Development of high performance and highly impurity-tolerant recycled Al alloys

Applications are invited for one full-time EPSRC Industrial CASE (ICASE) PhD studentship for the project “Development of high performance and highly impurity-tolerant recycled Al alloys”, at Brunel University London, starting from 1^st October 2024. BCAST is a speciality research centre in metallurgy with a focus on processing of metallic materials for light weighting applications. The project is sponsored by Constellium, a global leading manufacturer of high-quality technically advanced aluminium products and systems.

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) starting from approximately £23,000 plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of up to 48 months (4 years).

Project

Aluminium recycling saves up to 95% energy and reduce 95% greenhouse gas emission compared to the primary aluminium production, therefore plays an important role in delivering Net Zero. The traditional Al recycling process requires large investment on the scrap Al sorting, and the extra cost in adding alloying elements and removing unwanted alloying elements to meet the customers specifications. Impurities is one of the biggest challenges for Al recycling. This project is aiming to develop the high impurity-tolerance and high-performance recycled Al alloys. This project includes both fundamental understanding and the technique development. The research work involves using different types of casting ways, mechanical properties test (such as tensile test, etc.) and some highly advanced microstructural characterization such as SEM (Scanning electron microscope), XRD (X-ray diffraction) and TEM (Transmission electron microscope) etc. After this 4-years training, the future career prospects will be very promising which is not just limited in metallurgy.

Please contact Dr Zhongping Que via email to Zhongping.Que@brunel.ac.uk for an informal discussion about the project.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this studentship, applicants should be “UK Residents” as defined by the EPSRC. Please check your suitability here

To be treated as a home student, candidates must meet one of these criteria:

• Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements)
• Have settled status
• Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements)
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a minimum 2:1 or 1^st class degree in Materials Engineering, or a related discipline. A Masters qualification is an advantage but not essential.

The applicants may have background in any aspect of Materials Science, Metallurgy, Physical science or Engineering.

How to apply

Please submit your application documents (see list below) in one PDF file by noon on 19 July 2024
to cedps-pgr-office@brunel.ac.uk. Interviews will take place in August 2024.

• Your up-to-date CV;
• A one A4 page personal statement setting out why you are a suitable candidate (i.e.: your background, skills and experience);
• A copy of your undergraduate/Postgraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript (s);
• Names and contact details for two academic referees;
• Evidence of English language capability to IELTS 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all sections), if applicable

Remember to state the title of the project in the subject line of your email.