Casting manufacturing for the engines designed for zero-carbon emission using green fuels

Applications are invited for our industrially funded full-time PhD studentship at BCAST (Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology), Brunel University London for the project titled “Casting manufacturing for the engines designed for zero-carbon emission using green fuels”. Successful applicant will receive an annual stipend starting from £18,600 and increasing to £20,496 in the third year plus payment of their full-time tuition fees for a period of 36-months (3 years), starting from 6 January 2025.

The Project

The manufacturing of castings are key controlling factors for the engine manufacturing and application. With the growing need for performance improvement of lightweight structures, improving strength and ductility of light alloys such as aluminium (Al) alloys has become of paramount importance in industries. Generated during manufacturing processes, casting defects are the key factors affecting detrimentally the mechanical performance of components such as strength and ductility and the life of engines designed for zero-carbon emission using green fuels. To manufacture sound castings, several factors need to be optimised, these are (1) appropriate design of the gating system of the casting mould to satisfy the solidification requirements, (2) correctly chosen cores and mould materials to offer the required cooling rates, and (3) appropriate microstructural stabilization via recrystallization and inhibition of subsequent grain growth. The industrial use of these elements has historically been limited due to highly complex structures and limited variables in processing. Therefore, it is demanded to widely study and develop the techniques from manufacture processing to materials for the improvement of performance in the final products. This PhD project is funded by an industrial partner, aiming to understand the mechanism underlying defect formation and to develop effective approaches to eliminating the defects in the cast components. The project scope includes: (1) the insights in defect formation and elimination approaches for industrial applications; (2) effect of minor elemental additions and compositional optimization of the Al alloys to make high integrity casting components; and (3) the mechanical properties of the Al alloys at room temperature and elevated temperatures in the manufactured components.

Supervision team

Professor Shouxun Ji and Dr Yun Wang

Please contact Dr Yun Wang at yun.wang@brunel.ac.uk to find out more about the project or arrange an informal discussion about the position.

Skills and Experience

Applicants should have a strong background in metallurgy and metallic materials manufacturing, general materials science and engineering with familiarity and interest in metals and alloys and their processing. Exposure and training in casting and solidification, mechanical testing, microstructural characterisation via electron microscopy, and computer simulation of casting processes would be considered a bonus.

Academic Entry Criteria

The candidate will have or be expected to receive a 1^st class or 2:1 honour degree in engineering or related manufacturing and/or materials subjects. A postgraduate master’s degree is not essentially required but will be an advantage

Eligibility

Both international and UK home students are eligible for this studentship.

How to apply

Please submit the documents below as a single PDF file by email to cedps-pgr-office@brunel.ac.uk by 16:00 on 25 October 2024.

Your up-to-date CV;
Your 300 to 500-word personal statement setting out why you are suitable for this project, including your relevant skills and experience;
Your Undergraduate and Master’s degree certificate(s) and transcript(s);
Your English Language qualification of IELTS 6.5 overall or equivalent, if applicable;
TWO referees, one of which should be an academic member and can be from a member of Brunel University staff.

Interviews will take place in November 2024.

Meet the Supervisor(s)

Shouxun Ji - Prof. Shouxun Ji is currently a Professor at Brunel University London. He has been focusing on the development of lightweight materials and structures for the automotive industry, aerospace, powered tools, and other sectors. The main activities include purpose-developed aluminium alloys and magnesium alloys with improved ductility, strength (at ambience and elevated temperatures), modulus and thermal conductivity, and the hybrid structures using different materials and different joining techniques. He is also working on new materials and structures for special applications, such as materials for explosive cords and high strength casting materials for aircraft. His works have helped industrial partners to deliver several products in massive manufacturing. Recently, he worked with world leading company to develop magnesium alloys for small engine applications, which requires improved strength and thermal conductivity at room temperature and at elevated temperatures. Prof. Ji have plenty experiences in high pressure die casting including die structure design, gating system design and optimisation, casting process and casting materials. He also worked extensively on other shaped-casting processes such as sand casting, gravity casting, low pressure die casting, semi-solid metal processing of rheo-die casting, rheo-extrusion, and rheo-twin roll casting. His previous works also included cast irons (spheroidal graphite cast iron and austempered ductile iron) and copper alloys. Prof. Ji has published more than 130 papers in the peer-reviewed scientific Journals and more than 20 international patents. He is the member of three ISO technical committee and one BSI technical committee and the editorial member of three scientific journals. CITATIONS & h-INDEX https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=2FqHYcIAAAAJ https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=14321442000 ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8103-8638 RESEARCH AWARDS The 2023 award of excellence in the commercial cast product category from International Magnesium Association (IMA) for high temperature magnesium alloy small engine cylinder. Award for ‘Person of the Year 2022’ from International Magnesium Science and Technology Society for the achievement in magnesium research and development. National innovation award in 2017 from CMF UK for advancing casting materials and development of aluminium alloys.

