Transforming Corrosion Resistance of Additively Manufactured Metals using Electrochemical Surface Engineering

About the Project

This project is part of cohort 3 of the EPSRC CDT in Developing National Capability for Materials 4.0, with the Henry Royce Institute.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers major advantages in design flexibility and material efficiency, but surface texture remains a key barrier to wider adoption, especially for corrosion-critical applications. This project in collaboration with Holdson, specialists in sustainable electropolishing for aerospace, medical, and renewable energy sectors, aims to develop and optimise a novel electropolishing process tailored for AM metal alloys to minimise corrosion.

The initial phase of the project will evaluate corrosion performance of stainless steel produced via Laser Powder Bed Fusion, comparing various surface treatment approaches. Corrosion testing will replicate harsh conditions relevant to Holdson’s applications. A core innovation of this project is the development of high-throughput corrosion screening methods, enabled by multi-material components produced through advanced AM techniques. This approach enables batch electropolishing and rapid electrochemical testing at specific locations, correlating local alloy composition and microstructure with corrosion behaviour. Advanced microscopy will provide detailed surface and material analysis. Finally, the project will use high-throughput data to build a machine learning framework that predicts optimal electropolishing parameters for AM metal alloys, to support industrial implementation by Holdson.

Funding Notes

This is a fully-funded project, part of cohort 3 of the EPSRC CDT in Developing National Capabilities in Materials 4.0. The studentship covers fees (home & international), a tax-free stipend of at least £20,780 plus London allowance if applicable, and a research training support grant.

Candidates of all nationalities are welcome to apply; up to 30% of studentships across the CDT can be awarded to outstanding international applicants. We strongly encourage interested overseas candidates to apply as early as possible.

Enquiries

For general enquiries, please contact doctoral-training@royce.ac.uk.

For application-related queries, please contact phd@engineering.leeds.ac.uk.

If you have specific technical or scientific queries about this PhD, we encourage you to contact the lead supervisor, Joshua Owen (j.j.owen@leeds.ac.uk)

Application Process

Please note that each partner of the CDT in Materials 4.0 will have its own application process.

The Materials 4.0 CDT is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

Application Web Page

https://prod.banner.leeds.ac.uk/ssb/bwskalog_uol.P_DispLoginNon

Select research degree - research postgraduate, then 2026/27 academic year and, under 'planned course of study', choose 'EPSRC CDT Materials 4.0'.