Materials and Processes

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2015
• Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy, 2011
• Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering, University of L'Aquila, Italy, 2009

• Senior Consultant Engineer, Process Systems Enterprise, London, 2015-2019
• Chartered Chemical Engineer (Engineering Council)
• Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
• Member of the Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage centre (SCCS)
• Member of the Association of Italian Scientists in UK (AISUK)

• Chemical Engineering Design: Synthesis and Economics 4 CHEE10005 - Course Organiser
• Chemical Engineering Design 3 CHEE10009 - UniSim Process Design
• Chemical Engineering Study Project 4 CHEE10009 - Supervisor
• Chemical Engineering Research Project 5 CHEE11017 - Supervisor
• Chemical Engineering Industrial Project 5 CHEE11014 - Supervisor

• Design and modelling of PSA/TSA/CSA processes for hydrogen purification, air separation, carbon capture, biogas upgrade, olefins/paraffins separation and NGL recovery
• Simulation, validation and optimisation of ethylene plants
• Low temperature assessment and flare capacity studies in the Oil & Gas industry

Amer is a mechanical engineer with interests primarily in the area of fracture mechanics. He is particularly interested in deformation and damage mechanics of complex materials. The focus of his work is on the understanding of micromechanics of fracture to inform the macroscopic behaviour of materials. He has previously worked on the mechanics of deformation and damage in coal- which is one of the facinating materials to work with as the mechanical behaviour is influenced by the adsorption and advection taking place in the pore spaces and cracks (cleats) at multiple length and time scales. His recent work has been on micromechanics of geomaterials where he developed experimental techniques to acquire information on micromechanics through direct imaging conducted at X-ray and neutron beamlines.

Amer's current focus is to enhance the current understanding of micromechanics of deformation and damage of composite materials for improved design and damage prediction.

PhD Earth Science and Engineering, University of London for work undertaken at Imperial College

MS Ocean Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India

CEng, MIMechE

• Micromechanics of deformation and damage
• X-ray and neutron imaging of materials under in-situ stress
• Image processing, segmentation and pattern recognition
• Design of test facilities for material testing, especially for beamline imaging

Amer is interested to hear from potential PhD students interested in working in the area of micromechanics of composites. An advert for a potential position will be released shortly.

My research to date has focused on environmental issues with the development of new materials to improve existing processes (reduced energy costs, alternative to petroleum derivatives) in partnership with industry and academia. And especially since 5 years, I am working on the improvement of CO2 capture process with membrane technology.

• Printing Engineering, Master of Engineering Materials science, Master in Science, INPG, CNRS, LGP2 Process Engineering Laboratory, Grenoble, France
• Materials science, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), INPG, CNRS, LGP2 Process Engineering Laboratory, Grenoble,

• Membrane development for gas separation and nanofiltration, Membrane characterisations, Carbon Capture and Storage, Polymer characterisations

• Research Publications

I lead the Emerging Sustainable Technologies Laboratory at The University of Edinburgh. The ESTech Lab forges the future generation of sustainable energy and separation technologies.The ESTech Lab invented unanticipated solutions for negative emission separation technologies (low grade heat-powered CO2 capture&concentration from the air and hydrothermal carbonisation) along with other emerging heat-powered devices for water and cooling in data centres.The ESTech Lab methods span from Thermodynamics to prototyping and testing, where Thermodynamics is used as an ignition to the design.In its inventions, the Lab often exploits nanoporous solids or ionic nano-interfaces because they make possible a number of processes otherwise nonviable, often unlocking unimaginable opportunities for sustainable living.

• Post-graduate certificate for Academic Practice (PgCAP). The University of Edinburgh, Moray House School of Education and Sport, Edinburgh (UK). Master-level programme to support academic staff to effectively engage with their teaching responsibilities, enabling my current Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. 8/12/2020
• PhD in Energy, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona (Italy), 2009
• MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona (Italy), 2004

• 01/03/2023-2025    Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellow in Energy Efficient Data Centres.
• Member of Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre and UK Carbon Capture Research Centre
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. The Higher Education Academy (https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/) is the UK leading institution for accreditation of teaching in higher education

• Member of the Senatus Academicus (Senate) of The University of Edinburgh

  Editorial board member of: 

• Carbon Neutrality (Springer Nature) since 2021. The journal is an initiative of the China-UK Low Carbon College at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
• Energy & Environment (SAGE) since 2018.

• The Innovation Energy (Innovation Press) since 2025. 

  Guest-Editor of Special Issues:

• 2023/24 of Carbon Neutrality (Springer Nature) jointly with Dr. Shuanshi Fan, Dr Jia Li, Dr. Zhenyuan Yin, Dr. Tao Ren, Dr. Lei Hou on Decarbonization and CCUS

• 2020/21 of Energy (Elsevier) jointly with Prof. Ruzhu Wang (Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Energy) of the Special Issue on Solutions for Ultra-Low Temperature Heat Recovery and Utilization

  Associate Editor of: 

• Frontiers in Thermal Engineering - Advancements in Cooling and Heating (Frontiers) since 2021

   

• Chair of the 10^th Heat Powered Cycle Conference in 2023 (148 delegates from 20 countries)
• Member of the International Scientific Board of Heat Powered Cycle Conference series since 2017
• Member of the organizing committee of:
  • Thermodynamics 2017
  • The 33^rd European Symposium of Applied Thermodynamics (ESAT) 2024
• Member of the International Scientific Board of International Symposium on Innovative Materials for Processes in Energy Systems (IMPRES) in 2016

• Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics 2 CHEE08019 (current)
• Engineering Thermodynamics 2 SCEE08006 (past)
• Chemical Engineering 1 Laboratory CHEE08001 (past)
• Engineering Mathematics 2 SCEE08010 (past)
• Chemical Engineering Design: Synthesis and Economics 4 CHEE10005 (past)
• Chemical Engineering Design 4 CHEE10010 (past)
• Chemical Engineering Study Project 4 CHEE10009 (current)
• Chemical Engineering Design Project 4 CHEE10002 (current)
• Chemical Engineering Research Project 5 CHEE11017 (current)
• Chemical Engineering Industrial Project 5 CHEE11014 (current)

• Ultralow grade heat
• Heat-powered adsorption water purification technologies
• Heat-powered adsorption cooling
• Data Centre Cooling
• Cooling/Water nexus in Data Centres
• Heat-powered adsorption direct air capture

Low grade heat, thermal energy storage, adsorption heating and cooling, adsorption desalination, solar thermal energy, temperature swing adsorption, heat transformers, thermodynamics, heat transfer, ionic liquids, ionogels.

Currently open positions in my group:

Open PhD projects:

Structured Ionic Liquid for Vapor Sorption