Hiroyuki Kawada

Hiroyuki Kawada is a Professor at Waseda University's Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering. He holds a Doctor of Engineering degree from Waseda University and has been actively engaged in research on composite materials for decades. His educational background shows he graduated from Waseda University's School of Science and Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1980, continuing to the Graduate School, Division of Science and Engineering at the same institution.

Professor Kawada's research interests focus on composite materials and interfaces, particularly carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs), with emphasis on strength of materials and fatigue properties. His work often involves innovative testing methods such as ultrasonic fatigue testing to evaluate very high-cycle fatigue behavior up to 10⁹ cycles, which is crucial for applications like wind turbine blades and aerospace components where structures experience millions of load cycles. Recent studies have expanded into recycling methods for composite materials, joining dissimilar materials like CFRP and aluminum, and incorporating nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes and graphene to enhance mechanical properties.

His publication record demonstrates a consistent research trajectory in composite materials, with recent work (2020-2025) showing particular emphasis on very high-cycle fatigue properties, fracture mechanics of dissimilar material joints, and nanomaterial-enhanced composites. The research employs advanced techniques including ultrasonic fatigue testing, positron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography, and various surface modification methods.

• JSME Medal for Outstanding Paper 2014 - The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Evaluation of transverse crack initiation in interlaminar toughened CFRP cross-ply laminates under cyclic loading

Professor Kawada serves on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Expert Committee for wind turbines since 2015 and was President-Elect of The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers from 2020-2021. His professional affiliations include the Reinforced Plastics Association, Japan Society for Composite Materials, The Japan Society for Materials Science, and Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, reflecting his standing in the materials science community.