Nicolas Cunningham, Ph.D., P.Eng., DFE
Senior Practice Leader, Materials Science
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Background
Dr. Nicolas Cunningham is a registered professional engineer with extensive experience in materials engineering, corrosion, materials testing, and research and development. He has spent over 20 years in the fields of chemical and materials engineering, working in markets spanning from education and research to industrial and military. Specifically, his experience extends to diversified industries such as oil and gas, petrochemical, mining, pulp and paper, water/wastewater, and power and energy.
Dr. Cunningham has worked extensively on the development of innovative materials and processes, materials selection, field failure analysis, emergency repairs, and redesign of existing large industrial equipment. He is highly knowledgeable of most electrochemical tests and thermo-mechanical tests and has evaluated the reliability of materials and products using accelerated life tests. Furthermore, he is a subject matter expert on the welding of complex steel alloys and high-temperature materials used in highly regulated industries.
His familiarity with a variety of methods used to analyze and characterize materials aligns with his extensive knowledge of a range of materials (polymers, ceramics and glasses, refractory materials, composites/FRP, stainless steels, high-nickel alloys, brasses and bronzes, titanium, aluminum alloys). In addition, he has performed independent consulting third-party reviews for modifications related to pressure vessels (ASME BPVC Div I, III, V, and IX; API, NACE; and ERPI requirements). Dr. Cunningham also has in-depth knowledge of many materials, chemicals, and material characterization techniques used in the production and troubleshooting of electrochemical power sources and storage systems such as fuel cells and capacitors, as well as primary and secondary batteries.
Education and Certifications
- Materials and Energy Sciences, Ph.D.: Université du Québec, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (2005)
- Materials and Energy Sciences, M.Sc.: Université du Québec, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (2001)
- Chemical and Materials Engineering, B.Eng.: Royal Military College of Canada (1999)
- Licensed Professional Engineer: Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, Canada
Publications
- “Development of Porous Carbon Foam Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell.” J Power Sources, 2010.
- “Photophysical properties of commercial red dyes.” Mater., 2008.
- “Mechanical and heat deflection properties of PVC/PMMA/Montmorillonite composites.” Journal of Vinyl Additives Technology, 2007.
- “Structural and mechanical characterization of as-compacted powder mixtures of graphite and phenolic resin.” Carbon, 2005.
- “Measuring the through-plane electrical resistivity of bipolar plates (apparatus and methods).” Power Source, 2004.
- “RBS and XRD analysis of carbon-coated stainless steel plates.” Surface and Coatings Technology, 2004
- “PEM fuel cell anode with very low Pt loadings using pulsed laser deposition.” Electrochemical Solid-State Letters, 2003.
- “New materials and procedures to protect metallic PEM fuel cell bipolar plates.” Electrochem., 2002.
- “When identifying the failure mechanism is not enough.” IMAT 2025, ASM International, Detroit, October 22, 2025.
- “Mushroom and mushroom compost facilities corrosion prevention.” IMAT 2025, ASM International, Detroit, October 21, 2025.
- “Rapid corrosion of ammunition in floodwater.” IMAT 2024, ASM International, Cleveland, October 3, 2024.
- “The use of Oxygen Induction Time (OIT) for understanding polyolefin degradation: strengths and limitations.” IMAT 2024, ASM International, Cleveland, October 1, 2024.
- “Theoretical effects of heat treatment and minor elemental additions to AISI 420 martensitic stainless steels.” IMAT 2024, ASM International, Cleveland, September 30, 2024.
- “A study on the causes and mechanisms of crack propagation in whiteware toilet tanks.” IMAT 2024, ASM International, Cleveland, September 30, 2024.
- “Polymeric Agricultural Flooring Failure Analysis.” IMAT 2023, ASM International, Cleveland, October 18, 2023.
- “Formicary Corrosion of Copper Tubing in a Buried Application.” IMAT 2023, ASM International, Cleveland, October 16, 2023.
- “Chlorides: Detection and Impact on Materials in Marine Claims.” ABA, Admiralty Disruption 2023, New Orleans, March 3, 2023.
- “Failure of Polymeric Residential Water Filter Housings.” IMAT 2022, ASM International, New Orleans, September 14, 2022.
- “Failure Analysis of a Laminated Glass Swimming Pool Wall.” IMAT 2022, ASM International, New Orleans, September 15, 2022.
- “Carbon Functionalization for use in filtration devices and advanced composites.” 3M Technical Forum, May 2007.
- “Influence de la structure tridimensionnelle des électrodes pour SOFC.” 74e Congrès de l’ACFAS, May 2006.
- “Partially oxidized graphite in polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride.” ANTEC Society of Plastics Engineers, May 2006.
- “Heat Deflection and Mechanical Properties of PVC/PMMA/CLAY composites.” ANTEC Society of Plastics Engineers, May 2006.
- Poster presented at the Gordon Research Conference on fuel cells, Bryant University, July 2005.
- “Metastable binary alloy nanoparticles for electrocatalysis in fuel cells.” Spring Symposium of the Canadian Section of the Electrochemical Society, 2004.
- “PEM fuel cell with very low Pt loading.” 5th International Symposium, July 2003.
- “PEM fuel cell with very low Pt loading.” 203rd Meeting of The Electrochemical Society, April-May 2003.
- Poster presented at the Gordon Research Conference on fuel cells, Roger Williams University, July-Aug. 2001.