PhD Studentship: Impact Failure of Amorphous Polymers

Supervisor: Dr. Davide De Focatiis

Ballistic influence is a posh occasion that induces a number of modes of deformation, is influenced by each materials and structural responses, and excites a really big selection of pressure charges. In circumstances the place brittle failure is induced, results of processing historical past, reminiscent of flaws and residual stresses, additionally play a big function within the closing response. An intensive understanding of a cloth’s response to influence is important to regulate harm and forestall accidents in a broad vary of contexts.

There’s a want, due to this fact, to provide materials fashions that can be utilized in pc simulations of ballistic occasions, and which include sufficient bodily understanding of deformation and failure behaviour to offer perception into how processing impacts the ultimate response. This undertaking will handle this downside via a mix of modelling on the College of Nottingham and experimental improvement on the College of Oxford, utilizing polycarbonate as a mannequin materials. The last word purpose is to offer fashions to know and simulate phenomena noticed in polymers beneath influence, and the impact of various polymer histories on these phenomena. This builds on present collaborative analysis, wherein a brand new price and temperature dependent constitutive mannequin has been developed, by specializing in understanding the essential polymer physics that drives fracture.

Nottingham will lead the modelling programme. You’ll construct on an current polymer constitutive mannequin and implement failure standards suitable with the mannequin. You’ll implement a person materials in finite component software program and validate the fabric mannequin and failure critera utilizing experimental information from our undertaking companions in Oxford. You’ll work collaboratively with our companions to design experiments and simulations to discover the consequences of residual stresses and thermal and floor therapies on the failure of the polymer.

Eligibility

This studentship is absolutely funded on the Dwelling stage (charges plus stipend) by the US Military.

Award worth

Course charges are coated on the stage set for UK college students (c. £5,100 p.a.). The stipend (tax-free upkeep grant) is c. £20,000 p.a. for the primary yr, and not less than this quantity for an extra two years. 

Candidate necessities,

Potential candidates shall be judged based on how nicely they meet the next standards:

• A primary-class honours diploma (or equal) in Engineering, Physics or Supplies Science
• Glorious written and spoken communication abilities in English
• Curiosity in properties of polymers, particularly beneath dynamic loading
• Expertise with finite component codes, ideally with Abaqus
• Capacity to program, ideally in Matlab

Candidates with 2.1 diploma are additionally inspired to use if they’ll display wonderful numerical abilities via earlier analysis or an undergraduate undertaking.

Utility process

Candidates are strongly inspired to make casual enquiries and to ship a duplicate of their overlaying letter, CV, and educational transcripts to Dr Davide De Focatiis ([email protected] )

Begin date: October 2024

The College of Nottingham is a supportive, inclusive and caring neighborhood, and we encourage functions from a various vary of backgrounds. The College of Engineering was the primary within the UK to be awarded an Athena SWAN Gold Award, in recognition of our dedication to supporting and advancing girls’s careers in Engineering.