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, at Brunel University of London, starting on 1 October 2025.

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of £23000 + annual EPSRC increase + extra from Constellium plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of 48 months (4 years).

Please contact Dr Raluca Florentina Negrea at raluca.negrea@brunel.ac.uk for an informal discussion about the project.

Project description

This project is sponsored by Constellium, a global leading manufacturer of high-quality technically advanced aluminium products and systems. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to work alongside our industrial partners and contribute to Constellium’s strategic R&D aims. This includes a 3-month work placement within Constellium’s international business.

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

About BCAST

BCAST, the Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology is about more than just casting and is a speciality research centre in metallurgy with state-of-the-art materials characterisation and processing facilities

Eligibility

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. Focussed 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.

International and UK students are eligible.

How to apply

Please submit your application documents (see list below) in one PDF file by noon on 11 April 2025 to cedps-pgr-office@brunel.ac.uk:

  • Your up-to-date CV
  • Your personal statement (300 to 500 words) summarising your background, skills and experience - please remember to state the title of the project at the top of your personal statement
  • 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

Interviews will take place in April 2025.

Meet the Supervisor(s)

Raluca Florentina Negrea - Highly motivated Scientific Researcher with over 15 years of experience and a strong background in Scanning/Transmission  Electron Microscopy (S/TEM). I possess extensive expertise in advanced analytical and structural characterization of crystalline materials using state-of-the-art electron microscopy techniques. My career has been dedicated to exploring structure–property relationships through high-resolution TEM, STEM, EELS, and related methods. With more than 75 publications in top-tier journals, over 1,800 citations, and an h-index of 24, I have established a solid international reputation in materials characterization. My proven TEM expertise has made me an indispensable collaborator in numerous national and international research projects, where I contributed to the successful development and delivery of key scientific outcomes. In these projects, I also initiated and supervised the research activities of Master’s and Bachelor’s students, fostering their growth in advanced microscopy. The high quality and impact of my work have enabled me to collaborate closely with world-leading experts in materials physics, further strengthening my research network and advancing the field of electron microscopy.