Profile
William Wiseman
My CV
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Education:
Poringland Primary School
Framingham Earl High School
City of Norwich 6th Form
University of York -
Qualifications:
Maths, English Language, English Literature, Triple Science, Design Technology, IT, Business Studies, PE, Religious education
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Work History:
Paper boy
Worked on a Mushroom Farm
Coffee Shop Waiter
Junior Scientist
Development Scientist
Senior Scientist
Technical Manager -
Current Job:
Technical Manager
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About Me:
A scientist working in Manchester that makes zirconium oxide materials. I have worked in Manchester for 10 years and manage a team of 2 people
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I live in Manchester with my wife and 2 year old daughter. I play badminton and enjoy fishing on the weekends by the lakes close to our house. After finishing university, I started working in Manchester and have been with this company for 10 years! I am a manager of 2 people who work with me in the lab and also out on our plant where we scale up from 200g to 200 Kg.
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The materials I work with form a class of materials called ceramics. I work with metal oxide ceramics such as zirconium dioxide. This material when mixed with other metal oxides, form a wide range of materials which can be used in a wide range of applications. Mixing zirconium oxide with yttrium oxide creates a material that is very strong and resistant to heat. It can be used in cutting tools or can coat steel turbines to form a thermal coating to prevent the metal from melting. It can also be used to make false teeth because it is very wear resistant, natural colour and strong.
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My Typical Day:
I arrive early to work around 7am. My day is split between the lab and the office. Inside the lab, I measure different reactions and test different materials. One machine snaps test pieces and they make a really loud bang when they break. Once my experiments are complete, I go back to my office to write up my experiments in my lab book.
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My day is set out into multiple experiments testing how different compositions of ceramic effect the properties. A little bit more yttrium oxide means a softer ceramic but can be used in sensors. A little less yttrium oxide and I can test the mechanical strength of the ceramic by snapping a piece on a large test machine.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would fund a local school trip to our company to show the students what we do
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The elements important to my work are:
All of my work deals with element 40 – Zirconium – Zr
With zirconium, I mix Yttrium – Y, Magnesium – Mg and Aluminium – Al to form different ceramics.
Another important element is Oxygen – O as all of the materials are reacted to give oxides.
Metal oxides are very important materials as they can replace metals in certain applications which require higher strength or resistance to temperature or corrosion.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Friendly Crazy Scientist
What did you want to be after you left school?
I didn't know
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Once - learnt my lesson - the teacher forgot i was outside!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Red Hot Chili Peppers
What's your favourite food?
Tomato pasta with chicken
Tell us a joke.
What did one wall say to the other wall... I'll meet you at the corner
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