Over the last few years we have had good success using EBSD to map local stress distributions at the head of slip bands intersecting with grain boundaries and the work has received considerable interest.  This project will extend the measurements by looking at how material alloying and mechanical parameters alter the response.  In Ti oxygen content and Al alloying have profound effects on strength and alter slip planarity.  This can alter the amount of plastic strain localised into a particular slip band and hence influence the magnitude of stress ‘hot spots’ that develop at grain boundaries.  Similarly altering the mechanical loading conditions from quasi-static tension, to creep or cyclic ratcheting may also alter the strength of grain boundaries as barriers to slip transfer.

This project will be carried out in close conjunction with Rolls Royce and the other partner Universities in the EPSRC flagship HexMat programme grant (http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/hexmat).

Candidates are considered in the January 2015 admissions cycle which has an application deadline of 23 January 2015.  This 3.5 year EPSRC DTP studentship will provide full fees and maintenance for a citizen of the UK or for a citizen of the EU who has spent the previous three years (or more) in the UK undertaking undergraduate study.  The stipend is expected to be at least £15,000 per year.  Other EU citizens should read the guidance at http://www.materials.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate/eu.html for further information about eligibility.

Any questions concerning the project can be addressed to Professor Angus Wilkinson (angus.wilkinson@materials.ox.ac.uk).  General enquiries on how to apply can be made by e-mail tograduate.studies<στο>materials.ox.ac.uk.  You must complete the standard Oxford University Application for Graduate Studies and further information and an electronic copy of the application form can be found at http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/apply/index.html.