This Industrial MPhil is funded by the Leicester Innovation Hub (through European Development Fund monies) and the sponsoring organisation Structural Adhesives Ltd.
Synthetic structural adhesives such as polyurethanes and epoxides are currently used to assemble and impart strength to numerous devices. While they are an essential component to most devices, being able to bond metals, inorganic and organic components they are also the main physical barrier to disassembly and recycling. Of particular concern is the assembly of drive-chain motors and battery packs. We have recently highlighted the economic barriers to recycling devices such as lithium ion batteries is the extensive use of synthetic structural adhesives.
One of the main conclusions from the first critical review on design for recycling of lithium ion batteries was the need for de-bondable and sustainable adhesives. This project will highlight families of polymers that can be used and suggest rapid and cost effective ways of transforming them into structural thermoset polymers using cross-linking agents. The aim will be to use a variety of stimuli to de-bond the adhesives at end of life. The project will use a recently written review to produce structural adhesives which can be rapidly debonded. The work will involve the synthesis and characterisation of structural adhesives together with their mechanical properties. It will also characterise the conditions and rate at which they can be debonded.
How to apply:
Please refer to the studentship information and use the application link at: https://le.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/funded-opportunities/chem-erdf-lih-437-abbott
In the funding section of the application please indicate you wish to be considered for LIH437 MPhil Studentship
In the proposal section please provide the name of the supervisor and project title.
Include a CV and a personal statement explaining your interest in the project and why we should consider you together with all other relevant application documents.
Application enquiries to [Email Address Removed]
Eligibility:
The Leicester Innovation Hub is part-funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The MPhil student:
- have graduated within the last 3 years in a related discipline;
- adhere to project confidentiality; at the start of the project
- assign any arising IP from the project;
- base their MPhil degree thesis on the research outcomes of the project;
- work closely with the SME company to undertake the research project;
- deliver monthly progress reports and a comprehensive project report to the University and sponsoring SME in addition to the MPhil thesis.
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