Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career
Section: Overview
Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career

Key details

Areas of expertise

  • Organic/polymer syntheses and characterisation
  • Combustion chemistry and toxicity
  • Chemical modification of polymers to confer flame retardance
  • Recycling of plastics and cellulosic materials; energy from waste; greener technologies
  • Combustion of ligno-cellulosic materials and bush fire

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

About Paul Joseph

Paul is a chemist specialising in polymer science and combustion chemistry, with more than 20 years of research experience. He has an international reputation in the field of polymer/material science, with a track record of publishing research and securing external and internal research funding.

After obtaining his PhD in Polymer Science from Lancaster University, UK, Paul worked at Lancaster and Sheffield Universities as a Research Associate in area of polymer science before taking up a research fellowship at University of Ulster, UK. Subsequently, he was promoted to Lecturer, and then Senior Lecturer, before securing the current position of Associate Professor in Material Science at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.

Paul has obtained external research funding from highly competitive sources, including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK. While at Sheffield University, he was instrumental in attracting two EPSRC grants (a total of £225,627), and at Ulster Paul was the principal investigator in an EPSRC project, both in the area of functional polymeric materials (£320,000). He was also lead academic supervisor for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project worth £107,000, relating to devising environmentally-friendly means of removing unspent polymeric products from components of injection moulding machines. In addition, Paul was a co-investigator on another EPSRC program (£970,514), that investigated the integrated safety strategies for on-board hydrogen storage systems. While at Ulster he also attracted various small- to medium-size grants through internal bids (totalling about £70,000).

Since joining Victoria University, he has secured the following research grants:

  • VU Industrial Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Defence Science and Technology Group: 'Experimental and numerical investigations on the efficacy of water mist systems for active suppression of fires involving lithium-ion batteries in enclosure', AUD $350,000 (2017- 2020)
  • Victoria University Research Infrastructure Grant Scheme: 'Fire Emissions Mitigation System (FEMS)', AUD $300,000 (2016-2017)
  • Victoria University Capital Expenditure Grant: 'Pyrolysis Combustion Flow Calorimeter (PCFC)',  AUD $50,000 (2015).

 

To date, Paul has co-authored about 120 research outputs, including 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and nine invited book chapters. He has been actively involved in research students’ supervision at four different universities dotted across the world. Currently, he supervises four PhD programs at Victoria University.

Qualifications

  • PhD (Polymer Science), Lancaster University, UK
  • MSc (Hydrogen Safety Engineering), Ulster University, UK
  • PgCHEP, Ulster University, UK
  • MSc (Applied Chemistry), Cochin University, India
  • BSc (Chemistry), Kerala University India

Key publications

Year Citation
2022 Joseph, P., Tretsiakova-McNally, S., Baby, A., Pospiech, D., Schierz, E., Lederer, Lederer, A., & Arun, M. (220605). Thermal decomposition of styrenic polymers modified with covalently bound P- and N-containing groups: Analysis of the gaseous-phase mechanism American Chemical Society.

Year Citation
2022 Pham, S. T., Tieu, A. K., Sencadas, V., Joseph, P., Arun, M., & Cortie, D. (220907). Thermoresponsive Hybrid Colloidal Capsules as an Inorganic Additive for Fire-Resistant Silicone-Based Coatings. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 61(35), (13104-13116).

doi: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c01967
2022 Wei, S. N., Liu, X., Yan, J., Zhong, M., Joseph, P., Zhang, J., & Zhang, R. C. (220901). A study of the mechanical performance of nanocomposites of polyethylene containing exfoliated boron nitride nanoplatelets. Polymer Composites, 43(9), (6276-6286).

doi: 10.1002/pc.26936
2022 Unnikrishnan, V., Zabihi, O., Li, Q., Ahmadi, M., Ferdowsi, M. RG., Kannangara, T., Blanchard, P., Kiziltas, A., Joseph, P., & Naebe, M. (220901). Multifunctional PA6 composites using waste glass fiber and green metal organic framework/graphene hybrids. Polymer Composites, 43(9), (5877-5893).

doi: 10.1002/pc.27002
2022 Kannangara, T., Joseph, P., Fragomeni, S., & Guerrieri, M. (220601). Existing theories of concrete spalling and test methods relating to moisture migration patterns upon exposure to elevated temperatures - A review. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 16

doi: 10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e01111
2022 Arun, M., Bigger, S., Guerrieri, M., Joseph, P., & Tretsiakova-McNally, S. (220401). Thermal and Calorimetric Investigations of Some Phosphorus-Modified Chain Growth Polymers 2: Polystyrene. Polymers, 14(8),

doi: 10.3390/polym14081520
2022 Arun, M., Bigger, S., Guerrieri, M., Joseph, P., & Tretsiakova-Mcnally, S. (220401). Thermal and Calorimetric Investigations of Some Phosphorus-Modified Chain Growth Polymers 1: Polymethyl Methacrylate. Polymers, 14(7),

doi: 10.3390/polym14071447
2022 Zamani, P., Zabihi, O., Ahmadi, M., Mahmoodi, R., Kannangara, T., Joseph, P., & Naebe, M. (220117). Biobased Carbon Fiber Composites with Enhanced Flame Retardancy: A Cradle-to-Cradle Approach. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 10(2), (1059-1069).

doi: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c07859
2022 Ghiji, M., Joseph, P., & Guerrieri, M. (220101). Some recent developments and testing strategies relating to the passive fire protection of concrete using intumescent coatings: a review. Journal of Structural Fire Engineering,

doi: 10.1108/JSFE-11-2021-0069
2022 Kannangara, T., Guerrieri, M., Fragomeni, S., & Joseph, P. (220101). Effects of Initial Surface Evaporation on the Performance of Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Paste at Elevated Temperatures. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 12(1),

doi: 10.3390/app12010364

Research funding for the past 5 years

Please note:

  • Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
  • Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
  • The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.

Investigation of a Prototype Firefighting System Based on Compressed Nitrogen Gas
From: Defence Science Institute
Other investigators: Prof Khalid Moinuddin
For period: 2020-2021
 $48,610

Development of sustainable bio-materials for mitigating climate change.
From: PVC (Research and Research Training), College of Engineering and Science
Other investigators: Mr Nitin Muttil, Prof Khalid Moinuddin, Prof Vassili Novozhilov, Prof Stephen Bigger
For period: 2017-2020
 $90,000
Experimental and numerical investigations on the efficacy of water mist systems for active suppression of fires involving lithium-ion batteries in enclosures.
From: Defence Science and Technology Group, Australia, Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering
Other investigators: Prof Vassili Novozhilov, Prof Khalid Moinuddin
For period: 2017-2020
 $392,106

Supervision of research students at VU

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

Currently supervised research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
3 PhD Principal supervisor

Currently supervised research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD (3) Principal supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
2 PhD Principal supervisor
1 PhD Associate supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD (2) Principal supervisor
PhD (1) Associate supervisor

Careers

Details of this Researcher's career are currently unavailable.