Advanced Carbon Fibre Composites using Next-Generation Additive Manufacturing (CFAM)

About the Project

Project Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to undertake cutting-edge research in the field of Additive Manufacturing (AM) of high-performance polymer composites.

This project is a direct, high-impact follow-on from our published work on Composite Fibre Additive Manufacturing (CFAM), a novel sheet lamination technique. The initial research successfully demonstrated the capability of CFAM to produce carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) parts with exceptionally low porosity (down to 1.5%) and high tensile strength (up to 97 MPa), exceeding the performance of state-of-the-art discontinuous fibre AM methods.

The existing work focused on using Polyamide-12 (Nylon-12). This new PhD project will significantly expand the scope by moving to a wider range of high-performance thermoplastics, crucial for demanding applications in aerospace and automotive sectors.

Research Focus

The core of this PhD will involve:

• Material Expansion: Investigating the processing of PAEK (Polyaryletherketone) and PEKK (Polyetherketoneketone) polymers, and their composites with carbon fibre, using the CFAM platform.
• Forming Process Optimisation: Systematically exploring and optimising the critical process parameters:
• Hot press/compaction step (pressure and temperature/time), to achieve superior consolidation of these high-melting-point polymers.
• Fabric deformation during forming and the interplay with polymer viscosity.
• Structure-Property Relationships: Establishing the relationship between polymer flow, fibre displacement and the manufacturing parameters. Building a predictive model of the resulting composite properties
• Characterisation: Utilising advanced characterisation tools, including X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), XRD, small angle scattering and mechanical testing, to validate and benchmark the performance of these new composite materials.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a candidate with:

• A strong academic background (e.g., a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree or equivalent) in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer/Composites Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Knowledge of polymer processing, composite materials, and/or Additive Manufacturing techniques (e.g., Sheet Lamination, Powder Bed Fusion) would be an advantage.
• Practical experience with, or a strong theoretical understanding of, thermal and mechanical characterisation of materials (e.g., DSC, mechanical testing).
• Excellent experimental, analytical, and communication skills.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV, academic transcripts, via the portal at https://sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd

Informal enquiries can be made to p.fairclough@sheffield.ac.uk, these will not influence the recruitment decisions.

Funding Notes

The position is open to UK home and international students with their own funding. For fee status information, see View Website

An enhanced fee of £4000/annum will be applied to these fees to cover research expenses.