Closing Date: 3rd March 2023
Project start date: 1st October 2023
Funding Provider: UKRI EPSRC CDT Studentship
Subject Area: Functional Coatings
Key Information
Project Supervisors
Academic Supervisors:
Industrial Supervisor:
Andrew Mitchell
Aligned programme of study: EngD in Materials, Modelling and Manufacturing
Mode of study: Full-time
Expected Interview Date: March – April 2023
Background
Tata is one of the leading global suppliers of automotive steel products.
With light weighting and improvement of crashworthiness being 2 of the key challenges facing the automotive industry at present, hot stamping is a well-known approach for improving the strength to weight ratio of certain components used in this industry, enabling comparable strengths at lower thickness. This works through linking the martensitic hardening characteristic exhibited by advanced high strength steels with the well understood benefits of deep drawing processes to enhance plastic formability performance while eliminating spring back. In this process, the steel is heated to austenising temperatures, formed and then cooled rapidly to give the desired microstructural properties. Two problems can occur during this process, firstly decarburisation takes place during heating which can negatively affect mechanical properties, secondly oxidation occurs meaning there is a requirement for blast cleaning before forming. If these issues can be overcome without infringing on existing IP in the marketplace there is a considerable amount of new business (~6000t) which could be exploited through UK based Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) localising their supply. AlSi based coatings have shown a great deal of promise at solving these challenges while fulfilling other key OEM requirements, however Arcelor Mittal have filed a suite of patents over the last ~20 years meaning this technology is very strongly protected, therefore an alternative would be required in order to exploit this potential new business.
Project Aims:
As mentioned previously, Arcelor Mittal has a strong suite of patents protecting their AlSi hot dip coating technology meaning that alternatives need to be sought. In addition, AlSi based coatings only offer barrier corrosion protection as opposed to galvanic corrosion which is typically seen in metallically coated steels. This project will examine novel metallic coatings which can be used to provide galvanic protection and survive the hot stamping operations. Firstly, a literature review of possible technologies will be performed to appraise different solution types relative to a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) ascertained by the business unit and end users. Once this is completed, technologies which appear promising will be down selected for a laboratory scale feasibility study, one possible method for coating deposition is the hot dip simulator at Swansea University. Coated samples will be characterised and tested to ensure their performance is in line with expectations and all of these findings will be reported.
Sponsor Company:
COATED M2A:
COATED M2A recognises applicants have a variety of backgrounds with different educational and research experiences. We do not expect applicants to be proficient users of any techniques/equipment mentioned, at the time of application. Our focus is to upskill our participants and training will be provided.
COATED M2A in the Faculty of Science and Engineering is a Swansea University initiative which provides postgraduate research training in partnership with industry, providing access to world class laboratories and a wealth of academic and industry expertise. COATED M2A is committed to providing top quality research opportunities within an inclusive environment, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Swansea University and Industry partners.
Interwoven through the research study are business, technical and entrepreneurial courses, designed to support and prepare participants for a senior role in industry or academia, on completion of their studies.
The Athena SWAN charter recognises work undertaken by institutions to advance gender equality. The College of Engineering is an Athena SWAN silver award holder and is committed to addressing unequal gender representation. Applications from women and other under-represented groups are particularly welcomed.
All applications will be anonymised prior to short listing.
Are you considering making an application and have questions you’d like answered? Come and have a 1-2-1 chat with us at our applicant surgeries (Link). We encourage all applicants to review our ‘hints and tips’ document found here.
Eligibility
Candidates must normally hold at minimum (or expect to obtain by the start date) an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University), or a combination of degree and equivalent experience to the same level.
NB: If you are holding a non-UK degree, please see Swansea University degree comparisons to find out if you meet the eligibility.
English Language requirements: If applicable – IELTS 6.5 overall (with at least 6.0 in each individual component) or Swansea recognised equivalent. Details on the Swansea University English Language entry policy can be found here.
This studentship is open to candidates of any nationality; however, please note:
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 studentship(s) you are interested in.
Funding
This studentship covers a full award and includes a tax-free stipend (currently £22,000 per annum) and tuition fees, each for a period of four years, subject to meeting University progression requirements.
Also, a generous budget is available to support training, project costs, industry placements and travel to enable you to network and showcase your research at an international conference.
How to Apply
To apply, please complete your application online with the following information:
- Course choice (section 1) – for administrative purposes only, please select PhD Materials Engineering and your application will be considered for the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Materials, Modelling and Manufacturing programme.
In the event you have already applied for the above programme previously, the application system may issue a warning notice and prevent application, in this event, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk where staff will be happy to assist you in submitting your application.
- Start year (section 1) – please select 2023
- Personal Statement (section 6) – select ‘Add Personal Statement Text’ and set out your skills and experience and the relevance of these to the project within the text box provided. Please refer to the ‘hints and tips’ guide for details of how to structure your personal statement. Shortlisting decisions will be made on information supplied in section 6 of Apply only. Please do not attach a cover letter as it will not be considered.
- Funding (section 8) –
- ‘Are you funding your studies yourself?’ – please select No
- ‘Name of Individual or organisation providing funds for study’ – please enter [RS301 – Hot Stamping]
*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the studentship award.
One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.
As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email):
- Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date/interim transcripts are sufficient)
- Two references (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference.
- Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable).
- Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable).
Furthermore, we invite you to complete the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form (online form). Data is solely collected for statistical purposes and is not viewed by those that shortlist.
Informal enquiries are welcome, please contact M2A@swansea.ac.uk.
*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the studentship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a studentship project is applicable.