About the Project
Supervisory team: Professor Bo Chen, Dr Benjamin Cameron, and Dr Andrew Hamilton
Can high-value titanium waste become aerospace-grade feedstock again? This project will develop a traceable pathway from titanium scrap to requalified feedstock using advanced powder metallurgy, materials passports and lifecycle data. You'll combine materials science, manufacturing and digital technologies to enable circular titanium use in aerospace.
Titanium circularity in aerospace is fundamentally constrained by the high cost of recovery compared with direct downcycling to ferro-titanium, together with limited confidence in the performance of recovered titanium for subsequent aerospace use. The problem is that current scrap classification and recovery-route decisions are not informed by traceable knowledge of feedstock provenance, composition and processing history. The fundamental challenge is to establish end-to-end material and data flows that enable these heterogeneous waste streams to become qualified aerospace feedstock.
Current materials innovation remains fragmented, producing disconnected datasets and knowledge that limit the traceability, requalification, and reuse of high-value speciality alloys. Titanium alloys exemplify this challenge, because their exceptional performance relies on critical raw materials that are sourced predominantly from outside Europe, creating vulnerabilities in aerospace sector. Realising material circularity requires more than improved recycling technologies or incremental progress in materials science. It demands a new paradigm in which materials data generated for one purpose can generate knowledge for others across the material lifecycle.
This project will deliver feedstock-to-process map for an advanced powder metallurgy advanced manufacturing route. In addition, you'll design and deliver lifecycle materials passports for requalified titanium. Further, you will initiate titanium circularity ontology and metadata schemas implemented in an open-source platform. You'll receive training on advanced materials, AI/ML approaches, and combination skills.
The School of Engineering is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees' well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
Entry requirements
You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in engineering or materials.
Fees and funding
We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students. Horizon Europe fee waivers automatically cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for qualifying students.
Competition-based Presidential Bursaries from the University cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for top-ranked applicants.
Competition-based studentships offered by our schools typically cover UK-level tuition fees and a stipend for living costs for top-ranked applicants.
Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.
For more information, please visit our postgraduate research funding pages.
How to apply
You need to:
- choose programme type (Research), 2027/28, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- select Full time or Part time
- search for programme PhD Engineering & the Environment (7175)
- add name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application
Applications should include:
- your CV (resumé)
- 2 academic references
- degree transcripts and certificates to date
- English language qualification (if applicable)
Contact us
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
For questions about applying, please doctoralcollege-admissions@soton.ac.uk.
Project leader
For an initial conversation, B.Chen@soton.ac.uk.