About the Project
A steel can be strong at high temperature and still be difficult to use if it expands too much. In large components and joints between different alloys, repeated heating and cooling can create stresses that shorten service life. Austenitic steels offer good high-temperature strength, but their relatively high thermal expansion can limit their use in advanced energy systems.
This fully funded PhD is based in the Alloy Design & Phase Transformations Research Group at the University of Leicester, led by Dr Gebril El-Fallah. The project examines whether magnetic behaviour can reduce the expansion of austenitic steels while preserving the strength and stability needed in service. Invar alloys show that magnetism can strongly influence thermal expansion. Whether this behaviour can be used in steels intended for structural service remains to be established.
You will investigate how alloy chemistry and microstructure affect magnetic response, thermal expansion and mechanical behaviour. The work will use physical metallurgy, computational thermodynamics and machine learning alongside experiments. Predictions will be checked against thermal, magnetic and mechanical measurements. Depending on the direction of the research, you may also use X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and high-temperature testing. These results will help determine which changes reduce expansion and what they do to the steel’s strength.
Candidate profile
We welcome applicants with a degree in materials science, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, physics or a related field. You should be interested in the behaviour of metals, comfortable working with numerical data and able to explain your results clearly. Experience with a particular instrument matter less than careful analysis and sound interpretation.
Experience with CALPHAD, Python, machine learning, diffraction, microscopy, dilatometry, magnetic measurements or mechanical testing would be useful. You do not need to know all these methods; training will be provided.
Informal enquiries
Project enquiries should be emailed to the PhD supervisor Dr Gebril El-Fallah gmae2@leicester.ac.uk
Funding Notes
College of Science and Engineering Studentship provides
- 4 years UK tuition fees.
- 4 years stipend at UKRI rates. For 2026/7 this will be £21,805 per year, paid in monthly instalments. 2027/8 rates will be confirmed in 2027.
- RTSG £5,000 per year.
International students are welcome to apply but will need to be able to pay the difference between UK and Overseas fees for the duration of study. The fee annual fee difference for 2026/7 academic year will be £19,012. Costs relating to travel, visa and NHS surcharge will be the responsibility of the student.
References
Y. Lin, P. Wang and G. M. A. M. El-Fallah, “A review on thermal expansion control in Fe–Ni–Cr austenitic alloys: From Invar effect to advanced power systems,” Materials Today Communications 50 (2026), 114365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114365