My name is Velile Vilane, I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (CHRTEM) at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I am originally from Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and I migrated to South Africa to complete my doctorate in Materials Engineering.

  • My background is in designing manufacturing processes and engineering the atomic structure of metals in order to optimise their mechanical properties.
  • My Ph.D. project improved the mechanical strength of a cast titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) by refining its grain size using thermohydrogen processing. It also investigated microstructure evolution during thermohydrogen processing at atomic resolution using transmission electron microscopy. 
  • This demonstrated that aerospace components (which are typically manufactured from Ti-6Al-4V) can be manufactured using a cheaper alternative manufacturing route (casting) and their mechanical performance can be subsequently optimised using thermohydrogen processing. 
COURTESY: VELILE VILANE.

I am also involved in Trans activism which challenges institutional systems and legislative bodies to address the systemic exclusion of transgender persons from achieving full citizenship.  

Connect with Velile: