PhD Studentship - Electric furnace steelmaking (Fixed Term)

PhD Studentship: High-Throughput Recycled Green Steel Prototyping for Electric Furnace Steelmaking

Funder: EPSRC & Tata Steel UK Duration: 4 years (starting October 2025) Supervisor: Dr. David Collins Stipend: £20,780 per annum + £5,500 industry top-up Fees: Home rate; overseas applicants must cover the fee difference Application Deadline: 16 May 2025 (position may be filled earlier)

The University of Cambridge is offering a fully funded PhD studentship within the Structural Materials Group at the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy. This EPSRC-funded 'Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award,' in collaboration with Tata Steel UK, focuses on advancing electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking to reduce the carbon footprint of UK steel production by recycling scrap steel.

This research will develop a high-throughput method for evaluating residual elements in EAF steel, particularly in automotive and packaging-grade alloys. Using thin-film deposition, the project will create miniaturised steel specimens with controlled variations of impurity elements (e.g., Cu, Ni, Sn, Sb, Mo) to assess their impact on microstructure and mechanical properties. The ability to generate thousands of unique compositions on a single sample will significantly accelerate alloy prototyping and testing.

Key objectives include:

• Characterising subsurface microstructure using advanced microscopy and X-ray techniques

• Developing a comprehensive database linking residual content, microstructural stability, and phase formation

• Contributing to the development of resource-efficient, low-carbon EAF-compatible steels

Funding & Eligibility:

This studentship covers full university fees (home rate) and provides a tax-free stipend (£20,780 per annum + £5,500 industry top-up). Applicants must hold, or expect to obtain, a strong Master's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Metallurgy, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry) and meet EPSRC home-fee eligibility criteria.

The Structural Materials Group is a diverse and dynamic research team working across aerospace, automotive, energy, defence, and biomedical sectors. Our expertise includes alloy design, microstructure-property relationships, phase transformations, and advanced materials processing.

Applications should be submitted via the University Application Portal: www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply . Early applications are encouraged as the position may be filled before the deadline.

For further details on postgraduate study at Cambridge, visit the University website. Informal enquiries can be sent to structuralmaterials@msm.cam.ac.uk .