Jerzy Szpunar, University of Saskatchewan

Research

Accident tolerant nuclear fuels Advanced pipeline steels Hydrogen storage system Low-temperature performance of pipeline steels Microstructural engineering of accident tolerant fuels Nanostructured composites for hydrogen storage Predictive modelling of thermomechanical properties Texture control in pipeline steels

Latest papers

Role of grain size on the corrosion resistance of pipeline steels in acidic environment.
Journal of Materials Science. Materials in engineering · 2025 · senior author
Effect of silylating agents on the superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties of siloxane/polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposite coatings on cellulosic fabric filters for oil-water separation.
RSC advances · 2021
In vitro corrosion studies of stainless-steel dental substrates during Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilm growth in artificial saliva solutions: providing insights into the role of resident oral bacterium.
RSC advances · 2020 · senior author

All 9 publications

Latest funding

Uranium-Based Fuels in Operational Conditions of Canadian Small Nuclear Reactors
NSERC · 2023 · Principal investigator
$449,711
Innovative materials for energy generation, transportation and storage
NSERC · 2021 · Principal investigator
$184,000
Additive Manufacturing: Engineering Design and Global Entrepreneurship
NSERC · 2020 · Co-investigator
$1,350,000

All 20 grants and awards

9 publications.

01

Role of grain size on the corrosion resistance of pipeline steels in acidic environment.

Nnoka M, Jack TA, Yadav S, Szpunar J

Journal of Materials Science. Materials in engineering2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1186/s40712-025-00240-9 PMID: 40017538

02

Effect of silylating agents on the superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties of siloxane/polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposite coatings on cellulosic fabric filters for oil-water separation.

Eduok U, Faye O, Szpunar J, Khaled M

RSC advances2021

DOI: 10.1039/d0ra10565a PMID: 35423447

03

In vitro corrosion studies of stainless-steel dental substrates during Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilm growth in artificial saliva solutions: providing insights into the role of resident oral bacterium.

Eduok U, Szpunar J

RSC advances2020Senior author

DOI: 10.1039/d0ra05500j PMID: 35520668

04

Accelerated corrosion of pipeline steel in the presence of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans biofilm due to carbon source deprivation in CO2 saturated medium.

Eduok U, Ohaeri E, Szpunar J

Materials science & engineering. C, Materials for biological applications2019Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2019.110095 PMID: 31546354

05

DFT + U Study of the Adsorption and Dissociation of Water on Clean, Defective, and Oxygen-Covered U3Si2{001}, {110}, and {111} Surfaces.

Jossou E, Malakkal L, Dzade NY, Claisse A, Szpunar B, Szpunar J

The journal of physical chemistry. C, Nanomaterials and interfaces2019Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b03076 PMID: 32064013

06

Atomistic and experimental study on thermal conductivity of bulk and porous cerium dioxide.

Malakkal L, Prasad A, Oladimeji D, Jossou E, Ranasinghe J, Szpunar B, Bichler L, Szpunar J

Scientific reports2019Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42807-5 PMID: 31004105

07

Tailoring the capability of carbon nitride (C3N) nanosheets toward hydrogen storage upon light transition metal decoration.

Faye O, Hussain T, Karton A, Szpunar J

Nanotechnology2019Senior author

DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aaf3ed PMID: 30523854

08

Ultrasound-assisted synthesis of zinc molybdate nanocrystals and molybdate-doped epoxy/PDMS nanocomposite coatings for Mg alloy protection.

Eduok U, Szpunar J

Ultrasonics sonochemistry2018Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2018.02.036 PMID: 29680614

09

Layer-by-Layer Assembly of a Self-Healing Anticorrosion Coating on Magnesium Alloys.

Fan F, Zhou C, Wang X, Szpunar J

ACS applied materials & interfaces2015Senior author

DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b08577 PMID: 26583562

Uranium-Based Fuels in Operational Conditions of Canadian Small Nuclear Reactors

Principal investigatorNSERC2023Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Szpunar, Jerzy JA

Keywords: density functional based modelling; material science; nuclear fuel; nuclear physics; nuclear reactors; thermal conductivity

$449,711

Innovative materials for energy generation, transportation and storage

Principal investigatorNSERC2021Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Szpunar, Jerzy

Keywords: accident tolerant nuclear fuels; microstructural engineering of accident tolerant fuels; predictive modelling of thermomechanical properties; advanced pipeline steels; texture control in pipeline steels; low-temperature performance of pipeline steels; hydrogen storage system; nanostructured composites for hydrogen storage

$184,000

Additive Manufacturing: Engineering Design and Global Entrepreneurship

Co-investigatorNSERC2020Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Principal investigators: Czekanski, Aleksander A

Keywords: additive manufacturing; advanced manufacturing; am process development; control systems; design engineering; design for manufacturing; global entrepreneurship; material science; selective laser melting

$1,350,000

A Cutting-Edge Printer for Bio-Fabricating Tissue Scaffolds

Co-investigatorNSERC2019Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Chen, Xiongbiao

$150,000

Texture engineered high toughness pipeline steel for arctic environment

Principal investigatorNSERC2019Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Szpunar, Jerzy JA

Keywords: arctic environment; austenite recrystallization; crystallographic texture; energy supply; grain refinement; low-temperature toughness; microalloying; thermo-mechanical control processing; X70 pipeline steel

$310,565

Boronized steels and inconel alloys with high resistance to neutron irradiation damage

Principal investigatorNSERC2016Engage Grants Program

Principal investigators: Szpunar, Jerzy

$25,000

Novel Materials Design for Future Energy System

Principal investigatorNSERC2015Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Szpunar, Jerzy

$200,000

Texture in manufacturing pipeline steels for service in sour environment

Principal investigatorNSERC2015Strategic Projects - Group

Principal investigators: Szpunar, Jerzy

$345,030

Safer fuel and cladding for future nuclear reactor

Principal investigatorNSERC2015Strategic Projects - Group

Principal investigators: Szpunar, Jerzy

$443,391

Development of an electron work function - based microstructure diagnosis technique for developing advanced structural materials

Co-investigatorNSERC2015Strategic Projects - Group

Principal investigators: Li, Dongyang

$808,100

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Mechanical Engineering
Physics and Engineering Physics
School of Engineering

Co-authors at University of Saskatchewan, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Barbara Szpunar

Physics and Engineering Physics

2 shared papers, latest 2019

Lukas Bichler

School of Engineering

1 shared papers, latest 2019

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2023

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Accident tolerant nuclear fuels Dear Professor Szpunar, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Role of grain size on the corrosion resistance of pipeline steels in acidic environment." (2025), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Uranium-Based Fuels in Operational Conditions of Canadian Small Nuclear Reactors" (2023), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]