Study the fluid dynamics of droplets impacting powder beds in a stimulating world class research environment and help improve the latest manufacturing technologies.
Background: In recent years Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing as it is often known, has become an established manufacturing technology. Many AM technologies, such as binder jetting and high-speed sintering, involve the printing of droplets onto layers of powder to ultimately form a 3-D object. The interaction of the droplets and powder is key to the success of the build process and the functional properties of the final object. Despite its importance, this area has received relatively little attention in the scientific literature.
Objectives: This project will develop fundamental insights into the fluid dynamics and mechanisms occurring on, and in, the powder bed as droplets impact the bed, and as the droplet-powder structure forms, and evolves over time. Through this understanding the link to the final product properties will be developed and the insights allow the AM processes to be optimised.
Approaches: Experimental approaches will be used to investigate the wetting, spreading and imbibition of the droplets. A custom rig will be developed to image a surrogate set-up of powder particle interaction. The impact of the physical properties of the fluid, ink, and the powder will be investigated as well as the geometry and process set-up e.g. droplet, powder sizes, impact velocities, flowrate of droplets, temperature etc. Depending on the application, other coupled transport mechanism will also be studied e.g. heating, drying, dissolution. X-ray micro-CT will also be used to understand the structure and porosity of the wet 3-D structures and the impact on final object properties. The observations will be interpreted and understood using mechanistic analysis, simplified physically based models and potentially using numerical modelling techniques.
Environment: The project will be hosted in the laboratory of Professor Andrew Bayly, who has an established research focus on the science and engineering of particle and droplet systems. You will be part of the active, world leading, Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics (@FluidsLeeds). The PhD will be supported by the EPSRC Future Manufacturing Hub in Manufacture using Advanced Powder Processes (@mapphub) and benefit from connections with the industrial and academic hub partners.
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