PhD Studentship: Energy Efficient Composite Manufacturing

University of Warwick

Qualification Type:PhD
Location:Coventry, University of Warwick, Warwick
Funding for:UK Students, EU Students, International Students
Funding amount:£20,780
Hours:Full Time
Placed On:12th May 2025
Closes:30th June 2025

Eligibly: Available to UK Home fee status and UK-domiciled EU students.

International applicants are welcome to apply if they can cover the difference between home and overseas tuition fees.

Start Date: Oct/Nov 2025 (flexible and can be adjusted upon agreement with the successful candidate).

Project Overview

The drive for net-zero and sustainable manufacturing is reshaping the future of advanced materials. Traditional composite manufacturing methods, such as autoclave or oven curing, are energy-intensive, costly, and often impractical for large-scale or complex structures. This PhD project aims to develop next-generation, energy-efficient processes for fabricating high-performance composite materials, supporting lightweighting and sustainability targets in key sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and renewable energy.

The project will explore novel approaches to out-of-autoclave and out-of-oven composite curing, with a focus on advanced localised heating methods that enable precise, rapid, and scalable processing. Key areas of investigation include electromagnetic and light-driven heating techniques, and the influence of materials formulation and fibre architectures on process control, heating efficiency, and final material properties.

The candidate will gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge composite processing, materials characterisation, and sustainability assessment, supported by state-of-the-art facilities and an interdisciplinary supervisory team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the scientific and technological foundations of sustainable manufacturing, with strong potential for academic publication, industrial collaboration, and real-world impact.

Applicants are required to submit a 2-page CV and a personal statement outlining their relevant experience and motivation for this position.

Find out more and apply.

Closing date: 30 Jun 2025