009.  
  25. R. Vintila, J. Milligan, R.A.L. Drew, M. Brochu,”Formation of Nanostructures and Solid Solubility Extension in Cryomilled Al-Cu and Al-Si Powders”,Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly 48(1), pp 33-44, 2009
  26. P. M. Proa-Flores, R. A. L. Drew, “Production of Aluminum Foams with Ni-coated TiH2 Powder”. Advanced Engineering Materials, 10(9)  pp 830-834 ,  2008
  27. A.J.  Klinter, G. Mendoza-Suarez, R.A.L. Drew, "Wetting of pure aluminum and selected alloys on polycrystalline alumina and sapphire," Materials Science and Engineering: A495 (1-2)  Special Issue, pp 147-152, 2008
  28. N. Al-Aqeeli, G. Mendoza-Suarez, R.A.L. Drew, “XRD and TEM Characterization of Al-Mg-Based  Nanocomposite Alloys”, Rev.Adv.Mater.Sci. 18, pp231-235, 2008.
  29. N. Al-Aqueeli, G. Mendoza-Suarez, C. Suryanarayana and R.A.L. Drew, “Development of new Al-based nanocomposites by mechanical alloying”, Mater. Sci. & Eng.,  A480  pp 392-396, 2008

Research activities

Research Summary

My research expertise is in advanced materials, primarily specializing in ceramics, metal-ceramic interactions, composites, joining, foams as well as biomaterials. My publication record is extensive, having published over 200 journal and conference articles, and my current Thomson-Reuters ISI and Google Scholar h-index are 27 and 33, respectively. I have a steady and successful granting history having graduated many masters and PhD students who have gone onto successful careers themselves in either academia or industry across the globe. Throughout my academic life, I have maintained strong contacts with national and international companies as well as collaborating with several research groups both nationally and internationally, notably Mexico and the U.K.

I have held many grants over the years including NSERC: Discovery (continuously), CRD and Strategic Projects and FQRNT, mostly as PI but also as a team member. The following provides a list of topics that I have worked on over my research career spanning over 35 years:
  • biomaterials
  • aluminum and ceramic foams
  • ceramic and metal matrix composites
  • aluminum and titanium
  • powder metallurgy
  • non-oxide/metal ceramic joining
  • joining and brazing
  • fundamentals of metal-ceramic interactions
  • melt extraction of oxide fiber ceramics
  • metal and ceramic coatings
  • processing and properties of  nitride ceramics and oxynitride glasses

Teaching activities

MECH 221

Materials Science

MECH 321

Properties and Failure of Materials

AERO 481

Materials Engineering for Aerospace

MECH 6501

Advanced Materials

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