Applications are invited for one full-time EPSRC Industrial CASE (ICASE) PhD studentship for each project.

“Development of natural-ageing-resistant, heat-treatable lean aluminium alloys for automotive applications”

BCAST is a specialist research centre in metallurgy with a focus on processing of metallic materials for lightweighting applications. See www.brunel.ac.uk/bcast for more information. The project is sponsored by Constellium, a global leading manufacturer of high-quality technically advanced aluminium products and systems.

PROJECT

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) starting from approximately £23,000 plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of up to 48 months (4 years).

Lean automotive aluminium with a lower concentration of alloying elements offers moderate strength and relatively high productivity compared to its highly alloyed counterparts. However, automotive aluminium alloys are susceptible to natural ageing at room temperature, resulting in the formation of clusters from a supersaturated solid solution produced after fast quenching from solution heat treatment. This leads to increased hardness, which affects both formability and the subsequent precipitation hardening process. In addition, promoting a circular economy in the aluminium industry by increasing recyclability and using more recycled aluminium is essential for saving resources, reducing waste and creating a more sustainable future.

This project will focus on understanding the effects of vacancy-trapping element addition and quench rate sensitivity of lean Al-Mg-Si-based alloys with varying level of recycled content on the natural ageing response at room temperature and precipitation hardening behaviour during artificial ageing treatment, with the aim of developing lean recyclable Al-Si-Mg-based alloys that are resistant to natural ageing, tolerant of slower quenching rates, and capable of offering high productivity and moderate mechanical properties for automotive applications.

The project will be part of the activities of the Constellium University Technology Centre (UTC) established with BCAST. The successful candidate will have the opportunities to interact with researchers in BCAST and with Constellium’s industrial research engineers. An industrial supervisor of the project will be appointed by Constellium. This close collaboration provides a strong foundation for a future career, whether in industry or academia.

Please contact Prof. Isaac Chang (Isaac.Chang@brunel.ac.uk) for an informal discussion about the project.

Eligibility

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a similar discipline. A postgraduate master’s degree is not required but may be an advantage.

A strong background in physical metallurgy, materials science or chemistry is essential and experience in casting, heat treatment, microstructural characterisation, differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical testing is desirable.

In addition, applicants should be highly motivated, able to work independently, as well as in a team and have effective communication skills.

Applicants must be eligible for home tuition fees through either nationality, residency (living in the UK for at least three years and not wholly for educational purposes) or other connection to the UK.

“Understanding crush behaviour of recycled 6xxx Aluminium alloys subjected to different thermomechanical treatments”

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) starting from approximately £23,000 plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of up to 48 months (4 years).

PROJECT

The net zero and sustainability targets as well as export cost means that there is increased need to rely on new class of alloys with higher recycle content must be developed for both high strength and crash resistant alloys. Due to the differences in minor impurity additions in the recycled alloys compared with the alloys based on primary alloys there is a need to develop new, and modify the current thermo-mechanical process use to strengthen the current generation of crush alloys. Programme will use different thermomechanical processing paths including heat treatment and more complex paths including deformation and ageing and other non-conventional paths to provide the best combination of crush performance and strength along with energy absorption properties from the new generation of high recycle content crush alloys. The main objective of the project is to understand the deformation behaviour of the high recycle content crush alloys and the role of tramp elements in controlling the final property profiles. The understanding developed here will provide pathways to exploit the alloy composition and thermomechanical treatments optimise the property profiles of the next generation crush alloys and allow the full exploitation of the various tramp elements found in the recycled alloys to maximise the property profiles.

Please contact Dr Chamini Mendis (Chamini.Mendis@brunel.ac.uk) for an informal discussion about the project.

Eligibility

You should have or expect to receive a first degree at 2:1 or above in a suitable engineering and physical science discipline, e.g. metallurgy, materials science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering or physics. A Master’s level qualification is desirable but not essential. A strong background in materials science and/or modelling is essential. Experience in machine learning, computer vision, and computer programming is desirable.

