About the Project
Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 – Research and Innovation Framework Programme, on the project titled “Industrial Residue Activation for Sustainable Cement Production (ReActiv)”. The PhD student will experimentally develop and apply thermodynamic data for alkali ferro(alumino)silicate gel, which is a solid phase in cementitious binders derived from high amounts of Fe-rich industrial by-products, e.g., bauxite residue (‘red mud’). Such binders may contain significantly lower amounts of high embodied CO2 Portland cement clinker than conventional ones.
The PhD will be based in the Materials Section of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, working closely with consortium partners, particularly VITO, KU Leuven, NTUA, Mytilineos, and LafargeHolcim. This PhD project offers a wide range of training and development opportunities in a highly stimulating environment, as well as access to internationally leading academics and industrial partners, research facilities, and networks.
Project details:
The key aim of this PhD project is to reliably describe the thermodynamic properties of an important but currently poorly characterised solid phase that can precipitate in cementitious binders derived from high amounts of Fe-rich raw materials, alkali ferro(alumino)silicate gel.
Various industrial by-products are Fe-rich and produced in high quantities, e.g., bauxite residue, copper slag, iron ore mining waste, but are poorly utilised. Utilising these materials to substitute Portland cement clinker in cementitious binders represents a substantial opportunity to add economic value and lower their life cycle environmental impacts – particularly CO2 emissions. However, the chemistry and properties of the resulting cementitious binders are relatively poorly understood, which has limited their uptake on the market.
This PhD student will firstly determine a reliable model of the molecular structure of alkali ferro(alumino)silicate gel, building on the existing relevant literature. They will then synthesise this phase at high purity under controlled atmospheres, and after appropriate equilibration times. The synthesised phases will be comprehensively characterised, and thermodynamic data and models will be developed. The PhD student will then use these models to predict the chemistry and properties of cementitious binders derived from Fe-rich industrial by-products, particularly bauxite residue, in amounts exceeding 30 mass%. These results will be validated through further experimental work. This is a heavily experimental PhD project that will utilise the suite of state-of-the-art materials characterisation equipment available in our Advanced Infrastructure Materials, Structures, and Environmental Laboratories, which is a facility that is essentially unparalleled in terms of quality within the UK.
This PhD student will work aside another PhD student, also funded by the ReActiv project, who will aim to quantitatively evaluate the environmental impacts of cementitious binders incorporating bauxite residue and potentially other high-volume industrial by-products using life cycle assessment.
Academic requirements and experience:
• A good first class degree (or international equivalent) in a STEM subject, e.g., Chemistry, Metallurgy, Physics, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, Geology), or a course with strong emphasis on chemistry.
• A masters level degree qualification in any course with a strong emphasis on chemistry, as indicated above, alone or in addition to an undergraduate level degree.
• Laboratory experience.
• Strong interest in sustainability and research.
• Excellent English communication skills.
How to apply:
Applicants wishing to be considered for this opportunity should send the following application documents to Dr. Rupert J. Myers ([Email Address Removed]):
1. Current CV including details of their academic record
2. Covering letter making explaining their motivation and suitability (1 page maximum)
3. Contact details of two academic referees
Application via the Imperial College Registry is not necessary at this stage.
Applications will be regularly reviewed until the position is filled.
Funding Notes
The studentship will provide funding for 3.5 years including tuition fees and a tax-free stipend at the standard UKRI London rate, ~£17,285 for the 2020/21 academic year.
Full funding is available to Home and EU students. The funding can also be used to partly support an international student.
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