{{Short description|English materials engineer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox academic | name = Allan Matthews | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|FREng|FRS|FIMMM|FIMechE|FIET|size=100%}} | image = | birth_place = Wigan, England | discipline = Engineering and Materials | sub_discipline = Tribology | alma_mater = The University of Salford (PhD) | workplaces = University of Manchester | website = http://www.icam-online.org/about-us/governance/allan-matthews/ | awards = }}
'''Allan Matthews''' (1952)<ref>{{cite journal |title=Bronze medal |journal=Tribology International |date=February 1982 |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=50 |doi=10.1016/0301-679X(82)90115-3 }}</ref> is professor of surface engineering and tribology at the University of Manchester<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/researchers/null(e8a077c6-a6c5-49a3-a8c2-0f7bd87a3019).html|title=Prof Allan Matthews {{!}} The University of Manchester|website=www.research.manchester.ac.uk|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> and director of the Digitalised Surfaces Manufacturing Network.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HOME|url=https://digitalisedsurfacemanufacturing.com/|access-date=2021-01-06|website=Digitalised Surface Manufacturing|language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Education == Matthews attended Upholland Grammar School and completed his PhD at Salford University studying environmentally-friendly plasma-based processes, especially their use for coating industrial tools.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
== Career == Matthews spent his early career in the UK aerospace industry, first with Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and then British Aerospace Dynamics Group.
He is known{{according to whom|date=December 2023}} as an early pioneer of the discipline of surface engineering, having founded a laboratory to research that subject at Hull University in 1982, where he established and directed the Research Centre in Surface Engineering. He and his research group led significant breakthroughs in plasma-assisted processes for surface treatment and coatings, in particular in thermionically enhanced plasma processes for nitrogen and carbon-diffusion treatments of steels and titanium alloys, as well as oxide and nitride coatings to act as wear and heat-resisting barriers on cutting tools and aero-engine parts.
In 2002, he was invited to join the department of engineering materials at the University of Sheffield. There he continued research in plasma-based surface engineering and helped establish (and was executive director of) the Leonardo Centre for Tribology and Surface Technology,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/materials/news/leonardotribology-1.375649|title=The Leonardo Tribology Centre - News - Materials Science and Engineering - The University of Sheffield|last=Sheffield|first=University of|website=www.sheffield.ac.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mecheng/news-events/leonardo-centre-launch-1.240975|title=Leonardo Centre for Tribology Launch - News & Events - Mechanical Engineering - The University of Sheffield|last=Sheffield|first=University of|website=www.sheffield.ac.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-03-27}}</ref> which was made possible through a benefaction by Dr. Peter Jost. In 2007 Matthews became head of department of materials science and engineering at the University of Sheffield.
In 2016, Matthews joined the academic staff in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at The University of Manchester. Later that year Matthews was appointed Director of the International Centre for Advanced Materials (bp-ICAM)],<ref name="icam-online.org">{{Cite web|title=Allan Matthews {{!}} ICAM - International Centre for Advanced Materials|url=http://www.icam-online.org/about-us/governance/allan-matthews/|access-date=2019-03-12|website=www.icam-online.org}}</ref> which is a $100 million collaboration<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.drillingcontractor.org/bp-to-establish-100-million-center-to-research-advanced-materials-17550|title=BP to establish $100 million center to research advanced materials|last=Hsieh|first=Linda|date=2012-08-09|website=Drilling Contractor|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/news-and-insights/press-releases/bp-pledges-100-million-to-uk-led-universities-to-create-industry-changing-materials.html|title=BP pledges $100 million to UK-led universities to create industry-changing materials {{!}} News and insights {{!}} Home|website=BP global|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> between BP, The University of Manchester, Imperial College London, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Cambridge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.icam-online.org/about-us/the-icam-story/|title=The ICAM story {{!}} ICAM - International Centre for Advanced Materials|website=www.icam-online.org|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> In his tenure as Director, Matthews worked closely with the bp-ICAM Executive Director, Vernon Gibson CB FRS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.icam-online.org/about-us/governance/vernon-gibson/|title=Vernon Gibson {{!}} ICAM - International Centre for Advanced Materials|website=www.icam-online.org|access-date=2019-03-12|archive-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206074532/http://www.icam-online.org/about-us/governance/vernon-gibson/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
