Enhanced Stipend PhD Studentship (UK) funded by the UK government Thermally Sprayed Coatings for Ablation and High Heat Flux Conditions

Background

UK applicants are invited to undertake a 3-4 year, fully-funded PhD studentship (fees and enhanced stipend) within the Centre of Excellence in Coatings and Surface Engineering (CE-CSE) at the University of Nottingham, funded by the UK government. There is a critical need to develop materials and coatings that can withstand ultra-high temperature (UHT) conditions while maintaining structural integrity and functional performance.

The PhD Project

This exciting research project is actively seeking ultra-high temperature (UHT) ceramic materials capable of surviving short-duration exposure (on the order of seconds to minutes) under extreme conditions. These environments are characterised by temperatures up to 3000 K, pressures up to 10 MPa, mass fluxes up to 6500 kg/m²·s (including particulate fluxes up to 300 kg/m²·s), gas velocities up to 1000 m/s, and heat transfer coefficients up to 35,000 W/m²·K. Under such conditions, conventional ceramic materials undergo rapid degradation through oxidation, particulate erosion, thermal shock, and phase instability, significantly limiting their performance and service life.

This PhD project will focus on the design and development of UHT ceramics in the form of coatings, ablation and high-heat-flux testing rigs, and characterisation using secondary electron imaging, X-ray diffractometry, electron backscattered diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. This is a hugely exciting project for an enthusiastic researcher who wishes to forge an academic or industry career in the materials sector.

Qualification:

This position will only cover home/UK tuition fees. The candidate must have at least an equivalent of a UK 2.1 class degree in materials/mechanical/chemical/physics/chemistry, or any related discipline. This is an experimental research project, and the candidate is expected to spend the majority of the time at the University of Nottingham.

Funding:

The PhD studentship will cover full home/UK University tuition fees and a tax-free stipend of up to £27 k per annum for the duration of the project.

Applications, with a detailed CV and a cover letter, together with the names and addresses of two referees, should be sent directly to Prof. Tanvir Hussain (tanvir.hussain@nottingham.ac.uk).

Closing date: Until Filled