His main research domain is fracture mechanics and advanced engineering materials, particularly composites. He is a pioneer in the fundamental understanding of composite interfaces and crack-wake bridging, which has revolutionised the microstructure design of tough fibre composites and ceramics. His research achievements encompass fundamental research and engineering applications that generate both significant academic and practical impact.
Prof. Mai has been elected to eight of the world's most prestigious academies. In 2017, he was elected Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. In 2008, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London, becoming the first Hong Kong University engineering graduate to receive this honour. He is also Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering (2011), Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (2001), Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (1992), Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences (2008), Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (2003) and Life Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He received the Centenary Medal of the Federation of Australia in 2003 and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2010 for service to engineering, particularly in advanced fibre composites and fracture research.
In recent years, Prof. Mai has received some of the most prestigious research medals in his field. In 2024, he was honoured with the Asian-Australasian Association for Composite Materials Medal. In 2023, he received both the Warner T. Koiter Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Silver Medal from Materials Australia, the highest recognition presented by the organisation. In 2016, he was awarded the A.A. Griffith Medal & Prize from the UK Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining and the AGM Michell Medal from Engineers Australia. In 2015, he received the Scala Award and World Fellowship from the International Committee on Composite Materials. Earlier honours include the Takeo Yokobori Gold Medal from the International Congress on Fracture (2013) and the Robert L'Hermite Medal (1981).
Prof. Mai's research excellence has been consistently recognised through global rankings. In 2022, he was ranked 1st in Australia and 10th in the world in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering by Research.com, and in 2025 he was ranked 1st in China and 7th globally in the same field. Most notably, his basic research on the essential work of fracture concept directly led to an ISO International Standard (ISO 23524:2022), which provides standardised methods for determining fracture toughness of plastics films and thin sheets.
Professor Mai's research results have made substantial translational impacts in industry and influenced engineering practice. Key achievements include: developing asbestos-free fibre cements based on cellulose fibres for building products with James Hardie Industries, which eliminated health hazards while maintaining product performance; creating super-hard layered nanocomposite coatings for moulds, dies and machining tools, benefiting Hong Kong industries and General Motors USA in the area of green manufacturing; and improving composite manufacturing processes including pultrusion, thermoforming and stitching/z-pinning for the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures.
At the University of Sydney (1976-2023), Prof. Mai supervised/co-supervised 58 PhD students to completion and advised over 60 postdoctoral fellows, research fellows and visiting academics. Many of these are now successful leaders in their chosen fields in academia, industry and business worldwide. He has co-authored seven books and published extensively in major international journals. In 2013, he was conferred a Doctor of Science (honoris causa) degree by The University of Hong Kong in recognition of his contributions to scientific research and society.
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