In association with: Tata Steel and Atomising Systems Limited

Supervisors: Dr Greg Gibbons (WMG), Dr John Dunkley (Atomising Systems Limited)

Project Overview:

Inhomogeneities caused by non-steady-state phenomena in the atomising production process for obtaining spherical metal powders, can cause widening of the particle size distribution, resulting in poor powder yield and variable powder quality. Fluctuations in powder quality causes downstream problems during the component production route speed and quality.

The PhD project will analyse recognised non-steady-state phenomena in the production of powder metals to establish their root cause, develop analysis techniques to model them and identify methodologies to minimise their occurrence. The project will analyse the effects across a range of materials and a cross section of production parameters to identify commonalities and root causes. The project will attempt to model these phenomena and develop techniques to minimise their effect within the models. Practical testing will be completed in new facilities at WMG, and will rely on the processing expertise of Atomising Systems Limited. Tata Steel will supply a range of materials for the project to evaluate the commonality of the phenomena across different metallurgies.

In more general terms, there will also be opportunities for significant learning regarding:

• powder production techniques and their integration into the Tata Steel Stocksbridge Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM)/Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) (high grade secondary steel making facilities primarily used in high temperature alloy development for the aerospace sector)
• the application of Tata Steel products as powders in the automotive, aerospace and energy & power sectors.

It is envisaged that in addition to work at the University, the student will spend a proportion of his/her time working at ASL, where there will be direct daily interaction with technical staff and access to technical advice and guidance on relevant aspects of the project.

Background:

The PhD project will link with the TSB ‘Making it Lighter With Less’ recently UK Government funded research project 'Series Production of Lightweight Parts by Isostatic Pressing of Metal Powders to Give Material and Energy Reduction (SLIMMER)', which is expected to start in Q2 2015. Tata Steel are leading partners of this programme, in support of Jaguar Land Rover, Airbus, Rolls Royce and Alstom, to help develop powder metal solutions for components  across the automotive, aerospace and energy and power sectors. The project will align strongly with the ambition of Tata Steel to enter the Powder Metals market and allows evaluation of both production processes and supply chain partnerships with Atomising Systems Limited.

CASE Awards Available: 1

Funding Details: EPSRC stipend of approx £16K and industrial top up (up to £3k) depending on applicant.

Length of Award: 3.5 years

Eligibility: Applicants must be UK residents and should have a 1^st class or 2.1 degree in a relevant science or engineering subject such as materials, physics, mechanical engineering, or maths.

Application Details:
Please complete our online enquiry form