During his time at The University of Manchester, Matthews has been an ambassador for Advanced Materials, facilitating networking between academia and industry, with a focus on the Tribology sub-theme.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.royce.ac.uk/news/royce-bruker-look-back-tribology-community-workshop/|title=Royce and Bruker: A look back at the Tribology Community Workshop|last=Clell|first=Sarah-Jane|date=2018-03-16|website=Henry Royce Institute|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://biomedicalsurfaces.com/Tecvac%20%20IP70%20at%20University%20of%20Sheffield.html|title=Tecvac Ltd supplies unique research machine to the University of Sheffield|website=biomedicalsurfaces.com|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.advancedmaterialsshow.com/conference/speakers-2019/|title=The Advanced Materials Show - Speakers|website=www.advancedmaterialsshow.com|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uakron.edu/im/news/ua-professor-awarded-royal-academy-of-engineering-distinguished-visiting-fellowship|title=UA professor awarded Royal Academy of Engineering Distinguished Visiting Fellowship : UA News|website=www.uakron.edu|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref>
Matthews has co-authored many peer-reviewed publications; most notably, Coatings Tribology: Properties, Mechanisms, Techniques and Applications in Surface Engineering, with Kenneth Holmberg.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Coatings Tribology: Properties, Mechanisms, Techniques and Applications in Surface Engineering.|last=Matthews|first=Allan|last2=Holmberg|first2=Kenneth|publisher=Elsevier|year=1994|isbn=0-444-52750-8|location=Amsterdam}}</ref>
== Awards and honours == He has held positions with many Learned and Professional societies, including the British Vacuum Council, the Society of Vacuum Coaters, the AVS Advanced Surface Engineering Division (AVS-ASED) and the Surface Engineering Divisional Board of the IoM3.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iom3.org/surface-engineering-division|title=Surface Engineering Division {{!}} IOM3|website=www.iom3.org|access-date=2019-04-04}}</ref>
Matthews was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows?q=allan+matthews|title=List of Fellows|date=12 March 2019|website=Royal Academy of Engineering|access-date=12 March 2019|archive-date=8 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208190818/https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows?q=allan+matthews|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/news-of-fellows|title=RAEng Appointed Fellows|website=RAEng|access-date=12 March 2019|archive-date=20 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420045609/https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/news-of-fellows|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Exceptional scientists elected as Fellows of the Royal Society |url=https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/exceptional-scientists-elected-as-fellows-of-the-royal-society/ |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=Exceptional scientists elected as Fellows of the Royal Society |language=en}}</ref> In 2011, Matthews was awarded The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) Gold Medal for his "significant contribution to the industrial application of materials".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iom3.org/award-winners-2011|title=Award Winners 2011 {{!}} IOM3|website=www.iom3.org|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> In 2018, Matthews was awarded the IOM3 Tom Bell Surface Engineering Medal in recognition of his work in the field,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iom3.org/iom3-awards-2018|title=IOM3 Awards 2018 {{!}} IOM3|website=www.iom3.org|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk/uommaterialsblog/school-of-materials-big-may-as-staff-and-students-awarded/|title=School of Materials' big May, as staff and students awarded|date=2018-05-17|website=School of Materials Blog|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> as well as the AVS-ASED R. F. Bunshah Award and Honorary ICMCTF lectureship<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www2.avs.org/conferences/ICMCTF/2019/award_bunshah.htm|title=ICMCTF-46 2019 - 46th International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films|website=www2.avs.org|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> for "pioneering contributions to the science of surface engineering". He was also the recipient of the Donald Julius Groen Prize in 2005, and the IMechE Bronze Tribology Award in 1981<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2005|title=DIARY|journal=Professional Engineering|volume=18|pages=55–57}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title=Bronze medal|issue=1|date=February 1982|journal=Tribology International|volume=15|page=50|doi=10.1016/0301-679x(82)90115-3}}</ref>
In 1987, Matthews became an Editor of the Elsevier Surface and Coatings Technology journal,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.journals.elsevier.com/surface-and-coatings-technology/editorial-board|title=Surface and Coatings Technology Editorial Board}}</ref> becoming editor-in-chief in 2013.
His research has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gtr.ukri.org/person/FE066794-F530-4C65-9B5E-457C54DEE4E6|title=UK Government Grants awarded to Allan Matthews|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://epsrc.ukri.org/about/people/allanmatthews/|title=Allan Matthews - EPSRC website|website=epsrc.ukri.org|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> the European Union (EU), European Research Council (ERC) and other governmental and industrial sources.
== References == {{reflist}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Allan}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Category:Academics of the University of Manchester Category:20th-century English engineers Category:21st-century British engineers Category:Engineering academics Category:Alumni of the University of Salford Category:Academics of the University of Sheffield Category:People from Wigan Category:British academic journal editors Category:English mechanical engineers Category:Fellows of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:Tribologists Category:Fellows of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Category:British fellows of the Royal Society