Contact Dr Vijay Kumar Thakur

Areas of expertise

Background

Prior to commencing at Cranfield University, Dr Kumar Thakur worked as a Staff Scientist in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University, US. He was also a Research Scientist in Temasek Laboratories at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. 

Dr Kumar Thakur did his post-doctoral study in Materials Science & Engineering at Iowa State University and received a PhD in Polymer Chemistry (2009) from the National Institute of Technology. He received his BSc (Chemistry, Physics & Mathematics) BEd and MSc degree in Organic Chemistry from Himachal Pradesh University, India.

Dr Kumar Thakur has published more than 100 SCI journal research articles in the field of chemical sciences / materials science and holds one United States patent. Ten of his research papers have been highlighted as Highly Cited Papers in the Web of Science and three papers have been classed as Hot Papers. He has also published 33 books and 35 book chapters on polymer science / materials science / nanotechnology with numerous publishers.

Current activities

Current research activities span the disciplines of chemistry, nanotechnology, chemical engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials science and engineering as well as all aspects of polymers and composite materials. Application aspects range across the automotive to aerospace, energy storage, water purification and biomedical fields.

Recent research work includes:

  • Bio-renewable materials: wood / natural cellulose fibres, bio-resins and utilisation of waste biomass for practical uses
  • Additive manufacturing of polymers and composites
  • Multifunctional polymer composites and nanocomposites: self-repairing, structural composites, evaluation of materials using experimental mechanics, rheology, thermal, spectroscopic and microscopic analysis
  • Nanoelectronic materials: novel high dielectric constant and electrochromic materials for energy storage
  • Green synthesis of nanomaterials and surface functionalisation of polymers/nanomaterials
  • Hydrogels: synthesis, characterisation and applications in water purification and biomedical
  • Membranes: sustainable membrane materials for applications in water purification, biomedical and energy storage
  • Nanofiber production and application in biomaterials and smart textiles
  • Composites for extreme environments including high-temperature
  • Aerospace materials and manufacturing technology
Dr Kumar Thakur is an editorial board member of several international journals, as well as a member of scientific bodies around the globe. He is the book series editor for Gels Horizon: From Science to Smart Materials (Springer) and Polymers and Fibers (Elsevier), and sits on grant review panels for governmental agencies and educational institutions in the UK, US, South Africa, Poland, Chile, Cyprus, Germany, Austria, Singapore, Portugal and India.


Clients

  • Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK
  • Airbus UK
  • BAE Systems
  • Cambridge Nanosystems
  • Cambond Limited
  • Cametics Limited
  • European Commission
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
  • Munro Technology Limited
  • Medtech Accelerator Limited, UK
  • The British Council 

  • The Royal Academy of Engineering

Publications

Articles In Journals

Conference Papers

  • Allen K, Grewell D, Thakur VK & Kessler MR (2014) Bio-based elastomers from cationic/free radical polymerization of soybean oil. In: 72nd Annual Technical Conference of the Society of Plastics Engineers: The Plastics Conference, ANTEC 2014, Las Vegas, 28 April 2014.
  • Lee PS, Lin MF, Thakur VK & Ma J (2012) Flexible high performance capacitors for portable power systems. In: 243rd National Spring Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA, 25-29 March 2012.

Books