Understanding the role of alloying additions in the development of high-performance strain-induced precipitation hardenable AA6xxx series aluminium alloys,

Applications are invited for one full-time EPSRC Industrial CASE (ICASE) PhD studentship for the project “Understanding the role of alloying additions in the development of high-performance strain-induced precipitation hardenable AA6xxx series aluminium alloys”, at Brunel University London, starting from 1st October 2024.

BCAST is a specialist research centre in metallurgy with a focus on the processing of metallic materials for lightweighting applications. See www.brunel.ac.uk/bcast for more information.

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) starting from approximately £23,000 plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of up to 48 months (4 years)

The project is sponsored by Constellium, a global leading manufacturer of high-quality technically advanced aluminium products and systems. Utilizing innovative thermomechanical processing routes and alloying additions, Constellium achieves optimal combinations of strength, ductility, and crack resistance to further reduce vehicle weight. The project aim is to establish a greater understanding of the impact of alloying additions (e.g. Cu, Sn, In etc.) on the natural ageing retardation and precipitation kinetics of AA6xxx Al-alloys and, also, to understand, step-by-step the entire thermomechanical processing through advanced high – resolution TEM investigations.

The successful applicant will utilise a state-of-the-art Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), to study, at atomic resolution, the secondary phases (precipitate) formed inside the Al matrix as a result of alloying additions, as well as dislocations and interaction between the precipitates and dislocations in different thermomechanical treatments conditions.

The student will receive training in the use of the facilities available in the newly developed Microstructural Characterisation Centre (MCC) at BCAST. The new centre includes two Termofisher TEMs, two SEMs and a metallurgy laboratory for TEM/SEM samples preparation.

Also, the student will interact with and receive advice from Constellium’s industrial research engineers in addition to the MMSRC’s leading researchers in physics-based and data-driven modelling.

Please contact Dr Raluca Florentina Negrea (ralucaflorentina.negrea@brunel.ac.uk) for an informal discussion about the project.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this studentship, applicants should be “UK Residents” as defined by the EPSRC. Please check your suitability here

To be treated as a home student, candidates must meet one of these criteria:

Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements)
Have settled status
Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements)
Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a similar discipline. A postgraduate master’s degree is not required but may be an advantage.

Applicants will be required to demonstrate a basic understanding of alloys processing and microstructural characterisation using transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Focused ion beam microscopy (FIB) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is not required but may be an advantage.

In addition, applicants should be highly motivated, able to work independently, as well as in a team and have effective communication skills.

How to apply

Please submit your application documents (see list below) in one PDF file by noon on 3 May 2024 to cedps-pgr-office@brunel.ac.uk. Interviews will take place in May 2024.

Your up-to-date CV;
Your personal statement (300 to 500 words) summarising your background, skills and experience;
Your Undergraduate/Postgraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s);
Evidence of your English language skills to IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent, 6.0 in all sections), if appropriate;
Contact details for two referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.

Remember to state the title of the project in the subject line of your email.

Meet the Supervisor(s)

Raluca Florentina Negrea - Highly motivated Scientific Researcher with a substantial background in Transmission /Scanning electron microscopy and 12+ years of experience. Advanced analytical and structural characterization of crystalline materials using electron microscopy is my current specialization. With 72 papers in the top-ranking journals, over 1200 citations and h-index of 19, I have a strong international visibility. Through my competences, I was an indispensable collaborator for the development and fulfillment of many national and international research projects. Within these projects, I had the opportunity to initiate and supervise the research activity of young master’s and bachelor’s degree students. Also, the high quality of my works allowed me to interact with world-renowned experts in materials physics.