Contact Dr Ignacio Bustos
Background
Ignacio Bustos is a Mechanical Engineer with a PhD in Engineering Sciences from Instituto Balseiro (Argentina). His career has been dedicated to advancing understanding of fatigue behaviour in metallic materials through innovative non-contact characterisation techniques. He previously served as Assistant Lecturer at Instituto Balseiro and Researcher at CNEA's Physics Division, where he developed expertise in servo-hydraulic and electromechanical testing systems, specialising in monotonic and fatigue testing protocols. He has collaborated with leading research institutions across Argentina and France accumulating extensive experience in structural integrity assessments and data analysis for nuclear components. His work has consistently integrated advanced experimental techniques such as Digital Image Correlation and Infrared Thermography to enhance materials characterisation.
Research opportunities
Dr Ignacio Bustos' research focuses on fatigue behaviour in metallic materials, particularly high-cycle (HCF) and low-cycle (LCF) fatigue, with emphasis on additively manufactured components. His interests include shape memory alloys (NiTi), superelastic effects, and applications in elastocaloric devices and actuators.
A key aspect of his work is applying artificial intelligence techniques to optimise analysis of data from infrared thermography, digital image correlation (DIC), and mechanical testing across uniaxial and multiaxial fatigue regimes. He has extensive experience with materials characterisation techniques and instrumented mechanical testing. His current postdoctoral work at Cranfield focuses on developing expertise in crystal plasticity modelling to understand microstructural deformation mechanisms.
Current activities
At Cranfield University, Dr Ignacio Bustos is conducting postdoctoral research as a Marie Curie (MSCA-PF) Fellow within the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences (FEAS). His project, HEATMaP (Heat Evolution Analysis via Thermography for Mapping of Plasticity), proposes novel use of high-resolution infrared thermography to investigate inelastic deformation and heat dissipation mechanisms at the sub-grain level.
The research addresses a central challenge in mechanics and materials science: understanding how mechanical energy is partitioned between heat dissipation and stored energy during plastic deformation. Through a multidisciplinary combination of advanced IRT, AI-based image processing, mechanical testing and microstructure-sensitive modelling, HEATMaP aims to establish unprecedented heat map resolution and link the Taylor-Quinney coefficient directly to dislocation structures.
Dr Bustos leads an internationally collaborative effort, maintaining active partnerships with leading European laboratories whilst strengthening ties with institutions in Argentina (CNEA, Instituto Balseiro, CAB).
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Noseda Grau V, Bustos I, Yawny A & Pelegrina JL. (2025). What is Wrong with the Clapeyron Equation in Martensitic Transformations?. Shape Memory and Superelasticity, 11(1)
- Delmastro J, Bustos I, Alonso G & Yawny A. (2025). New Insight into the Coefficient of Performance and Related Material Indices of Merit for the Selection of Shape Memory Elastocaloric Materials. Shape Memory and Superelasticity, 11(2)
- Bergant MA, Soria SR, Bustos RI, Soul HR & Yawny AA. (2025). On the Relative Significance of Roughness, Printing Defects and Microstructure on the Fatigue Behavior of Electron Beam Melted Ti‐6Al‐4V. Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures, 48(4)
- Bustos I, Soul H, Alonso G, Bertolino G & Yawny A. (2023). Heat Source Reconstruction and Its Relationship with Functional Fatigue of Pseudoelastic NiTi Ribbons. Shape Memory and Superelasticity, 9(1)
- Bustos I, Bergant M & Yawny A. (2023). On the suitability of applying thermographic methods for the rapid estimation of the fatigue limit of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V. International Journal of Fatigue, 174