School of Engineering

Institute for Materials and Processes

Professor Emeritus Christopher Hall

Senior Professorial Fellow

MA DPhil DSc (Oxford) CEng FRSC FIM FRSE

Professor of Materials, The University of Edinburgh 1999--2010
Director of Research, School of Engineering and Electronics 2002--2008
Visiting Professor, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester 1994--
Visiting Scientific Advisor, Schlumberger Cambridge Research 1999--2005
Visiting Fellow, Princeton University 1998
Senior Member, Robinson College, Cambridge
Brian Mercer Senior Award, Royal Society 2001
Visiting Scientist, DeltaMin Marie Curie Network 2009--2012

Christopher.Hall@ed.ac.uk

Research interests

My main scientific interests are in the chemistry of materials and geomaterials used in oilfield and civil engineering, and the application of several advanced experimental methods. I have worked extensively on capillary liquid transport in porous construction materials (NMR imaging methods, measurement of transport properties and modelling of capillary flow). At present, my research activities are in experimental methods for studying reactive transport and chemomechanical processes in complex inorganic materials such as rocks and cement-based materials. Our recent work includes the development of synchrotron-based diffraction tomography, the application of scanning probe microscopy to mineral/water reactions; the hydrothermal chemistry of materials under deep borehole conditions; and analysis and chemistry in archaeology and building conservation.

Water transport in brick, stone and concrete, C Hall and W D Hoff. [Book; comprehensive research monograph]

Some of our recent work on construction and heritage materials is described in the March 2005 issue of Materials World (Institute of Materials).

Some of recent work on water transfer in building structures is described in the January 2007 issue of Materials World (Institute of Materials).

Recent publications

C Hall and W D Hoff. Water transport in brick, stone and concrete. Second edition. Taylor & Francis, London and New York, 2011.
C Hall. M A Wilson and W D Hoff. Kinetics of long-term moisture expansion in fired-clay brick. Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2011, v94, 3651-3654. [DOI]
C Hall, A Hamilton, W D Hoff, H A Viles and J E Eklund. Moisture dynamics of walls: Response to microenvironment and climate change. Proceedings of the Royal Society A, v467, 194-211. [DOI]

A Hamilton, V Koutsos and C Hall. Direct measurement of salt-mineral repulsion using atomic force microscopy. Chemical Communications 2010, v46, 5235-5237. [DOI]

C Hall. Fundamentals of materials. In Manual of Construction Materials, Institution of Civil Engineers, ch 1, vol 1, 2010.

C Hall. Engineering properties of materials. In Manual of Construction Materials, Institution of Civil Engineers, ch 2, vol 1, 2010.

N Meller, K Kyritsis and C Hall. The hydrothermal decomposition of calcium monosulfoaluminate 14-hydrate to katoite hydrogarnet and beta-anhydrite: an in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction study. Journal of Solid State Chemistry 2009, v182, 2743-2747. [DOI]

L Robinet, C Hall, K Eremin, S Fearn and J Tate. Alteration of soda silicate glasses by organic pollutants in museums: Mechanisms and kinetics. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 2009, v355, 1479-1488. [DOI]

M A Wilson, M A Carter, C Hall, W D Hoff, C Ince, S D Savage, B McKay and I M Betts. Dating fired-clay ceramics using long-term power law rehydroxylation kinetics. Proceedings of the Royal Society A 2009, v465, 2407-2415. [DOI]

K Kyritsis, N Meller and C Hall. Chemistry and morphology of hydrogarnets formed in cement-based CASH hydroceramics cured at 200° to 350°C. Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2009, v92, 1105–1111 [DOI]

K Kyritsis, C Hall, D Bentz, N Meller and M A Wilson. Relationship between engineering properties, mineralogy, and microstructure in cement-based hydroceramic materials cured at 200°–350°C. Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2009, v92, 694–701 [DOI]

N Meller, K Kyritsis and C Hall. The mineralogy of the CaO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O (CASH) hydroceramic system from 200 to 350 °C. Cement and Concrete Research 2009, v39, 45–53 [DOI]

I D H Oswald, A Hamilton, C Hall, W G Marshall, T J Prior and C R Pulham. In situ characterization of elusive salt hydrates: The crystal structures of the heptahydrate and octahydrate of sodium sulfate. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2008 [DOI]

