Academic Staff

Brief Biosketch

Dr Ruiqiang Zhang is currently a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He worked as a PDRA in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London, where he also obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to his PhD, he earned an MSc and a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from Central South University.

Dr Zhang’s research focuses on the development of advanced experimental testing approaches (e.g. multi-axial loading testing), advanced manufacturing processes (e.g. hot stamping, additive manufacturing), and advanced modelling techniques (e.g. crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) modelling) for metallic materials for various applications. He has extensive research experience in in-situ/ex-situ characterisation of microstructure evolution in cold/hot-deformed alloys using techniques such as SEM, EBSD, EDS, TEM, X-ray diffraction, as well as evaluating their mechanical properties (e.g. strength, ductility/formability). Additionally, he has worked on forming lab- and industrial-scale metallic components using innovative manufacturing processes developed through his research. To date, Dr Zhang has authored over 30 publications in high-impact journals such as Acta Materialia, International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, and Materials & Design, among others.

Selected publications

1. Zhang R, Zhang J, Wang W, Tang T, Jiang J*, Reed R, Lin J (2025) Mechanistic insights and kinetics of continuous and geometric dynamic recrystallisation in hot deformed aluminium alloy. Acta Materialia. doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2025.120893
2. Dear J^†, Zhang R^†*, Shi Z, Lin J (2025), A novel data-driven machine learning approach for improved strain rate control in thermomechanical testing of sheet metals, Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence. doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2025.110746
3. Zhang R*, Wang W, Jiang J (2025) Precipitation hardening: Unravelling mechanisms of trade-off between strength and ductility/formability of Al-Mg-Si alloys, Journal of Alloys and Compounds. doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.178443
4. Zhang R, Zheng JH*, Jiang J (2024) Dynamic recrystallisation: A quantitative study on grain boundary characteristics and dependence on temperature and strain rate in an aluminium alloy, Acta Materialia. doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120266
5. Zhang R, Wang W, Lin J*, Dean TA (2023) An indirect hot form and quench (HFQ) for manufacturing components of aluminum alloy sheets and comparison with direct HFQ. International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture. doi:10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2023.104073
6. Zhang R, Jiang J*, Lin J, Yardley VA (2023) Investigation of variability in apparent values of materials properties in thermo-mechanical uniaxial tensile tests on sheet metals. Journal of Manufacturing Processes. doi:10.1016/j.jmapro.2023.06.005
7. Zhang R, Shi Z, Yardley VA, Lin J* (2022) A CDM-based unified viscoplastic constitutive model of FLCs and FFLCs for boron steel under hot stamping conditions. International Journal of Damage Mechanics. doi:10.1177/10567895221105655
8. Zhang R, Shi Z, Yardley VA*, Lin J (2022) Experimental studies of necking and fracture limits of boron steel sheet under hot stamping conditions. Journal of Materials Processing Technology. doi: 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2021.117481
9. Zhang R, Shi Z*, Shao Z, Yardley VA, Lin J, Dean TA (2021) Biaxial test method for determination of FLCs and FFLCs for sheet metals: validation against standard Nakajima method. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences. doi:10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2021.106694
10. Zhang R, Shao Z, Shi Z*, Dean TA, Lin J (2021) Effect of cruciform specimen design on strain paths and fracture location in equi-biaxial tension. Journal of Materials Processing Technology. doi: 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2020.116932
11. Zhang R, Shi Z, Shao Z, Dean TA, Lin J* (2021) A novel spatio-temporal method for determining necking and fracture strains of sheet metals. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences. doi:10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2020.105977