Dr Tom Mills MEng, PhD

School of Chemical Engineering
Senior Lecturer

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0) 121 414 5363
Email
t.b.mills@bham.ac.uk
Address
School of Chemical Engineering
University 麻豆精选
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Tom Mills is a lecturer in the area of Food Manufacture and Performance, Chemical Engineering. His primary research interests are firstly in the area of in-vitro methods to study the mouth, focusing on tribology as a method to look at thin film and lubrication behaviour.

Tom is also a prominent member of the Formulation Engineering Research group. By developing new formulation engineering methods and techniques, the team is creating cutting-edge and novel approaches to food processing and the development of healthier, higher performance products.

In addition to this, Tom leads projects around edible 3D printing technologies, saturated fat crystallisation and emulsifier performance, the production and behaviour of particle stabilised emulsion systems and particulate fluid gels. The aim of this research as a whole is to understand material property and behaviour from initial formulation through production and into breakdown and in-mouth experience. Projects focusing on individual areas and spanning these key environments are of interest for further study at doctoral level.

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, University 麻豆精选, 2015
  • PhD in Chemical Engineering, University 麻豆精选, 2012
  • MEng (Hons) in Chemical Engineering University 麻豆精选, 2007

Biography

Tom Mills qualified with an MEng(Hons) in chemical engineering from the University 麻豆精选 in 2007.  He went on to study for a PhD at the University 麻豆精选 with Dr Serafim Bakalis and Prof. Ian Norton on development of in-vitro mouth methods. He now works as a senior lecturer in the area of food manufacture and performance.

Teaching

Teaching Programmes

  • Food Structure for Performance  (M Level module) (Module coordinator)
  • Mass, Heat and Momentum Transfer (Level I) (Module coordinator)
  • Computing for Design (Level I) (Module coordinator)
  • Design Project (Level H)
  • Research Project (Level M)

Postgraduate supervision

 

  • Supercritical drying of food products (EPSRC)
  • Drying and rehydration of emulsion systems (EPSRC)
  • 3D Printing of edible materials (EPSRC)
  • Fluid gel emulsion systems (Industry Funded)
  • Understanding the key drivers of crispness attributes (Industry Funded, EngD)
  • Rheological design of biopolymer composites for application in 3D jet based printing (EPSRC)
  • Glassy state control of food biopolymer fibres for extrusion printing (EPSRC)
  • Understanding low alcohol beer brewing

Research

Research Themes

Emulsions/Emulsification

Microstructure design and novel processing routes to food emulsion systems

Hydrocolloid/Fluid gels

Functional hydrocolloids and gel particulate systems to provide novel microstructures and performance in-vivo

Tribology

Friction and lubrication measurements related to oral processing and tongue palate interactions

In-Vitro Mouth Methods

Development of methods to relate to oral processing phenomena 

3D Printing 

Material and production technologies for edible 3D printing  

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Huang, Q, Mills, T & Zhang, Z 2024, '', International Journal of Food Science & Technology.

Holt, T & Mills, T 2023, '', Journal of the Institute of Brewing, vol. 129, no. 3, pp. 164-175.

Kamlow, M-A, Holt, T, Spyropoulos, F & Mills, T 2022, '', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 132, 107852.

Kanyuck, KM, Mills, TB, Norton, IT & Norton-Welch, AB 2022, '', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 122, 107090.

Kamlow, M-A, Vadodaria, S, Gholamipour-shirazi, A, Spyropoulos, F & Mills, T 2021, '', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 116, 106550.

Kamlow, M-A, Spyropoulos, F & Mills, T 2021, '', Food Hydrocolloids for Health, vol. 1, 100044.

Daffner, K, Ong, L, Hanssen, E, Gras, S & Mills, T 2021, '', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 118, 106642.

Vadodaria, SS, Warner, E, Norton, I & Mills, TB 2021, '', Data in Brief, vol. 36, 106974.

Gholamipour-Shirazi, A, Norton, IT & Mills, T 2021, '', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, vol. 189, pp. 370-379.

Fenton, T, Daffner, K, Mills, T, Pelan, E & Gholamipour Shirazi, A 2021, '', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 120, 106881.

Fenton, T, Kanyuck, K, Mills, T & Pelan, E 2021, '', Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, vol. 2, 10060.

Young, PW, Mills, TB & Norton, IT 2021, '', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 111, 106108.

Kanyuck, KM, Norton-Welch, AB, Mills, TB & Norton, IT 2021, '', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 112, 106295.

Kanyuck, KM, Mills, TB, Norton, IT & Norton-Welch, AB 2021, '', Carbohydrate Polymers, vol. 259, 117758.

Vadodaria, SS, Warner, E, Norton, I & Mills, TB 2021, '', Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, vol. 618, 126399.