Professor Russell J Hand (he/him)

MA PhD MEd CPhys MInstP CEng FSGT FHEA

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Professor of Glass Science and Engineering

School Director of Education

Professor Russell Hand
Profile picture of Professor Russell Hand
r.hand@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 5465
Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Professor Russell J Hand
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

I joined the University of Sheffield in 1989 as the Redland Research Fellow in the then, School of Materials, having previously studied at the University of Cambridge. I was appointed to a Lectureship in 1990 (Senior Lecturer 2001; Reader 2010; Professor 2012) and in 1999 obtained an MEd in Teaching and Learning for University Lecturers.

I am an internationally recognised expert on the mechanical properties of glasses and waste vitrification and have supervised/ co-supervised over 55 successful PhD students. I was a founder member of the ISL at the University of Sheffield. I am a Fellow and Past-President of the Society of Glass Technology and am also involved with International Commission on Glass (ICG).

I have held a variety of education related roles at Faculty and Department (now School) level. From 2001 to 2012 I was Sub-Dean for Undergraduate Affairs in the Faculty of Engineering and then Deputy Faculty Director of Learning and Teaching Engineering. From 2013 to 2015 I was course director for the cross-Faculty Aerospace Engineering degrees and between 2014 and 2017, I was Head of the Interdisciplinary Programmes Office, Faculty of Engineering. From 2015 I was Director of Education in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and am now the Director of Education for the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering.

Research interests

My research has two main foci both related to glass and glass based materials.

1) The development and characterisation of glass based treatment options for nuclear wastes to support the clean-up of the nuclear legacy - this includes compositional development and assessment of the chemical durability of the resultant vitreous wasteforms and

2) the mechanical properties of glasses - this includes developing an understanding of how the mechanical properties vary with glass composition with the aim of developing stronger glasses.
 

Key research interests:

Radioactive waste vitrification
Research is focussed on glass composition development for the immobilisation of "difficult" anionic species and legacy wastes into vitreous wasteforms. 

Chemical durability of nuclear waste glasses
Research is focussed on understanding the relationships between glass composition and chemical environment on the durability of nuclear waste glasses using laboratory-based durability test methods. 

Mechanical properties of glasses
Research is focussed on examining the effects of composition on the mechanical properties of silicate glasses.

