Development and Tribological Testing of Omniphobic Surfaces PhD

Engineering of surfaces has opened avenues for the development of multiple-property materials that show different surface and core behavior and in doing so increase the usefulness of any material.

A growing area of importance in surface engineering relates to the development of Omniphobic surfaces that repel a multitude of adhesive substances from the surface including water, dust, grime and grease etc. giving rise to useful applications in Maintenance of Solar Panels, Decreasing Water Usage in Sanitation, Oxidation Protection, Anti-Icing in High Altitude Aerial Vehicles, High Temperature Applications and many more.

Successful PhD candidates will work on the development and wear testing of such surfaces via experimental and analytical analysis to predict their failure characteristics in real-life applications. Another segment of this work might include the inclusion of self-repairing behavior in such surfaces to make them more robust and effective for use. This will involve a thorough understanding of surface topography, surface roughness and physical and chemical characteristics exhibited by surfaces at atomic levels that actually affect this interaction at macro level.

The research is hosted within the Through-life Engineering Services (TES) Centre at Cranfield University, which is among the world leaders in through-life approaches for high value systems, condition monitoring, damage tolerance, and asset management. The Centre was developed with EPSRC funding of £11 million and serves industrial clients including Boeing, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Meggitt, Thales, MOD, Bombardier, QinetiQ, Network Rail, Schlumberger and Alstom.

Entry Requirements:
- A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area.
- A minimum English language proficiency (IELTS overall minimum score of 6.5).
- Excellent analytical, reporting and communication skills.
- Self-motivated, independent and a team player.
- Genuine enthusiasm for the subject and technology.
- Willingness to publish research findings in international journals.

Funding: Self-funded. Financial support opportunities are available via the university's funding finder.

Supervisor: Dr Muhammad Khan.