Dr V Arrighi, Prof D G Bucknall
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
About the Project
There is an increasing need to develop materials able to sustain extreme environmental conditions, for example high pressure and high temperature. Lightweight polymers and their composites are ideal candidates for many industrial applications but there is little fundamental understanding of their behavior in extreme environments, which is crucial to prevent failure.
The aim of this project is to investigate changes in polymer properties (structure and dynamics) as a result of very high pressure and high temperature. The project will involve the design of new sample environment cells to allow for in-situ measurements using our dielectric spectroscopy, X-ray and neutron scattering experiments.
The Institute of Chemical Sciences (ICS) is an excellent environment for PhD research, with a thriving community of academics, post-doctoral and PhD researchers spread across three sections: Molecular Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, and Dynamics and Structure. ICS also has many links to the other research institutes within the overall umbrella of the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, providing a strong interdisciplinary theme to our research. Heriot-Watt University occupies an attractive campus site on the outskirts of Edinburgh, with excellent public transport links to the centre of one of the Europe’s most exciting cities.
Funding Notes
You should have, or expect to receive, a First class or 2:1 MChem degree in Chemistry, or equivalent in a relevant related subject. This project is funded by an EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), providing tuition fees and a stipend (approx. £14,500) for 3.5 years, and is only available to UK & EU nationals resident in the UK for the last 3 years.