Publications

Journal articles

  • Marcial J, Chesnutt J, Neeway JJ, Gichon E, Thorpe CL, Zhu Z, Golovchak R, Cebulski J, Niedzielski P, Szostek M , Luksic S et al (2025) . npj Materials Degradation, 9(1).
  • Choi S, Marcial J, Neeway JJ, Pearce CI, Kerisit SN, Kosson DS, Thorpe CL, Hand RJ & Kruger AA (2025) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 614, 155858-155858.
  • Thorpe CL, Aldred N, Creasey-Gray S, Stennett MC, Rencz EA, Nehzati S, Haigh LT, Manifold G, Vallo N, Lenting C , Corkhill CL et al (2025) . Applied Geochemistry, 184, 106363-106363.
  • Thorpe CL, Fisher AJ, Manifold G, Creasey-Gray S, Jackson CM, Stone B, Corkhill CL, Boothman C, Lloyd JR & Hand RJ (2025) . npj Materials Degradation, 9(1).
  • Mansfield JT, Tang CT, Thorpe CL, Corkhill CL, Harrison MT & Hand RJ (2025) . Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 656.
  • Ravikumar R, Thorpe CL, Corkhill CL, Walling SA, Neeway JJ, Pearce CI, Kruger AA, Kosson DS, Marcial J & Hand RJ (2025) . npj Materials Degradation, 9(1).
  • McKenzie HW & Hand RJ (2024) Basic Optical Stress Measurement in Glass. Physics and Chemistry of Glasses European Journal of Glass Science and Technology Part B, 65(4), 125-128.
  • Thorpe CL, Crawford R, Hand RJ, Radford JT, Corkhill CL, Pearce CI, Neeway JJ, Plymale AE, Kruger AA, Morris K , Boothman C et al (2024) . Journal of Hazardous Materials, 462.
  • Mansfield JT, Thorpe CL, Corkhill CL, Harrison MT & Hand RJ (2023) . Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 608.
  • Matthews BE, Neeway JJ, Farias LN, Marcial J, Arey BW, Soltis J, Kovarik L, Zhu Z, Schweiger MJ, Canfield N , Varga T et al (2023) . Microscopy and Microanalysis, 29(1), 50-68.
  • Marcial J, Cicconi MR, Pearce C, Klou鱉ek J, Neeway J, Pokorn羸 R, Vernerova M, McCloy J, Nienhuis ET, Sjoblom R , Weaver J et al (2022) . Journal of the American Ceramic Society.
  • Taima MS, El-Sayed TA, Shehab MB, Farghaly SH & Hand RJ (2022) . Journal of Vibration and Control.
  • Fisher AJ, Ding H, Rajbhandari P, Walkley B, Blackburn LR, Stennett MC, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC, Harrison MT & Corkhill CL (2022) . Materials Advances, 3(3), 1747-1758.
  • Thorpe CL, Neeway JJ, Pearce CI, Hand RJ, Fisher AJ, Walling SA, Hyatt NC, Kruger AA, Schweiger M, Kosson DS , Arendt CL et al (2021) . npj Materials Degradation, 5.
  • Grema LU & Hand RJ (2021) . Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 572.
  • Nava-Farias L, Neeway JJ, Schweiger MJ, Marcial J, Canfield NL, Pearce CI, Peeler DK, Vicenzi EP, Kosson DS, Delapp RC , McCloy JS et al (2021) . npj Materials Degradation, 5(1).
  • Kilinc E, Bell AMT, Bingham PA & Hand RJ (2021) . Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 104(8), 3921-3946.
  • Fisher AJ, Harrison MT, Hyatt NC, Hand RJ & Corkhill CL (2021) . MRS Advances, 6(4-5), 95-102.
  • Barlow ST, Fisher AJ, Bailey DJ, Blackburn LR, Stennett MC, Hand RJ, Morgan SP, Hyatt NC & Corkhill CL (2021) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 552.
  • Fisher AJ, Imran MNB, Mann C, Gausse C, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC & Corkhill CL (2020) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 538.
  • Fisher AJ, Harrison MT, Hyatt NC, Hand RJ & Corkhill CL (2020) . MRS Advances, 5(3-4), 103-109.
  • Backhouse D, Corkhill C, Hyatt N & Hand R (2019) . Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 512(1), 41-52.
  • Kaspar TC, Ryan JV, Pantano CG, Rice J, Trivelpiece C, Hyatt NC, Corkhill CL, Mann C, Hand RJ, Kirkham MA , Crawford CL et al (2019) . npj Materials Degradation, 3(1).
  • Tan S, Kirk N, Marshall M, McGann O & Hand RJ (2019) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 515, 392-400.
  • McCloy JS, Marcial J, Patil D, Saleh M, Ahmadzadeh M, Chen H, Crum JV, Riley BJ, Kamat H, Br矇hault A , Goel A et al (2019) . MRS Advances, 4(17-18), 1029-1043.
  • Fisher AJ, Hyatt NC, Hand RJ & Corkhill CL (2019) . MRS Advances, 4(17-18), 993-999.
  • Backhourse DJ, Fisher AJ, Neeway JJ, Corkhill CL, Hyatt NC & Hand RJ (2018) . npj Materials Degradation, 2.
  • Heath PG, Corkhill CL, Stennett MC, Hand RJ, Whales KM & Hyatt NC (2018) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 508, 203-211.
