Xiaowen Yuan

Xiaowen Yuan is a New Zealand materials scientist, and is a full professor at the Auckland University of Technology, specialising in novel composite materials from natural materials for high performance uses, such as improving supercapacitor performance.

Academic career

Yuan completed a PhD titled Plasma modification of natural fibres in polypropylene composites at the University of Auckland in 2002.^[1] Yuan worked at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, and was an adjunct professor at the National University of Singapore.^[2] Yuan then joined the faculty of Massey University and later the Auckland University of Technology. She was promoted to full professor at AUT in 2024.^[3] Yuan leads the Future Fibres Laboratory at AUT, and is a professor in the mechanical engineering department.^[4][5]

Yuan's research focuses on novel composite materials, especially from natural materials such as gelatine, cellulose and collagen.^[5] In 2018 Yuan received a Smart Ideas grant from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment worth just under $1 million, to research the use of harakeke (New Zealand flax) fibres to improve supercapacitor performance.^[6] Supercapacitors are more sustainable alternatives to batteries, but are limited by electrode problems.^[6] Yuan and her research team are also investigating the use of other plant and animal fibres such as industrial hemp and wool, in other high-performance uses, such as smart textiles and medical uses.^[4] They research fibre production and processing, including fibre surface modification, through to product development.^[4]

Selected works

Scholia has a profile for Xiaowen Yuan (Q123345118).

• Libo Yan; Nawawi Chouw; Xiaowen Yuan (21 February 2012). "Improving the mechanical properties of natural fibre fabric reinforced epoxy composites by alkali treatment". Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites. 31 (6): 425–437. doi:10.1177/0731684412439494. ISSN 0731-6844. Wikidata Q124476272.
• Xiaowen Yuan; Krishnan Jayaraman; Debes Bhattacharyya (December 2004). "Effects of plasma treatment in enhancing the performance of woodfibre-polypropylene composites". Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing. 35 (12): 1363–1374. doi:10.1016/J.COMPOSITESA.2004.06.023. ISSN 1359-835X. Wikidata Q124476282.
• John Eric Little; Xiaowen Yuan; Mark Ian Jones (March 2012). "Characterisation of voids in fibre reinforced composite materials". NDT and E International. 46: 122–127. doi:10.1016/J.NDTEINT.2011.11.011. ISSN 0963-8695. Wikidata Q124476273.
• D. Y. Liu; Xiaowen Yuan; D. Bhattacharyya; A. J. Easteal (2010). "Characterisation of solution cast cellulose nanofibre – reinforced poly(lactic acid)". EXPRESS polymer letters. 4 (1): 26–31. doi:10.3144/EXPRESSPOLYMLETT.2010.5. ISSN 1788-618X. Wikidata Q124476274.
• Yitong Zhai; Xiaowen Yuan (29 September 2023). "Superhydrophobic, Magnetic Aerogels Based on Nanocellulose Fibers Derived from Harakeke for Oily Wastewater Remediation". Polymers. 15 (19): 3941. doi:10.3390/POLYM15193941. ISSN 2073-4360. Wikidata Q124473915.
• Heng Wu; Wenyu Yuan; Xiaowen Yuan; Laifei Cheng (20 June 2022). "Atmosphere‐free activation methodology for holey graphene/cellulose nanofiber‐based film electrode with highly efficient capacitance performance". Carbon Energy. 5 (1). doi:10.1002/CEY2.229. ISSN 2637-9368. Wikidata Q124474230.
• Heng Wu; Yani Zhang; Wenyu Yuan; Yingxin Zhao; Shaohong Luo; Xiaowen Yuan; Lianxi Zheng; Laifei Cheng (2018). "Highly flexible, foldable and stretchable Ni–Co layered double hydroxide/polyaniline/bacterial cellulose electrodes for high-performance all-solid-state supercapacitors". Journal of Materials Chemistry A. 6 (34): 16617–16626. doi:10.1039/C8TA05673K. ISSN 2050-7496. Wikidata Q124474238.

References