Chemical recycling and life cycle assessment of next-generation thermoplastic composites for wind turbine blade manufacture (Ref: AURA26-SSY2)

About the Project

This PhD scholarship is offered by the EPSRC CDT in Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience, a partnership between the Universities of Durham, Hull, Loughborough and Sheffield. The successful applicant will undertake six-month of training with the rest of the CDT cohort at the University of Hull before continuing their PhD research at Loughborough University.

A major sustainability challenge in the wind energy sector lies in managing the end-of-life of turbine blades. Traditional thermoset composites are difficult to recycle, often ending up in landfill or undergoing energy-intensive disposal processes. This doctoral studentship – jointly supported by the EPSRC CDT in Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience and Metol – will advance circular solutions for the next generation of turbine materials.

Metol have recently developed a new low-viscosity thermoplastic resin system designed for large-scale blade manufacture. This project will explore chemical recycling of these materials through solvolysis, aiming to establish an efficient recovery route and quantify its environmental benefits. The student will characterise recovered polymer and fibre fractions using advanced analytical techniques and re-manufacture them into new composite laminates, benchmarking performance against virgin materials.

Complementing the experimental work, a full life cycle assessment (LCA) will be conducted to compare solvolytic recycling with conventional disposal and mechanical recycling pathways. The outcomes will provide crucial data on energy use, carbon footprint, and circularity metrics, guiding future blade design and material selection.

This studentship offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a sustainable, closed-loop future for offshore wind energy—integrating materials science, chemical engineering, and environmental assessment to deliver tangible industrial and environmental impact.

Name of primary supervisor/CDT lead:
Dr Sina Saremi-Yarahmadi s.saremi@lboro.ac.uk

Names of secondary supervisors:
Dr Ignacio Martin-Fabiani
Mr Gerry Boyce
Prof Tanja Radu
Dr Fiona Hatton

Entry requirements:
If you have received a First-class Honours degree, or a 2:1 Honours degree and a Masters, or a Distinction at Masters level with any undergraduate degree (or the international equivalents) in chemistry, materials science/engineering, polymer science/engineering, or chemical engineering, we would like to hear from you.

Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website (http://www.lboro.ac.uk/international/applicants/english/).

Funding information:
The studentship is for 4 years and provides a tax-free stipend of £21,805 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus tuition fees at the UK rate.

Due to funding restrictions, this is only available to those eligible for UK fees. For full eligibility information, please refer to the EPSRC website.