  • Tan S & Hand RJ (2018) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 507, 135-144.
  • Corkhill CL, Fisher AJ, Strachan DM, Hand RJ & Hyatt NC (2018) . Mineralogical Magazine, 82(4), 939-942.
  • Ahmad SQS & Hand RJ (2017) . Glass Technology - European Journal of Glass Science and Technology Part A, 58(5), 156-158.
  • Hyatt NC, Corkhill CL, Bailey DJ, Fisher AJ & Hand RJ (2017) . Materials Chemistry and Physics, 192, 29-32.
  • Ahmad SQS, Wieckert C & Hand RJ (2017) . Glass Technology: European Journal of Glass Science and Technology Part A, 58(2), 41-48.
  • Thorpe CL, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC, Kruger AA, Kosson DS, Schweiger MJ, Riley BJ & Corkhill CL (2017) . MRS Advances, 2, 635-640.
  • Cassingham NJ, Corkhill CL, Stennett MC, Hand RJ & Hyatt NC (2016) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 479, 639-646.
  • Tan S & Hand RJ (2016) . Materials China, 35(7), 496-503.
  • Lloyd JW, Stennett MC & Hand RJ (2016) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 469, 51-56.
  • Cassingham N, Corkhill CL, Backhouse DJ, Hand RJ, Ryan JV, Vienna JD & Hyatt NC (2015) . Mineralogical Magazine, 79(6), 1529-1542.
  • Kilinc E & Hand RJ (2015) . Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 429, 190-197.
  • Zhang H, Hyatt NC, Stevens JR & Hand R (2015) . Yuanzineng Kexue Jishu Atomic Energy Science and Technology, 49(7), 1159-1164.
  • Zhang H, Corkhill CL, Heath PG, Hand RJ, Stennett MC & Hyatt NC (2015) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 462, 321-328.
  • Sabri MM, Hand RJ & M繹bus G (2015) . Journal of Materials Research, 30(12), 1914-1924.
  • Shamsudin Z, Hodzic A, Soutis C, Hand RJ, Bond IP, Howard PJ & Szkoda I (2015) . Advanced Manufacturing: Polymer & Composites Science, 1(2), 120-127.
  • Tan S, Ojovan MI, Hyatt NC & Hand RJ (2015) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 458, 335-342.
  • Ahmad SQS, Hand RJ & Wieckert C (2014) . Solar Energy, 109, 174-182.
  • Gashier W, Miura T, Hashimoto K, Hand RJ & Kinoshita H (2014) . Advances in Applied Ceramics, 113(8), 447-452.
  • Bingham PA, Hannant OM, Reeves-Mclaren N, Stennett MC & Hand RJ (2014) . Journal of Non Crystalline Solids, 387, 47-56.
  • Mayzan MZH, Stennett MC, Hyatt NC & Hand RJ (2014) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 454(1-3), 343-351.
  • Hyatt NC, Schwarz RR, Bingham PA, Stennett MC, Corkhill CL, Heath PG, Hand RJ, James M, Pearson A & Morgan S (2014) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 444(1-3), 186-199.
  • Utton CA, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC, Swanton SW & Williams SJ (2013) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 442(1-3), 33-45.
  • Connelly AJ, Hyatt NC, Travis KP, Hand RJ, Stennett MC, Gandy AS, Brown AP & Apperley DC (2013) . Journal of Non Crystalline Solids, 378, 282-289.
  • McGann OJ, Gandy AS, Bingham PA, Hand RJ & Hyatt NC (2013) . Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, 1518, 41-46.
  • Heath PG, Stennett MC, McGann OJ, Hand RJ & Hyatt NC (2013) . Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, 1518, 3-8.
  • Utton CA, Hand RJ, Bingham PA, Hyatt NC, Swanton SW & Williams SJ (2013) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 435(1-3), 112-122.
  • Bingham PA, Hyatt NC, Hand RJ & Forder SD (2013) Vitrification of UK intermediate level radioactive wastes arising from site decommissioning. Initial laboratory trials. GLASS TECHNOLOGY-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF GLASS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PART A, 54(1), 1-19.
  • Rodriguez JAG & Hand RJ (2013) Evolution of the modulus and hardness of the tin and air sides of float glass as a function of hydration time. GLASS TECHNOLOGY-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF GLASS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PART A, 54(1), 36-41.
  • Heath PG, Corkhill CL, Stennett MC, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC & Meyer WCHM (2013) . Journal of Nuclear Materials.
  • Utton CA, Swanton SW, Schofield J, Hand RJ, Clacher A & Hyatt NC (2012) . Mineralogical Magazine, 76(8), 2919-2930.
