Material Science and Engineering: The development of a new industrial metallic coating for construction and solar applications

About the Project

Key Information

Open to: UK fee eligible applicants only

Funding Providers: EPSRC and Industry Sponsor

Subject Area: material science and engineering, metallurgy, electrochemistry, Metallic coatings, corrosion, electrochemistry, alloy design, steel coatings

Project Start Dates: October 2026

Supervisors:

• Prof David Penney
• Prof James Sullivan

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Materials Science Engineering

Mode of study: Full time

Place of study:

• Swansea University (Bay Campus)
• Other: PMRC – Baglan Bay

Project description:

Metallic coatings are vital for extending the life of steel structures and products. Zinc based coatings provide both a physical barrier to the environment and sacrificial protection when steel becomes exposed. In recent years, zinc coatings alloyed with aluminium and magnesium have found increased use across the construction and automotive sectors, with much of the growth in demand due to reported enhancements in corrosion resistance.

This project is partnered with a steel company. This PhD will design, make and characterise a Zinc Aluminium Magnesium coating for the company partner that is galvanic to the steel, can be produced on existing lines and offer comparable performance to other coatings on the market. It will involve lots of interaction with the company and visits to plant. The work will be carried out in Swansea University’s coatings and corrosion group, which has equipment and expertise in making and characterising these types of alloys.

The £1.5million Hot Dip Simulator will allow the PhD researcher to physically simulate a continuous galvanising line and to produce physical samples to further characterise and assess new alloy designs. It will be an exciting, applied and impactful project with opportunities to travel and meet industry partners. The researcher will use metallographic skills, electrochemistry and alloy design expertise to undertake this project and will be supported by supervisors, post-doctoral researchers and fellow PhDs, so you won’t be on your own.

Eligibility

UK fee eligible applicants only

Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA (Full list of categories for HE in Wales).

Note for international and European applicants:

Details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.

PhD: Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline.

English Language

IELTS 6.5 Overall (5.5+ each comp.) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.

If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in.

Funding Notes

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for 2026/27).

Additional research expenses of up to £1,000 per year will also be available.