722 Chemical and Materials Engineering Building
(780) 492-3418
Fax: (780) 492-2881
Mike.Wayman@UAlberta.ca

Research Areas: Materials Characterization, Physical Metallurgy, Archaeometallurgy, Historical Metallurgy, Microstructural Development, Archaeometry

Dr. Wayman's background and experience lie in Physical Metallurgy. He has been involved in research into various aspects of microstructural development of metals and alloys and how microstructure is related to properties, primarily mechanical properties. He has carried out research and published on metal fatigue, and on several aspects of the embrittlement and fracture of metals and alloys, including hydrogen embrittlement and temper embrittlement of steels. There has been a strong emphasis on the characterization of materials using optical and electron metallography and X- ray diffraction.

He has also been deeply involved in investigations of many aspects of historical and archaeological metallurgy, and ancient materials studies in general. Modern metallurgical analytical techniques, primarily optical and scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis, have been applied to archaeological and historical artifacts from many contexts in the Old and New Worlds. Both metallic objects and metallurgical slags have been studied in attempts to better understand the development of ancient metallurgical technologies and the societies in which they operated.

Current research involves many aspects of archaeometallurgy, with some emphasis on iron and steel. Developments in post-medieval steel technology are being investigated through the analysis of springs and wear parts from early clocks and watches in the British Museum collections. Traditional South Asian crucible steelmaking technologies are being studied by analysis of a collection of Sri Lankan ingots and tools. Traditional Sri Lankan ironmaking technology studies include analysis of archaeological artifacts as well as the products of experimental smelting in traditional wind-powered furnaces, a newly discovered technology. Investigations continue on the early use of metals, especially iron, in the Arctic and in Alberta fur trade contexts, on the metalworking activities at a pre-Roman site in Southern Italy, on Punic metallurgy in Carthage, on traditional West African iron, steel and brass production and on Meso-American copper technology. Several additional archaeometric studies of non-metallic materials, mainly bone, are also underway. These projects are being carried out in collaboration with archaeologists from this and many other institutions worldwide.

More conventional metallurgical projects in progress are aimed at better understanding the effects of thermal and mechanical processing on microstructure, specifically the carbide morphologies in steels and non-metallic inclusion morphology in copper- based alloys.

Sample Publications:

P.T. Craddock, M.L. Wayman, H. Wang and C. Michaelson, "Chinese Cast Iron through Twenty-five Hundred Years" in P. Jett, ed. Scientific Research in the Field of Asian Art, London:Archetype (2003) pp. 36-46.

M. L. Wayman and H. Wang, "Cast Iron Coins of Song Dynasty China: a metallurgical study", Historical Metallurgy 37 (2003) pp.6-24.

P.T. Craddock, M.L. Wayman and A.J.T. Jull, "The Radiocarbon Dating and Authentication of Iron Artifacts", Radiocarbon 44 (2002) pp.717-732

M.L. Wayman, "Archaeometallurgical Contributions to a Better Understanding of the Past", Materials Characterization 45 (2000) pp.259-267.

M.L. Wayman, ed., "The Ferrous Metallurgy of Early Clocks and Watches: Studies in Post Medieval Steel", British Museum Occasional Paper No. 136 London: British Museum (2000) 215 p.