EPSRC DTP – New Thermal Barrier Coatings for Prolonged Lifetime

We are inviting applications for an exciting PhD project to develop innovative thermal barrier coatings with enhanced lifetime and performance. This project will focus on advancing a novel coating microstructure recently pioneered by our research group. By leveraging this cutting-edge design, the project aims to address two major challenges in the field: mitigating molten silicate attack and reducing susceptibility to brittle fracture.

Thermal barrier coatings are critical for protecting components in extreme environments, such as those found in gas turbines and aerospace engines. However, current TBC technologies are increasingly tested by higher operational demands, particularly due to molten silicate infiltration and associated brittle fracture, which can drastically shorten their service life. Our new microstructural design holds immense potential to revolutionize the durability and reliability of TBCs by tackling these limitations head-on.

As part of this PhD, you will:

• Optimise coating microstructural design by exploring new materials, their combinations, and their spatial distribution.
• Develop processing methods to fabricate the coatings.
• Explore process modelling using machine learning, drawing on the processing parameters used in experiments, to optimise the coating process.
• Perform microstructural and mechanical characterization, supported by advanced analytical tools and computational modeling.

You will also have opportunities to work with leading industry partners in the field, such as Rolls-Royce.

Entry Requirements:

Students with, or to achieve, a 2.1 degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact. We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.

We also support applications from those returning from a career break or other roles. We consider offering flexible study arrangements (including part-time: 50%, 60% or 80%, depending on the project/funder). 

How to apply:

You will need to submit an online application through our website here: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/admissions/how-to-apply/ – ensure you mention ‘EPSRC DTP’ and the title / supervisor of the project in the ‘Research Details’ section of the application.