Flash Joule Heating Technology for Sustainable Solar Panel Recycling

About the Project

The Challenge

By 2030, the UK will generate approximately 1 million tons of decommissioned solar panels annually. Current recycling methods are energy-intensive, economically unviable and achieve limited material recovery. Most panels end up in landfills, wasting valuable materials and creating environmental hazards.

Your Research

This PhD is part of Green-Loop, a £1.3M UKRI-EPSRC and DEFRA-funded programme pioneering advanced technologies to transform solar panel recycling into a profitable, sustainable industry. Your role focuses on material valorisation converting recovered components into products more valuable than their original form. This requires creative solution to address such a huge challenge.

You'll investigate multiple pathways: transforming recovered silicon into high-performance battery anode materials, converting polymer components into advanced carbon materials for electronics and energy storage, developing routes to produce specialized industrial ceramics, and creating safe recovery strategies for emerging solar technologies.

This is hands on laboratory research with direct industrial impact. You'll design experiments, optimize processes, characterize materials using state of the art equipment, and collaborate with solar recycling companies to scale promising approaches.

You'll join a multidisciplinary team at Queen Mary University of London with access to world class facilities, comprehensive training, and opportunities for high impact publications and conference presentations. Your research will directly contribute to the UK's circular economy and net-zero ambitions.

Funding

Funded by: SEMS

Home fees applicants only may apply.

Eligibility

• The minimum requirement for this studentship opportunity is a good honours degree (minimum 2(i) honours or equivalent) or MSc/MRes in a relevant discipline.
• If English is not your first language, you will require a valid English certificate equivalent to IELTS 6.5+ overall with a minimum score of minimum score of 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking).
• Note for EPSRC studentships; these studentships are open to those with Home and International fee status; however, the number of students with International fee status which can be recruited is capped according to the EPSRC terms and conditions so competition for International places is particularly strong.
• Candidates are expected to start in September (Semester 1).

Funding Notes

Annual stipend of £23,805 for Home fees applicants only.