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PhD Studentship: New Materials for Thermal Batte ... (No replies)
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A fully-funded PhD studentship is available to work on a project that seeks to develop novel thermally-insulating materials for thermal batteries. These are batteries in which the electrolyte, a solid under stored conditions, becomes molten on application of a thermal pulse, leading to charge flow and normal battery operation. Improved thermally-insulating materials are required to extend battery lifetimes and aid miniaturisation.
The project will focus on reducing the thermal conductivity of oxides by increasing the scattering of heat-carrying phonons. A hierarchical approach across different length scales will be exploited to maximise the phonon scattering over a wide range of the phonon spectrum. This will involve investigation of framework oxides with large unit cells, in which a combination of chemical substitution, the introduction of weakly-bonded non-framework species and nanostructuring will be used to produce materials with low thermal conductivity.
The project will include both experimental and theoretical components. On the experimental side, it will involve a blend of solid-state synthesis, encompassing traditional high-temperature methods as well as mechanochemical and solution-based approaches, structural analysis by powder X-ray and neutron diffraction, electron microscopy and transport property measurements. The experimental program will be complemented by computational studies of thermal transport properties, using both classical methods, based on interatomic potentials, and quantum-mechanical methods, based on density functional theory.
Eligibility:
Funding Details:
This studentship is fully funded for 3.5 years and covers PhD tuition fees, together with a tax-free stipend (currently £14,777 per year). The studentship is expected to commence in October 2019, or as soon as possible after this date.
How to apply: To apply for this studentship please submit an application for a PhD in New Materials for Thermal Battery Insulation to the University – see http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/apply/pg-applicationform.aspx
Please quote the reference GS19-038 in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application.
Further Enquiries: For further details about this studentship please contact Prof. A.V. Powell ([email protected]) or Dr. R. Grau-Crespo ([email protected]).