Yun Wang - Dr Wang joined BCAST as a research fellow in December 2007. He obtained his PhD in materials science at University of Sheffield, and worked as a research fellow at University of Sheffield and University of Surrey. Dr Wang’s main research interests are solidification processing, microstructural characterisation, heat treatment and phase transformation of light metals and alloys. His current research focuses on revelation of the nature of oxide films and other inclusions in alloy melt, understanding of heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms for Al- and Mg-based alloys, and microstructural characterisation of light alloys by high resolutuion electron microscopy, including aberration (Cs) corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Representative publications: Y Wang, CM Fang, L Zhou, T Hashimoto, X Zhou, QM Ramasse, Z Fan, Mechanism for Zr poisoning of Al-Ti-B based grain refiners, Acta Mater, 164 (2019), 428-439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2018.10.056 Y Wang, G Liu and Z Fan, Microstructural evolution of rheo-diecast AZ91D Mg alloy during heat treatment, Acta Mater. 54 (2006), 689-699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2005.09.033 S Wang, Y Wang, QM Ramasse, R Schmid-Fetzer, Z Fan, Segregation of Yttrium at the Mg/MgO interface in an Mg-0.5 Y Alloy, Acta Mater 257 (2023), 119147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2023.119147 Z Fan, Y. Wang, Y Zhang, T Qin, XR Zhou, GE Thompson, T Pennycook, T Hashimoto, Grain refining mechanism in the Al/Al–Ti–B system, Acta Mater. 84 (2015), 292-304. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2014.10.055 Z Fan, Y Wang, M Xia and S Arumuganathar, Enhanced heterogeneous nucleation in AZ91D alloy by intensive melt shearing, Acta Mater, 57 (2009), 4891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2009.06.052 M Hitchcock, Y Wang and Z Fan, Secondary solidification behaviour of rheo-diecast Al-Si-Mg Al alloy, Acta Mater. 55 (2007) 1589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2006.10.018 Z Fan, F Gao, Y Wang, H Men, L Zhou, Effect of solutes on grain refinement, Progress in Mater Sci. 123 (2022), 100809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmatsci.2021.100809 HT Li, Y Wang Y, Z Fan, Mechanisms of enhanced heterogeneous nucleation during solidification in binary Al-Mg alloys, Acta Mater. 60 (2012), p 1528-1537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2011.11.044 L Wang, W Lu, Q Hu, M Xia, Y Wang, JG. Li, Interfacial tuning for the nucleation of liquid AlCu alloy, Acta Mater. 139 (2017), 75-85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2017.07.058 S Wang, Y Wang, QM Ramasse, Z Fan, Grain refinement of Mg-Ca alloys by native MgO particles, J Mag. Alloys, 12 (2024), 980-996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jma.2024.03.009 L Zai, X Tong, Y Wang, H Zhang, X Xue, Exceptional grain refinement induced by dispersed MgO particles in TIG-welded AZ31 alloy, J Mat Sci Tech 205 (2025) 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmst.2024.03.057 S Wang, Y Wang, Y Zhang, F Wang, T Hashimoto, X Zhou, Z Fan, QM. Ramasse, Segregation of Mg at TiB2/Al interface mitigating the Zr-poisoning effect, Scripta Mater. 253 (2024) 116310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2024.116310. Z Que, Y Wang, Z Fan, T Hashimoto, XR. Zhou, Composition templating for heterogeneous nucleation of intermetallic compounds, Scientific Report (2024) 14: 8968. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-59709-w. Y Wang, M. Xia, Z. Fan, X. Zhou and G.E. Thompson, The effect of Al8Mn5 intermetallic particles on grain size of as-cast Mg-Al-Zn AZ91D alloy, Intermetallics, 18(2010), 1683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intermet.2010.05.004 Y Wang, G Liu and Z Fan, A new heat treatment procedure for rheo-diecast AZ91D Mg alloy, Scripta Mater. 54(2006), 903-908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2005.10.073 Y Wang, Z Fan, X Zhou and G.E. Thompson, Characterisation of magnesium oxide and its interface with alpha-Mg in Mg-Al based alloys, Philos. Mag. Letts., 91 (2011) 516-529. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500839.2011.591744 Y Wang, Z Que, T Hashimoto, X Zhou, Z Fan, Mechanism for Si poisoning of Al-Ti-B grain refiners in Al alloys, Mater Trans A 51 (2020), 5743-5757. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-020-05950-7 Z Fan, F Gao, Y Wang, SH Wang, JB Patel, Grain refinement of Mg-alloys by native MgO particles: An overview, J Mag. Alloys 10 (2022), 2919-2945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jma.2022.10.006 Y Wang, H-T Li, Z Fan, Oxidation of Al alloy melts and Inoculation by oxide particles, Trans Indian Inst Metals, 65 (2012) 653-661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12666-012-0194-x S Ji, Y. Wang, D Watson, Z Fan, Microstructural evolution and solidification behaviour of Al-Mg-Si alloy in high-pressure die casting, Metall Mater Trans A, 44 (2013), 3185-3197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-013-1663-5 Y Wang, G W Lorimer and F R Sale, Microstructural development during consolidation of rapidly solidified Al-Fe-V-Si powder by VHP, extrusion and rolling, Scripta Metall. Mater. 31(1994) 1337. Y Wang and H Jones, Effects of growth velocity on the growth temperature of the Al-AlxFe eutectic in Al-2.85Fe-0.12V alloy, Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 32A (2001), 1251. Y Wang, H Jones and P V Evans, Eutectic solidification characteristics of Bridgman grown Al-3Fe-0.1V alloy, J. Mater. Sci., 33(1998), 5205. A Sareen, Y. Wang, Ulf Sodervall, Per Lundgren and S Bengtsson, Effect of Si cap layer on parasitic channel operation in Si/SiGe metal–oxide–semiconductor structures, Appl. Phys. 93 (2003), 3545. http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1542916 Y. Wang, W.M. Rainforth, H. Jones and M. Lieblich, Dry wear behaviour and its relation to micro-structure of novel 6092 aluminium alloy–Ni3Al powder metallurgy composite, Wear, 251(2001), 1421

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