Materials Engineering: Fully Funded Swansea University and the Coated 3 Industry Fund PhD Scholarship: Zinc Coating Innovations for Superior Corrosion Performance

Swansea University, United Kingdom

Updated: about 2 months ago
Location: Swansea, WALES
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 15 May 2024

4 Mar 2024
Job Information
Organisation/Company

Swansea University
Department

Central
Research Field

Engineering » Materials engineering
Engineering
Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)
Country

United Kingdom
Application Deadline

15 May 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/London)
Type of Contract

Other
Job Status

Full-time
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Funding providers: Swansea University's Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the Coated 3 Industry Fund

Subject areas: Material Science and Engineering, metallurgy, corrosion 

Project start date: 

  • 1 July 2024 (Enrolment open from mid-June)

Supervisors:

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Materials Engineering

Mode of study: Full-time 

Project description: 

Corrosion costs the UK around 3% of its GDP, this is around half the entire budget of the NHS. This project will design, make and test novel zinc based alloys that can be used in applications such as off shore wind to protect turbines from the harsh marine environment, in coatings for cars and trucks helping to extend life but also reduce weight and in buildings to prevent corrosion the likes of which were seen in schools because of the use of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. Swansea University is well known for coatings and corrosion research and has unique equipment that can directly support this project.   

This PhD will use rapid alloy prototyping techniques combined with electrochemical corrosion assessment to design, prototype, screen, upscale, assess and demo the next generation of corrosion resistant zinc-based coatings.  

The goal is to produce new alloys and coatings that can be applied at scale and provide enhanced corrosion protection for steel assets in the renewable, construction, marine and automotive sectors. Coatings and alloys could be designed for minimal environmental impact across the life-cycle of the product. This includes choosing low impact elements, screening for resistance to different electrolytes and the use of elements that are not detrimental during recycling.   

Our facilities enable us to manufacture matrices of alloys at a small scale (3-40 g), rapidly evaluate their properties and upscale candidate alloys on our Hot Dip Processing Simulator.  

The following criteria have been identified for alloy selection: 

  • Galvanic with respect to steel  
  • Melting point <500°C 
  • Adhesion  
  • Enhanced corrosion protection 
  • Ethical and cost considerations 

    • This will massively increase the pace of zinc alloy development for corrosion protection. It combines computational methods with physical experimentation to explore a range of alloy combinations. 

    The successful candidate will have an engineering or physical sciences first degree, ideally materials science or chemistry.  


    Requirements
    Research Field
    Engineering
    Education Level
    Bachelor Degree or equivalent

    Skills/Qualifications

    Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline. If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship (i.e. a student who is eligible to pay the UK rate of tuition fees) but do not hold a UK degree, you can check our comparison entry requirements. Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency. 


    Specific Requirements

    Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA regulations . 


    Additional Information
    Benefits

    This scholarship covers the full cost of UK tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £18,622 for 2023/24).

    Additional research expenses will also be available.


    Eligibility criteria

    Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline. If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship (i.e. a student who is eligible to pay the UK rate of tuition fees) but do not hold a UK degree, you can check our comparison entry requirements. Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency. 

    Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA regulations . 


    Selection process

    Please visit our website for more information.


    Website for additional job details

    https://www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate/scholarships/research/materials-engineer…

    Work Location(s)
    Number of offers available
    1
    Company/Institute
    Swansea University
    Country
    United Kingdom
    Geofield


    Where to apply
    Website

    https://www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate/scholarships/research/materials-engineer…

    Contact
    State/Province

    Swansea
    City

    Swansea
    Website

    http://www.swansea.ac.uk
    Street

    Singleton Park
    Postal Code

    SA2 8PP

    STATUS: EXPIRED

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