Dr. Wei Deng joined Dr Paul Bingham’s research group in Sheffield Hallam University in 2016. Wei's research focuses on the energy and CO₂ reduction in the glass industry. Currently, Wei is also working in Sheffield Innovation Programme (SIP) to support reginal business growth. He engaged and cooperated with different companies including but not limited to: Glass Technology Service (GTS), VitriTech, Ardagh, Refmet, Kansa, Chase Research Cryogenics and Wright Engineering. etc.

Wei has a lot of experience working closely with the glass industry. He has great interested in silicate glass, glass-ceramics science and engineering.

During his studies in Wuhan University of Technology in China, Dr Deng worked in a local government research institute. He worked closely with SMEs and devoted himself to solve practical problems in the glass industry.

Wei has been awarded several research funds, both from government and industry in China, where he got an extensive research and experience in glass science and industry. With support of his PhD advisor, Wei proposed an Investigation and Development Report for his local government. His report contributed for the establishment of the Shahe Glass Research Institute.

Between 2013 and 2015, Dr Deng continued his post-doctoral research in High Level Waste (HLW) glass surface aqueous corrosion in Alfred University, USA. His research was funded by the Department of Energy (DOE). Wei obtained the permission to use the Brookhaven National Laboratory-National Synchrotron Light Source, which he used to carry out his HLW glass research on.

In 2016, Wei joined Dr Paul Bingham’s research group in Sheffield Hallam University and successfully finished the project of “Briquetting of recycled glass fines for energy and CO₂ reduction in the glass industry” in 2017, which funded by Innovate UK (63406-429275) and EPSRC (EP/P510725/1).

Dr Deng's current research with the Materials and Engineering Research Institute focuses on the energy and CO₂ reduction in the glass industry and he is also working in Sheffield Innovation Programme (SIP) to support reginal business growth.

Specialist areas of interest:
• Silicate Glass and glass-ceramics
• The Energy-saving & Emission Reduction in glass industry.
• Glass Composition modification/optimization for different purposes.
• Glass structure topics such as liquid phase separation, crystallization, relaxation, transition etc., and its relationship with properties.
• Glass surface corrosion and surface morphology characterization.