What you will study

The successful candidate will investigate the interplay between grain refinement, Fe impurities and casting defects in recycled aluminium alloys, in close collaboration with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and a leading aluminium producer. The project aims to address a major challenge in aluminium manufacturing: how to enable greater use of secondary aluminium alloys without compromising castability and performance.

What you get

• For 3.5 years, you will receive a tax-free stipend at a standard rate of £21,805 per year and your fees will be waived (at the UK or International rate). In addition, to a one-off Research and Training Support Grant of £2,000.

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

The project comprises:

• Studies of grain structure control and solidification defect

  You will study how grain refinement strategies and Fe impurity levels influence microstructure development and defect susceptibility during casting/solidification.

• Collaborative pilot-scale studies

  In collaboration with NTNU, you will carry out both laboratory-scale casting experiments and near-industrial-scale casting trials to connect fundamental mechanistic understanding with industrially relevant processing conditions. Alloy composition, Fe concentration, inoculation conditions, cooling conditions and remelting history will be systematically studied.

  You will employ a range of advanced characterisation techniques, including:

• Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM-EDX/EBSD, TEM)

• Synchrotron X-ray imaging

• Mechanical testing

Supervision and research environment

The project will be supervised by Dr. Shikang Feng within the School of Engineering and Informatics at the University of Sussex, with collaboration opportunities involving NTNU and industrially relevant processing platforms. The student will join a growing research environment in sustainable materials engineering with access to advanced casting and characterisation facilities.

Candidate profile

We seek a highly motivated candidate with a strong background in one or more of the following areas: materials science, metallurgy, mechanical engineering or a closely related field. Experience with metallography, materials processing or materials characterisation would be advantageous but not essential.

Eligibility

This studentship is available to UK and Overseas applicants. Eligible candidates will normally have an upper second-class (2:1) undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in a related field. The University of Sussex believes that the diversity of its staff and student community is fundamental to creative thinking, pedagogic innovation, intellectual challenge, and the interdisciplinary approach to research and learning. We celebrate and promote diversity, equality and inclusion amongst our staff and students. As such, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Number of scholarships available

1

Deadline

2 October 2026 23:45

How to apply

Apply online for a full time PhD in Engineering/Informatics/Cognitive Science [insert entry date] using our step-by-step guide.

Please ensure you application includes each of the following:

• A research proposal.
• Your CV.
• Degree certificates and transcripts.
• 2 references, including a minimum of 1 from any institution studied at within the last 5 years.
• If your first language is not English you will need to demonstrate that you meet the University’s English language requirements.

Please clearly state on your application that you are applying for the Full-funded PhD Studentship on Microstructure and Defect Control in Recycled Aluminium Alloys under the supervision of Dr. Shikang Feng**.

Timetable

Application Deadline:02 October 2026 ****Interview Date:**** After 19th Ocotber ******Entry Date:****** 04 January 2026

Availability

At level(s): PG (research)

Application deadline: 2 October 2026 23:45 (GMT)

Countries

The award is available to people from these specific countries:

Country
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra, Principality of
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British National (Overseas)
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia, Kingdom of
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Channel Islands not otherwise specified
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus (European Union)
Cyprus (Non-European Union)
Cyprus not otherwise specified
Czech Republic
Czechoslovakia not otherwise specified
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
England
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Europe not otherwise specified
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guam (USA)
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China) [Hong Kong]
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire)
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan)
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Northern Ireland
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Not Known
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Island
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
S. Georgia and S. Sandwich Isls.
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis Anguilla
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin (French Part)
Saint Tome (Sao Tome) and Principe
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten (Dutch Part)
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Stateless
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland (Eswatini)
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics not otherwise specified
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United Kingdom, not otherwise specified
United States
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City (Holy See)
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Wales
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia not otherwise specified
Zambia
Zimbabwe