Dr Han Zhang , from the University of Warwick, has been awarded the 2026 Beilby Medal and Prize for his work in the field of composite processing and manufacturing science.
The Beilby Medal and Prize is jointly awarded and administered in rotation by SCI and the IOM3, annually recognising a scientist or engineer whose work is of exceptional practical significance in chemical engineering, applied science, energy efficiency or a related field. The 2026 award was administered by SCI.
Dr Zhang will be presented with his award at the Innovations in polymeric coatings event on 17 June at SCI HQ in London, where he will also give a talk.
What commercial applications has this research got in industry?
My research turns polymer and composite materials innovation into practical technologies that make manufacturing and maintenance more resource and energy efficient, safer, and more circular.
In composites manufacturing, I have developed out-of-oven processing routes that significantly reduce energy demand while maintaining structural performance. These approaches are being validated with UK industry and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult for automotive and other high-value applications. A related strand of my work, self-regulating conductive polymer composite heating, has progressed beyond the lab and underpinned patented technology and a commercial product that is sold internationally for industrial thermal management.
I also work on integrated electrical sensing, so materials can “tell us what is happening inside” during processing and in service. By enabling early detection of defects and damage, from process monitoring through to structural health monitoring, these technologies improve quality assurance, reduce scrap, and minimise downtime. More recently, I have been upcycling reclaimed carbon fibre into value-added functional layers for sensing and energy-efficient processing, helping to build confidence in second-life materials.
Beyond high-performance sectors, my agricultural-waste derived composite has delivered scalable packaging solutions that can replace single-use plastics in developing regions. At WMG, University of Warwick, state-of-the-art facilities and strong industrial partnerships help accelerate these ideas from fundamental materials concepts to real-world deployment.
The Beilby Medal recognises a scientist or engineer’s substantial work of exceptional practical significance in chemical engineering, applied materials science, energy efficiency, or a related field. What is your proudest achievement so far?
I am most proud of proving that we do not have to choose between performance and sustainability in polymer and composite engineering. By rethinking how composites are processed and developed, my work has shown that energy efficiency, structural performance, durability, repairability and circularity can be achieved simultaneously.
My approach has been to integrate sustainability at the material-design stage, ensuring that energy efficiency and safety are embedded in the process itself, without compromising structural performance or engineering reliability. That mindset led to a body of work on out-of-oven manufacturing and self-regulating heating concepts that reduce energy consumption while maintaining the structural performance demanded by industry.
Seeing these concepts progress from laboratory research to industrial validation, and in some cases commercial products, has been deeply rewarding.
Equally important is what this enables at system level: embedded electrical sensing and repairable composite architectures that reduce scrap, prevent premature replacement, and cut downtime. In practice, that means fewer materials wasted, fewer emissions locked into replacement parts, and greater confidence in the reuse of reclaimed materials. This is exactly the kind of practical impact that applied materials science should deliver.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect is that my work has also created opportunities for others: from students producing award-recognised research, to partnerships that connect laboratory insight with manufacturing reality. It has reinforced my belief that applied materials science can be a decisive lever for Net Zero and sustainable manufacturing, provided we design with real constraints and real deployment in mind.
What are you aiming to achieve in the future?
I aim to develop the next generation of intelligent and sustainable polymers and composites that meet real engineering constraints while reducing environmental impact. From the outset, these materials should consume less energy to manufacture, monitor their condition in service, and be repaired or reused with confidence to retain value across their lifecycle, while also being designed for disassembly and material recovery at end of life.
A central theme of my research is multifunctionality. I want structural materials to do more than carry load. By integrating energy-efficient processing, embedded electrical sensing, repairability, and upcycled functional materials into both high-performance composites and widely used engineering plastics, I aim to make sustainability inherent to material design rather than something addressed later.
I see electrical sensing as a key enabler for circular plastics and composites. If recycled or reclaimed materials are to be adopted at scale, industry must have confidence in their performance. By embedding sensing capability directly into recycled composite systems, we can monitor quality during manufacture and verify structural integrity in service. This reduces uncertainty, minimises waste, and supports wider adoption of recycled materials in demanding applications.
Being at WMG allows me to connect fundamental materials research with pilot-scale manufacturing and industrial deployment. This makes it possible to move beyond laboratory demonstrations and develop scalable solutions that can be adopted across transport, infrastructure, and high-volume polymer applications.
More broadly, I want to use my expertise to help solving practical challenges faced by industry and society. Materials engineering sits at the intersection of performance, sustainability, and responsibility. I hope to contribute not only through technical innovation, but also by supporting collaboration and inspiring younger generations to see materials science as a powerful way to address global engineering and environmental challenges.
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