Supporting Company: Tata Steel

WMG and Tata Steel are seeking a top class candidate to undertake research leading to the award of an International Engineering Doctorate awarded jointly by the Universities of Warwick, Exeter and Cranfield.

As a ‘research engineer’ on our International Doctorate programme you will have unrivalled access to some of the best teaching and industrial expertise in the world, across three universities. While you will be based at WMG, University of Warwick and Tata Steel, you will also spend time at Cranfield and Exeter Universities to give you the broadest possible experience. You will emerge from the four-year programme more confident and better equipped to make a difference to your company and the global marketplace. 

This opportunity also provides a substantial tax free stipend equivalent to many graduate jobs.

Project

This project is focused on a particular type of non-metallic inclusions which plague certain grades of automotive steels and packaging steels. 

When analysing the inclusions in these defects they mainly consist of (reacted) mould slag. Mould slags are molten oxides that are used to control lubrication and heat transfer in the continuous casting process. This project is aimed at elucidating the formation of these clean steel defects. If kinetic information of the slag redox reaction are known in more detail good estimates of the residence time in the steel can be obtained once the original size of the slag particle and the steel & slag chemistry are known. Knowledge of the residence time distribution may help us to validate CFD models and to optimize fluid flow in the strand. 

The aims of the research are as follows:

• To experimentally investigate the reaction rates of the SiO2 + Al redox reaction for various slag compositions
• To compare the results with existing kinetic models and develop these further as needed
• To carry out an experimental investigation involving slag droplets in steels and steel droplets in slags using a high temperature confocal scanning laser microscope and image in a CT scanner
• To carry out inclusion analysis and detailed examination of samples by means of SEM and by means of thermodynamic analysis at CRC in Tata Steel

Business Need and Opportunity

Non-metallic defects result in losses in yield. Steel manufacturing is an extremely energy intensive process which also contributes to a significant carbon footprint, and improving any aspect of yield would have an enormous effect on sustainability due to the large tonnage of steel produced world wide.

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

Candidates should have a minimum of an upper second (2.1) honours degree (or equivalent) in an engineering or related discipline.

Due to funding regulations this project is open to Home/EU students only.

The Studentship

Qualifying students an attractive enhanced stipend which could be tax and NI free depending on your personal circumstances, paid by the Centre and topped up by a contribution from Tata Steel. For 2014 this totals approximately £19,000 tax free per annum.

The funding is for four years and will also cover University tuition fees and all course fees as well as a travel allowance to attend courses.

Apply

To apply please complete our online enquiry form and upload your CV.