Guy Whillock - Corrosion

Dr Guy Whillock is the National Nuclear Laboratory's (NNL) Senior Fellow in Corrosion

Can you give us some background about you and your career?

I read natural sciences at Cambridge University and gravitated to metallurgy and materials sciences, completing my PhD in corrosion science. I joined BNFL in 1987 to work in the Materials Group of Research and Development at Sellafield - now part of the National Nuclear Laboratory.

What does your current work entail?

My key areas of work have been:

• Nitric acid corrosion of stainless steels
• Localised corrsion of stainless steels in waters
• Corrosion of metals in pond and waste storage environments and in novel reprocessing schemes.

The main themes in all this work are:

1. The effect of radiation on the corrosion process, primarily the effects of radiolysis although radiation damage to metals is of interest in a number of application
2. The development of novel experimental test methodologies (such as artificial pits and heat transfer test rigs).

How do you view the Senior Fellow role?

I plan to use the Senior Fellow role to broaden my research interests, extend already established external links and provide the means to grow the UK nuclear corrosion capability. A key element will be close collaboration with the Materials Performance Centre at Manchester University, where my main goal will be to encourage the production of the next generation of nuclear corrosion scientists.

I believe that experimental testing skills are essential and intend to initiate projects utlilising the outstanding facilities available in the NNL's Central Laboratory in Cumbria.

In addition, the Senior Fellow role is clearly about raising the visibility of the National Nuclear Laboratory and promoting technical excellence.

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