A Hamilton, C Hall and L Pel. Sodium sulfate heptahydrate: direct observation of crystallization in a porous material. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 2008, v41, 212002. [DOI]

C Hall and A Hamilton. The heptahydrate of sodium sulfate: Does it have a role in terrestrial and planetary geochemistry? Icarus 2008, v198, 277-279. [DOI]

S Savage, M A Wilson, M A Carter, B McKay, W D Hoff and C Hall. Mass gain due to the chemical recombination of water in fired clay brick. Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2008. [DOI]

A Hamilton and C Hall. Sodium sulfate heptahydrate: a synchrotron energy-dispersive diffraction study of an elusive metastable hydrated salt. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 2008, v23, 840-844. [DOI]

I Ioannou, A Hamilton and C Hall. Capillary absorption of water and n-decane by autoclaved aerated concrete. Cement and Concrete Research 2008, v38, 766-771. [DOI]

J. Skibsted and C. Hall. Characterization of cement minerals, cements and their reaction products at the atomic and nano scale. Cement and Concrete Research 2008, v38, 205-225. [DOI].

S D Savage, M A Wilson, M A Carter, W D Hoff, C Hall and B Mckay. Moisture expansion and mass gain in fired clay ceramics.: a two-stage (time)^1/4 process. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 2008, v41, 055402. [DOI]
C Hall and W D Hoff. Rising damp: capillary rise dynamics in walls. Proceedings of the Royal Society A 2007, v463, 1871-1884. [DOI].

A Hamilton and C Hall. A note on the density of a calcium silicate hydrate board material. Journal of Building Physics 2007, v31, 69-70. [DOI]

C Hall, W D Hoff, H-W Reinhardt, A Pfingstner, M A Wilson and L Serino. Sequential imbibition of two immiscible liquids into concrete. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 2007, v40, 4642-4646. [DOI]

N C Collier, M A Wilson, M A Carter, WD Hoff, C Hall, R J Ball, A El-Turki and G C Allen. Theoretical development and validation of a Sharp Front model of the dewatering of a slurry by an absorbent substrate. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 2007, v40, 4049-4054. [DOI]

L Robinet, K. Eremin, C Coupry, C Hall and N Lacome. Effect of organic acid vapors on the alteration of soda silicate glass. Journal of Non-Crystallline Solids 2007, v353, 1546-1559. [DOI]

C Hall. Anomalous diffusion in unsaturated flow -- fact or fiction? Cement and Concrete Research 2006, November 2006. [DOI]

L Robinet, C Coupry, K Eremin and C Hall. Raman investigation of the structural changes during alteration of historic glasses by organic pollutants. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 2006, v37, 1278-1286. [DOI]

L Robinet, C Coupry, K Eremin and C Hall. The use of Raman spectrometry to predict the stability of historic glasses. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 2006, v37, 789-797. [DOI]

C Vladu, C Hall and G C Maitland. Flow properties of freshly prepared ettringite suspensions in water at 25 °C. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2006, v294, 466-472. [DOI]

F Marica, Q Chen, A Hamilton, C Hall, T Al and B J Balcom. Spatially resolved measurement of rock core porosity. Journal of Magnetic Resonance, Oct 2005, v178. [DOI]]

L Robinet, K Eremin, S Fearn, C R Pulham and C Hall. Understanding glass deterioration in museum collections through Raman spectroscopy and SIMS analysis. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings 2005, v852, OO8.8.1-8.8.

I Ioannou, C Hall, W D Hoff, V A Pugsley and S D M Jacques.Synchrotron radiation energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction analysis of salt distribution in Lépine limestone. The Analyst 2005, v130, 1006-1008. [DOI]

N Meller, C Hall and J S Phipps. A new phase diagram for the CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-H₂O hydroceramic system at 200 °C. Materials Research Bulletin 2005, v40, 715-723. [DOI]

A Hamilton and C Hall. Physicochemical characterization of a hydrated calcium silicate board material. Journal of Building Physics 2005, v29, 9-19.

S L Colston, P Barnes, A C Jupe, S D M Jacques, C Hall, P Livesey, J Dransfield, N Meller and G C Maitland. An in situ synchrotron energy-dispersive diffraction study of the hydration of oilwell cement systems under high temperature/autoclave conditions up to 130 °C. Cement and Concrete Research 2005, v35, 2223-2232. [DOI]

I Ioannou, W D Hoff and C Hall. On the role of organic adlayers in the anomalous water sorptivity of Lepine limestone. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2004, v279, 228-234.

