Duncan Michael Price
Grew up in the village of Chilcompton, Somerset, England. Attended Norton Hill School, Midsomer Norton (1975-1982). Studied Chemistry at the University of Exeter (1982-1985). Postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham in the School of Metallurgy and Materials under Dr J N Hay (1985-1988). Joined Courtaulds (now Acordis) in 1988 working in the Analytical Group based at the corporate research centre in Coventry. Responsible for providing the Thermal Analysis service (DSC, TGA, TMA, DMA, etc). Seconded to Courtaulds Performance Films Inc. (now CPFilms), Martinsville, VA (1994-1995) to develop a high performance adhesive for flexible electronic circuits. Returned to UK in 1995 to resume role in Thermal Analysis, also providing support for Surface Characterisation (XPS & SIMS).
Joined the Department of Materials (formerly the Institute of Polymer Technology and Materials Engineering), Loughborough University in February 1998. Member of Advanced Thermal Methods Unit until April 2002 working with Dr M Reading on the development and applications of modulated temperature techniques and the combination of scanning probe microscopy with localised thermal analysis (for which an award of Ph.D was made in 2002). Moved to the Metals Research Group to work with Prof R C Thomson in the studying the microstructure of commercial Al-Si piston alloys using DSC, mechanical testing and microscopy and then joined the Ceramics Research Group under Prof J G P Binner in February 2003 in order to develop a novel hybrid microwave heated calorimeter. Finally working on an EU funded project on microwave processing of polymers involving a number of SME's from throughout Europe between October 2004-December 2006.
Since January 2007 has been with Edwards in Clevedon, N. Somerset developing exhaust gas management systems used in the semiconductor industry. This involves abating a variety of hazardous and/or global warming gases using electrochemical sensors, FTIR and mass spectrometry to determine the effectiveness of the process.
Committee member and past chairman of the Royal Society of Chemistry Thermal Methods Group with over 50 scientific publications.
Interests: Caving (trustee of Chelsea Speleological Society and associate member of Mendip Cave Rescue - recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for services to cave rescue) & Cave Diving (former regional secretary, training officer and examiner for the Cave Diving Group - as well as writing a number of guidebooks for which he recieved the "Fish Award" in 2016 for his contributions to the CDG). Duncan published his "autobiography" (Underwater Potholer) in 2015.