Mechanical Engineering: Fully Funded Swansea University/EPSRC PhD Scholarship: Design of smart...

Funding providers: Swansea University and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

Subject areas: Materials re-manufacture / Engineering

Project start date: 

• 1 October 2022 (Enrolment open from mid-September)

Project supervisors: Dr Jenny Baker and Professor Davide Deganello

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Mode of study: Full-time

Project description: 

This PhD will suit applicants who are keen to make a difference in how we utilise advanced materials in a sustainable economy. 

The role will balance laboratory work with developing a model of how functional coating materials behave during recycling processes. The aim of this research is to develop methods to improve recyclability of electronic coatings such as those used in batteries, sensors and other electronics.   

Training will be given on a wide range of materials characterisation techniques (physical, chemical and electronic) and the relevant modelling tools.  

This PhD position is within the TREFCO  project which is a collaboration led by Swansea University and has 8 industrial partners, including battery manufacturers, recyclers, material suppliers and equipment producers. There will be opportunity to travel to project partners within the UK and Europe as well as funding to present results at international conferences.

Birmingham University are a co-collaborator and this PhD will require the successful applicant to collaborate closely with academics at Birmingham. The project sits within two research centres at Swansea University the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating  and SPECIFIC  which means that the successful candidate will have the advantage of working in (and learning from) a multidisciplinary team of academics and industry partners consisting of scientists, engineers and experts in life cycle analysis.