Engineering: Fully Funded M2A EngD Scholarship: Development of Fluid Dynamics for Spray Applied Coatings
Start date: October 2019
Supervisor: TBC
Sponsoring company: TATA Steel Packaging
Tata Steel is a major steel manufacturing company in both Europe and the UK, having a portfolio comprising automotive, engineering and packaging steels (tinplate).
The packaging production volume of 1.2 million tonnes is manufactured across sites in Wales, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Packaging Steel is a highly demanding market with clean, highly formable steel and exceptional surface properties, selling to the major packaging producers of Europe, UK, and the US.
A nano coating of oil is applied to tinplate to prevent scratching during processing at the can maker. If this oil is applied incorrectly it can result in problems during further processing at the customer. In such cases the surface tension of the tinplate is not compatible with lacquer / solvent system and can result in the product being rejected.
The oil is typically applied via an electrostatic oiler whereby an oil mist is created using pressurised air that subsequently passes through an ionisation field to create a finely dispersed mist that is deposited onto the earthed surface of the target.
The aim of this project will be to utilise novel techniques to:
- Identify and test technologies which form oil droplets with a more uniform size distribution.
- Identify and test technologies which measure oil distribution during forming and once applied to the surface.
- Find correlation between surface tension / surface (free Gibbs) energy / wettability and droplet size distribution.
- Propose new oils that improve wettability in the light of new lacquer systems, whilst securing scratch resistance and edibility.
Eligibility Criteria
We welcome applications from candidates with an Engineering or Physical Science degree (minimum level 2:1), or a combination of degree and equivalent relevant experience to the same level, to join the M2A community of research engineers.
To be eligible for WEFO funding, applicants should:
- Be a UK or EU citizen (eligible for home tuition fees at Swansea University) and have the right to work in Wales at the end of their studies.
- Be resident within West Wales and the Valleys at the time of enrolment and for the duration of the candidature.
- Must not be financially able to participate in study for a postgraduate research degree without the award of this funding
To be eligible for EPSRC funding, applicants should:
- Be eligible for home tuition fees at Swansea University.
- Have settled status in the UK, meaning no restrictions on the length of stay in the UK; and be ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK for 3 years prior to the start of the grant, apart from temporary or occasional absences.
- Not have been residing in the UK wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education. This does not apply to UK nationals and EU nationals who were ordinarily resident in the EU immediately before the period of full-time education.
If English is not your first language you will need an acceptable pass in an approved English Language qualification to make sure you get the full benefit from studying at Swansea. We consider a wide range of qualifications, including the Swansea University English Test, the British Council IELTS test (with a score of at least 6.5 and 5.5 in each component). A full list of acceptable English Language tests can be found at:
www.swansea.ac.uk/international/students/requirements/english-requirements
Offered Benefits
The scholarship covers the full cost of UK/EU tuition fees, plus a tax free stipend of £20,000 p.a. for a period of four years.
Application Process
Please visit our website for more information.