P Meredith, A M Donald, N Meller and C Hall. Tricalcium aluminate hydration: Microstructural observations by in-situ electron microscopy. Journal of Materials Science 2004, v39, 997-1005.

N Meller, C Hall, A C Jupe, S L Colston, S D M Jacques, P Barnes and J Phipps. The paste hydration of brownmillerite with and without gypsum: a time resolved synchrotron diffraction study at 30, 70, 100 and 150 °C. Journal of Materials Chemistry 2004, v14, 428-435. [.pdf full text]

S Roels, J Carmeliet, H Hens, O Adan, H Brocken, R Cerny, C Hall, L Pel. A comparison of different techniques to quantify moisture content profiles in porous building materials. Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science 2004, v2, 261-276.

J Carmeliet, H Hens, S Roels, O Adan, H Brocken, R Cernik, Z Pavlik, C. Hall. Determination of the liquid water diffusivity from transient moisture transfer experiments. Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science 2004, v27, 277-305. [.pdf full text]

S Roels, J Carmeliet, H Hens, O Adan, H Brocken, R. Cerny, Z Pavlik, C. Hall. Interlaboratory comparison of hygric properties of porous building materials. Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science 2004, v27, 307-325.

I Ioannou, C Hall, M A Wilson, W D Hoff, M A Carter. Direct measurement of the wetting front capillary pressure in a clay brick ceramic. Journal of Physics D; Applied Physics, 2003, v36, 3176-3182

M A Wilson, W D Hoff, C Hall, B McKay and A Hiley. Kinetics of moisture expansion in fired clay ceramics: a (time)^1/4 law. Physical Review Letters 2003, v90, 125503.

C Hall and A Hunt. Sensing device transported by fluid flow. British Patent no GB 2,352,042, 5 Mar 2002.

C Hall and W D Hoff. Water Transport in Brick, Stone and Concrete, Taylor and Francis, London 2002.[more...]

J Skibsted, C Hall and H-J Jakobsen. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging of cements and cement-based materials. In J Bensted and P Barnes (eds) Structure and Performance of Cements, Second edn, Taylor and Francis London 2002.

C Hall and D Bosbach. Scanning probe microscopy: a new view of the mineral/water interface. In J. Skalny (ed.) Materials Science of Concrete, vol 6, American Ceramic Society, pp 101-128. [.pdf full text]

P Barnes, A C Jupe et al. Tomographic energy-dispersive diffraction imaging of static and dynamic systems. Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation 2001, v17, 143-167.

A C Jupe, J K Cockcroft, P Barnes, S L Colston, G Sankar and C Hall. The site occupation of Mg in the brownmillerite structure and its effect on hydration properties. Journal of Applied Crystallography 2001, v34, 55-61.[pdf full text]

C Hall. Unsaturated flow. Ion and Mass Transport in Concrete, Materials Science of Concrete Special Volume, American Ceramic Society, 2001, pp 29-57.

C Hall. Material analysis. United States Patent no 6,072,853 6 June 2000. [.pdf title page]

S C Taylor, C Hall, W D Hoff and M A Wilson. Partial wetting in capillary liquid absorption by limestones. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2000, v224, 351-357. [abstract]

C Hall, S L Colston, A C Jupe, S D M Jacques, R Livingston, A O A Ramadan, A W Amde and P Barnes. Non-destructive energy-dispersive diffraction imaging of the interior of bulk concrete. Cement and Concrete Research 2000, v30, 491-495. [abstract]

P Barnes, S Colston, B Craster, C Hall, A Jupe, S Jacques, J Cockcroft, S Morgan, M Johnson, D O'Connor and M Bellotto. Time- and space-resolved dynamic studies on ceramic and cementitious materials. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation 2000, v7, 167-177.

Some earlier publications 1996-1999

Contact

School of Engineering
The University of Edinburgh
Sanderson Building
King's Buildings
Edinburgh EH9 3JL
UK
+44 131 650 5679 direct
+44 131 650 4860 office

+44 07798 790048 mobile
Christopher.Hall@ed.ac.uk