  • Swait TJ, Rauf A, Grainger R, Bailey PBS, Lafferty AD, Fleet EJ, Hand RJ & Hayes SA (2012) . PLASTICS RUBBER AND COMPOSITES, 41(4-5), 215-224.
  • McGann OJ, Bingham PA, Hand RJ, Gandy AS, Kavi M, 鬚itnik M, Buar K, Edge R & Hyatt NC (2012) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 429(1-3), 353-367.
  • McGann OJ, Bingham PA, Hand RJ, Gandy AS, Kavi M, 鬚itnik M, Buar K, Edge R & Hyatt NC (2012) The effects of 帠-radiation on model vitreous wasteforms intended for the disposal of intermediate and high level radioactive wastes in the United Kingdom. Journal of Nuclear Materials.
  • Bingham PA, Hyatt NC & Hand RJ (2012) Vitrification of UK intermediate level radioactive wastes arising from site decommissioning: Property modelling and selection of candidate host glass compositions. Glass Technology European Journal of Glass Science and Technology Part A, 53(3), 83-100.
  • El-Sayed T & Hand RJ (2012) . Ceramics International, 38(3), 2543-2549.
  • Rauf A, Hand RJ & Hayes SA (2012) . Smart Materials and Structures, 21(4).
  • El-Sayed T & Hand RJ (2011) . Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 31(15), 2783-2791.
  • Riley BJ, Hrma PR, Vienna JD, Schweiger MJ, Rodriguez CP, Crum JV, Lang JB, Marra JC, Johnson FC, Peeler DK , Leonelli C et al (2011) . INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED GLASS SCIENCE, 2(4), 321-333.
  • Hodzic A, Shamsudin Z, Hayes SA, Hand RJ, Bond IP & Soutis C (2011) . Journal of Materials Science.
  • Bingham PA, Connelly AJ, Hyatt NC & Hand RJ (2011) . INT MATER REV, 56(4), 226-242.
  • Connelly AJ, Hyatt NC, Travis KP, Hand RJ & Maddrell ER (2011) Predicting the preference for charge compensation in silicate glasses. PHYS CHEM GLASSES-B, 52(2), 64-67.
  • Connelly AJ, Hyatt NC, Travis KP, Hand RJ, Maddrell ER & Short RJ (2011) . Journal of Non Crystalline Solids, 357(7), 1647-1656.
  • Connelly AJ, Hand RJ, Bingham PA & Hyatt NC (2011) . Journal of Nuclear Materials, 408(2), 188-193.
  • Connelly AJ, Travis KP, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC & Maddrell E (2011) . Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 94(1), 151-159.
  • Connelly AJ, Travis KP, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC & Maddrell E (2011) Composition-structure relationships in simplified nuclear waste glasses: 2. the effect of ZrO2 additions. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 94(1), 78-85.
  • Hand RJ & Tadjiev DR (2010) . Journal of Non Crystalline Solids, 356(44-49), 2417-2423.
  • Bingham PA, Connelly AJ, Hand RJ & Hyatt NC (2010) Vitrification of legacy and intermediate level radioactive wastes: Opportunities and challenges. Nuclear Future, 6(5), 250-254.
  • Ghosh SB, Jones FR & Hand RJ (2010) A novel indentation based method to determine the threshold stress intensity factor for sub-critical crack growth in glass. Glass Technology European Journal of Glass Science and Technology Part A, 51(4), 156-160.
  • Tadjiev DR, Hand RJ & Zeng P (2010) . MATER LETT, 64(9), 1041-1044.
  • Forder SD, Hannant OM, Bingham PA & Hand RJ (2010) . Journal of Physics Conference Series, 217(1).
  • Tadjiev DR, Hand RJ & Hayes SA (2010) . PHILOS MAG, 90(13), 1819-1832.
  • Bingham PA, Connelly AJ, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC, Northrup PA, Mori RA, Glatzel P, Kavcic M, Zitnik M, Bucar K & Edge R (2010) A multi-spectroscopic investigation of sulphur speciation in silicate glasses and slags. GLASS TECHNOL-PART A, 51(2), 63-80.
  • Yang G, Cook S, Hand RJ & Mobus G (2010) . J EUR CERAM SOC, 30(4), 831-838.
  • Tadjiev DR & Hand RJ (2010) . J NON-CRYST SOLIDS, 356(2), 102-108.
  • Ghosh SB, Bhowmik D, Hand RJ & Jones FR (2010) . J ENG MATER-T ASME, 132(1).
  • Schofield JM, Bingham PA & Hand RJ (2009) . Ceramic Transactions, 207, 69-80.
  • Bingham PA, Hand RJ, Hannant OM, Forder SD & Kilcoyne SH (2009) . J NON-CRYST SOLIDS, 355(28-30), 1526-1538.
  • Hannant OM, Forder SD, Bingham PA & Hand RJ (2009) . Hyperfine Interactions, 192(1-3), 37-42.
  • Plummer JD, Figueroa IA, Hand RJ, Davies HA & Todd I (2009) . J NON-CRYST SOLIDS, 355(6), 335-339.
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Book chapters