In addition, applicants should be highly motivated, able to work independently, as well as in a team and have effective communication skills.

“Prediction of Mechanical Properties of Extruded Aluminium Profiles Using Machine Learning and Microstructural Insights”

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) starting from approximately £23,000 plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of up to 48 months (4 years).

PROJECT

Machine Learning (ML) has emerged as a powerful tool for predicting mechanical properties of aluminium alloys, offering the potential to accelerate materials design and optimization. By leveraging large datasets and complex algorithms, ML models can uncover intricate relationships between composition, processing parameters, and resulting properties. However, two significant challenges persist in this domain. First, the extrapolation of ML predictions beyond the range of existing data remains problematic, as models often struggle to accurately forecast properties for new alloy compositions or processing conditions. Second, capturing and incorporating microstructural features into ML models presents another hurdle. Microstructure plays a crucial role in determining mechanical properties, yet integrating this information into predictive models is complex.

This project will focus on developing a combination of advanced machine learning and deep learning methods to enhance the predictions beyond existing data. By incorporating microstructural features into predictive models, the aim is to create a reliable data-driven modelling framework that accurately predicts mechanical properties based on the alloy composition, processing parameters and microstructural information of extruded aluminium profiles for automotive applications.

Please contact Prof. Isaac Chang (Isaac.Chang@brunel.ac.uk) for an informal discussion about the project.

Eligibility

In addition, applicants should be highly motivated, able to work independently, as well as in a team and have effective communication skills.

“Best practices for minimising dross formation during melting of scrap aluminium”

BCAST is a specialist research centre in metallurgy with a focus on processing of metallic materials for lightweighting applications. See www.brunel.ac.uk/bcast for more information. The project is in collaboration with Constellium, a global leading manufacturer of high-quality technically advanced aluminium products and systems.

PROJECT

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) starting from approximately £23,000 plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of up to 48 months (4 years).

In the aluminium recycling industry, dross formation represents a substantial material loss, with up to 5-10% of the charge potentially lost as dross. Dross primarily consists of aluminium oxides, impurities, and trapped metal, forms due to reactions between molten aluminium and atmospheric oxygen. Various factors contribute to excessive dross formation, including scrap condition, furnace type, melting cycle parameters, heating sources, and furnace atmosphere. Effective control of dross formation can improve metal recovery, reduce environmental impact, and lower production costs. Different scrap sources, such as end-of-life products, machining scrap, and production returns, present varying levels of contamination and oxide coatings, which can lead to inconsistencies in dross formation. By studying surface characteristics of scrap from various sources and implementing controlled preheat and environment, we can significantly reduce the oxidation of molten aluminium and minimise dross formation.

This studentship outlines a comprehensive study aimed at establishing best practices to minimise dross formation during the remelting of aluminium scrap sourced from various stages of the recycling process. Emphasis will be placed on optimising preheat treatments, melting cycle parameters, and furnace atmosphere control, alongside introducing specific elements/flux that inhibit oxide growth

Please contact Prof. Hari Babu NADENDLA (mtsthbn@brunel.ac.uk) for an informal discussion about the project.

Eligibility

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a similar discipline. A postgraduate master’s degree is not required but may be an advantage.

A strong background in physical metallurgy, materials science or chemistry is essential and experience in casting, heat treatment, microstructural characterisation, characterisation tools for surface chemical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry.

In addition, applicants should be highly motivated, able to work independently, as well as in a team and have effective communication skills.

How to Apply

Please submit your application documents (see list below) in one PDF file by noon on 5TH September 2025 to studentships@brunel.ac.uk . Interviews will take place shortly after

Your up to date CV;
Your personal statement (300 to 500 words) summarising your background, skills and experience;
Your Undergraduate/Postgraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s);
Evidence of your English language skills to IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent, 6.0 in all sections), if appropriate;
Contact details for two referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.

Remember to state the title of the project at the top of your personal statement.

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) starting from approximately £23,000 plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of up to 48 months (4 years).

Brunel University London

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