Self funded 3.5 year PhD in Engineering
Project Summary
Minerals containing earth alkalis are feasible for carbonation or enhanced weathering as an effective CO2 sequestration and storage method. However, using natural resources entails intensive mining and grinding activities, leading to significant environmental problems. On the other hand, considerable amounts of alkaline waste materials are produced from various industries, which serve as promising candidates for CO2 drawdown. It was estimated that globally, alkaline materials are capable of sequestering 2.3-3.3 Gt CO2 via carbonation and 2.6-3.8 Gt CO2 via enhanced weathering in 2050, on par with other carbon dioxide removal methods.
This project will investigate the reaction kinetics and mechanisms of various types of alkaline wastes such as steel slags, biomass ash and construction wastes in order to evaluate the potential barriers and modification methods to enhance their CO2 sequestration capacity. Moreover, the potential leaching of toxic elements from these wastes will be quantified to evaluate the environmental risks of using these materials in different applications such as cement/concrete or soil improvement. The outcomes of the project will significantly contribute to climate change mitigation strategies and a circular economy.
The successful candidate will be based at School of Engineering, Cardiff University, and will be part of the Geoenvironmental Research Centre (GRC), an internationally renowned research group in the areas of waste management and ground engineering.
Academic Criteria
Candidates should hold a good bachelor’s degree (first or upper second-class honours degree) or a MSc degree in an area of Civil and Environmental Engineering or Materials Engineering. Knowledge of mineralogy and geochemistry are desirable. Previous laboratory experience, particularly in XRD, SEM and ICP analyses would be advantageous but not essential.
Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent)
Contact for further information
Please contact Dr. Fei Jin (jinf2@cardiff.ac.uk) to informally discuss this opportunity
How to apply
Applicants should submit an application for postgraduate study via the Cardiff University webpages (http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/engineering ) including;
· an upload of your CV
· a personal statement/covering letter
· two references (applicants are recommended to have a third academic referee, if the two academic referees are within the same department/school)
· Current academic transcripts
Applicants should select Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering), with a start date of 1st October 2023, 1st January 2024, 1st April 2024 or 1st July 2024.
In the research proposal section of your application, please specify the project title and supervisors of this project and copy the project description in the text box provided. In the funding section, please select "I will be applying for a scholarship / grant" and specify that you are applying for advertised funding, reference FJ-MC-2023
Deadline for applications
01/05/2024. We may however close this opportunity earlier if a suitable candidate is identified.
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