  • Hand RJ (2022) , Advanced Structured Materials (pp. 243-263). Springer Nature Singapore
  • Hand RJ (2021) , Encyclopedia of Materials: Technical Ceramics and Glasses (pp. 483-495). Elsevier
  • Hand RJ (2021) (pp. 379-390). Wiley
  • Hand RJ (2021) , Encyclopedia of Materials Technical Ceramics and Glasses Volume 1 3 (pp. V2-V2-495).
  • Hannant OM, Forder SD, Bingham PA & Hand RJ (2009) , ISIAME 2008 (pp. 539-544). Springer Berlin Heidelberg
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Conference proceedings

  • Hyatt NC, Corkhill CL, Stennett MC, Hand RJ, Gardner LJ & Thorpe CL (2020) . IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 818. Manchester, UK, 4 February 2020 - 4 February 2020.
  • Thorpe CL, Mann C, Fisher A, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC, Riley BJ, Schweiger MJ, Mayer J, Arendt C, Kruger AA , Kosson D et al (2018) Evaluation of novel leaching assessment for nuclear waste glasses. 44th Annual Waste Management Conference (WM2018) : Nuclear and Industrial Robotics, Remote Systems and Other Emerging Technology, Vol. 1 (pp 3317-3323). Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 18 March 2018 - 18 March 2018.
  • Tan S, Ojovan MI, Hyatt NC & Hand RJ (2015) . MRS Proceedings, Vol. 1744 (pp 67-72)
  • Wilson PR, Hayes SA & Hand RJ (2015) Practical demonstration of fibre evanescent wave spectroscopy for cure monitoring of epoxy resins using novel h-glass fibres. Iccm International Conferences on Composite Materials, Vol. 2015-July
  • Wilson PR, Hayes SA & Hand RJ (2013) Structural glass fibres for optical damage, cure and moisture ingress sensing in advanced reinforced polymer composites. Iccm International Conferences on Composite Materials, Vol. 2013-July (pp 4052-4060)
  • Yang G, Mobus G, Bingham PA & Hand RJ (2009) Electron beam induced structure changes in borosilicate and borophosphate glasses: a comparison by energy loss spectroscopy. PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF GLASSES-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF GLASS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PART B, Vol. 50(6) (pp 378-383)
  • Bingham PA, Hyatt NC, Hand RJ & Wilding CR (2009) Glass Development for Vitrification of Wet Intermediate Level Waste (WILW) From Decommissioning of the Hinkley Point 'A' Site. SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT XXXII, Vol. 1124 (pp 161-166)
  • Bingham PA, Connelly AJ, Hand RJ, Hyatt NC & Northrup PA (2009) Incorporation and speciation of sulphur in glasses for waste immobilisation. GLASS TECHNOLOGY-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF GLASS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PART A, Vol. 50(3) (pp 135-138)
  • Hannant OM, Forder SD, Bingham PA & Hand RJ (2009) Structural studies of iron in vitrified toxic wastes. ISIAME 2008 (pp 539-544)
  • Bailey PBS, Hayes SA, Hand RJ & Zhang B (2009) Chemical Monitoring of Composite Matrices by Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy. EMBODING INTELLIGENCE IN STRUCTURES AND INTEGRATED SYSTEMS, Vol. 56 (pp 297-302)
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Presentations

  • Sabri MM, Hand RJ & M繹bus G . The Octagon Centre, University of Sheffield.
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Preprints

  • Thorpe C, Ravikumar R, Corkhill C, Walling S, Neeway J, Pearce C, Kruger A, Kosson D, Marcial J & Hand R (2024) , Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
  • Thorpe C, Fisher A, Manifold G, Creasey-Gray S, Jackson C, Stone J, Corkhill C, Boothman C, Lloyd J & Hand R (2024) , Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
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Teaching activities
  • Introduction to Structural Materials
  • Glasses - processing and properties
  • Inorganic materials ITP
  • Nuclear reactors
Professional activities and memberships
  • Fellow and former President of the Society of Glass Technology (FSGT)
  • Member of the Institute of Physics (CPhys MInstP, CEng)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • Secretary to the Coordinating Technical Committee of the International Commission on Glass


     

Links

  MIDAS facility