Materials for Harsh Environments

Dr Robert Crooks 

Expertise: Materials research and development, materials characterization, impact and high strain rate testing

Advanced Ceramics Technical Consultant

Robert joined Lucideon as our Advanced Ceramics Technical Consultant with a specialism in materials research and development, materials characterisation and impact & high strain rate testing. Robert holds a PhD in the Development of Armour Materials and a degree in Design with Engineering Materials from Loughborough University

Robert is responsible for both consultancy and R&D projects on advanced ceramics including ceramic composites, ultra-high temperature ceramics, thermal barrier coatings, additive manufacturing, ceramic electrode materials and more. He works closely with businesses in the aerospace, defence, and energy sectors to deliver high performance materials solutions.

He has a broad knowledge base in materials science, spanning the three major sectors of metals, polymers, and ceramics. He has expertise in the development of materials for vehicle armour, most notably nanocomposite ceramics and impact sensitive polymer composites. Accordingly, he has experience in ballistic, impact, and high strain rate testing. In metallurgy, Robert has performed failure analysis route cause investigations on high strength fasteners, rolling and sliding bearings, castings, welds, and case-hardened components.

Julius Bonini, P.E.

Expertise: Additive manufacturing, metallurgy, SEM, EDS, organic materials analysis methodologies

Principal Consultant, Metallurgy

Julius is the Principal Consultant for Metallurgy at Lucideon M+P in Schenectady, NY. He joined Lucideon in early 2010 when he merged his Chicago-based metallurgical consulting firm, MPSI, with our international materials testing and consulting laboratory based in upstate New York.

Julius holds a bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Loyola University of Chicago. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and holds multiple patents.

He is primarily responsible for providing metallurgical consulting services and failure investigations on a wide range of materials for a diverse roster of clients, working both in the laboratory and at clients’ sites and is currently focused on aerospace and healthcare applications, including emerging space applications, high temperature and cryogenic temperature material applications, medical implants, medical devices, surgical and dental instruments, as well as material and issues associated with hydrogen usage.

Julius has extensive experience in failure analysis and has attained a body of knowledge in a variety of metal systems including titanium alloys, stainless steels, alloy steels, tool steels, aluminium alloys, copper alloys, nickel alloys, precious metals, soldering alloys, as well as specialty electronic and magnet materials. He also has significant experience in corrosion, wear, fatigue, heat treatment, castings, metal coating and surface treatment, powder metallurgy, welding, MIM, component design, and the analysis of contamination. In recent years, he has also established substantial experience with additive manufacturing (AM) and has become an expert in powder bed, directed energy deposition, binder jetting and other emerging additive manufacturing technologies. In these capacities, he is working with various ASTM and ISO committees as well as the FDA to help establish the appropriate standards for these AM technologies.

Julius’s experience dates back over 40 years as he worked on the original porous coated medical implants working with Dr. William Rostokor and Dr. Jorge Galante at the University of Illinois and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s hospital in Chicago in the 70’s and 80’s. He later worked as a metallurgical engineer in the Materials and Process Department at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri.

Julius has contributed papers for a variety of symposia and publications for MPIF, APMI, AIME, SAMPE, TMS, AMPM and other technical organisations. He has recently published several papers on the effects of Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIPing) on the fatigue performance of titanium alloys manufactured by AM methods. He has taught mathematics courses at the Purdue University in Indiana and the Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr Robert F. Kraus

Expertise: Mechanical testing, materials characterisation

Technical Leader - Mechanical Testing

Bob joined the Lucideon Limited team as Mechanical Testing Technical Leader in 2018, specialising in Corrosion & Physical test operations. He spent over three decades in his chosen field and holds a PhD in mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY USA.

His role as Technical Manager of Physical Testing in Schenectady, NY USA involves administering the SCC Corrosion Lab & keeping the Creep Testing Lab functional.

He also has an extensive background as an electrical power generator design engineer for General Electric, Schenectady, NY, working there between 2005 and 2018 and is currently in a second term with Lucideon Limited, having worked with us previously, from 1988 to 2005 in the Mechanical test group located, at that time, in Schenectady, NY USA.

Sean Borkowski

Vice President - US Commerce

Sean joined Lucideon in September 2014 with over 9 years’ industry experience and a specialism in biomedical engineering, biomechanics, business management, and sales.

He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering and used the combination of this and his wealth of industry knowledge, to climb the Lucideon ladder. Starting in a Technical Sales role for Healthcare and quickly moving to Business Manager – Healthcare in 2017, before subsequently becoming VP of US Commerce in 2022.

Sean’s key activities in a typical day include developing, driving and implementing commercial strategies to support cross-sector growth in the USA and Healthcare sector growth globally; working with the technical and commercial teams to develop client opportunities; reviewing proposals, contracts & NDAs; coaching the team through client-facing activities; driving new client conversations in key areas; and managing the key commercial metrics for the US business.

Sean is a dedicated sports fan (Liverpool & all things Philadelphia), he loves to cook, travel, and spend time with family.