[3] Matthews attended Upholland Grammar School and completed his PhD at Salford University studying environmentally-friendly plasma-based processes, especially their use for coating industrial tools.
He and his research group led significant breakthroughs in plasma-assisted processes for surface treatment and coatings, in particular in thermionically-enhanced plasma processes for nitrogen and carbon-diffusion treatments of steels and titanium alloys, as well as oxide and nitride coatings to act as wear and heat-resisting barriers on cutting tools and aero-engine parts.
[10] During his time at The University of Manchester, Matthews has been an ambassador for Advanced Materials, facilitating networking between academia and industry, with a focus on the Tribology sub-theme.
[11][12][13][14] Matthews has co-authored many peer-reviewed publications; most notably, Coatings Tribology: Properties, Mechanisms, Techniques and Applications in Surface Engineering, with Kenneth Holmberg.
He was also the recipient of the Donald Julius Groen Prize in 2005, and the IMechE Bronze Tribology Award in 1981[24][25] In 1987, Matthews became an Editor of the Elsevier Surface and Coatings Technology journal,[26] becoming editor-in-chief in 2013.