Advanced Materials Processing for Disposal Mixed Oxide Nuclear Wasteforms

About the Project

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has established the Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub (PuMaS) at the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield. PuMaS focuses on developing advanced ceramic materials and technologies to support the safe and secure disposition of the UK’s plutonium inventory — one of the most significant long term challenges associated with the remediation and restoration of the Sellafield site, expected to be complete in the 2100’s.

PuMaS will support around 20 PhD students, alongside a team of research staff, to create a vibrant, cohort based research environment. Students will benefit from:

• dedicated cohort training and skills development
• networking and collaboration opportunities
• access to cutting edge facilities within the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s centre for advanced materials research

Your PhD will also include industrial supervision from experts at the NDA, Sellafield Ltd., or Nuclear Waste Services (NWS). This ensures your research addresses real industrial challenges and provides direct pathways for your work to inform UK nuclear decommissioning strategy.

You will also have opportunities to attend national and international conferences, network across the nuclear materials community, and collaborate with leading research partners — including facilities such as the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL), Diamond Light Source (DLS), and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF).

About your Project:

Disposal Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide (DMOX) ceramics are a promising candidate wasteform for the disposition of the UK’s plutonium stockpile. Historically, two industrial scale powder processing routes have been used for mixed oxide (MOx) fuel manufacture, both approaches rely heavily on milling — typically ball milling — to reduce particle size, mix powders, and achieve the necessary powder flow behaviour, pellet microstructure, and homogeneity.

However, novel milling technologies, such as Resonant Acoustic Mixing (RAM), offer the potential for:

• faster and more homogeneous blending
• improved powder flow behaviour
• reduced processing times
• enhanced quality and reproducibility

In addition, the choice of powder feedstock, including the source and characteristics of UO₂, can have a profound impact on final pellet quality.

Project Aims

This PhD will build fundamental understanding of powder processing and milling routes for DMOX manufacturing, with four key objectives:

• Evaluate the feasibility and develop methodologies for acoustic milling of surrogate and active powders.
• Develop and compare pellet fabrication techniques using conventional and novel milling methods.
• Assess how powder feedstock characteristics influence milling performance and pellet quality.
• Perform comprehensive rheology and materials characterisation to assess the viability of acoustic milling for mixed oxide applications.

As part of this project, you will be based at the University of Manchester in the Nuclear Fuels group with access to state-of-the-art nuclear laboratories within the Henry Royce Institute and National Nuclear User Facilities (NNUF) working with Lucideon Ltd. You will utilise (where necessary), radioactive materials handling facilities, materials manufacturing techniques and characterisation techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the materials at the microscale and nanoscale) as well as access to National and International facilities, for example for synchrotron based experiments

Eligibility

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.

Funding

This 4-year PhD studentship is fully funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and open to Home (UK) students. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26; subject to annual uplift), and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2026.

We recommend that you apply early as the advert may be removed before the deadline.

Before you apply

We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisors for this project before you apply. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

How to apply

Apply online through our website: https://uom.link/pgr-apply-2425

When applying, you’ll need to specify the full name of this project, the name of your supervisor, if you already having funding or if you wish to be considered for available funding through the university, details of your previous study, and names and contact details of two referees.

Your application will not be processed without all of the required documents submitted at the time of application, and we cannot accept responsibility for late or missed deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

After you have applied you will be asked to upload the following supporting documents:

• Final Transcript and certificates of all awarded university level qualifications
• Interim Transcript of any university level qualifications in progress
• CV
• Supporting statement: A one or two page statement outlining your motivation to pursue postgraduate research and why you want to undertake postgraduate research at Manchester, any relevant research or work experience, the key findings of your previous research experience, and techniques and skills you’ve developed. (This is mandatory for all applicants and the application will be put on hold without it).
• Contact details for two referees (please make sure that the contact email you provide is an official university/work email address as we may need to verify the reference)
• English Language certificate (if applicable)

If you have any questions about making an application, please contact our admissions team by emailing FSE.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk.