PhD Studentship: Recycled Content in Sustainable Automotive Polymers

This 3.5 year PhD project is fully funded by EPSRC iCASE and Polestar. The funding will cover your tuition fees and a stipend set at the UKRI level (£18,622 for 2023/2024) The start date is to be agreed. Applicants should have or expect to achieve at least a 2.1 honours degree in chemistry, materials, bioengineering or a cognate discipline along with experience in sustainability. Experience in bio-based or sustainable polymer synthesis.

The Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub within the Department of Materials at the University of Manchester and housed in the Henry Royce Institute is seeking enthusiastic and collaborative polymer chemists or engineers to develop the next generation of sustainable polymers. This project builds on our efforts to use bio-based feedstocks as low carbon or carbon negative alternatives to petroleum derived plastics.

The need to decouple from fossil fuels is especially true in electric vehicles (EVs). This PhD studentship partners with EV manufacturer Polestar. The project will explore new frameworks for preparing sustainable polyesters, particularly polyhydroxybutyrates, and polycarbonates for automotive applications in car interiors and exteriors. Quantification of the environmental impact will help prioritise polymers to scale, and pilot, in future vehicle prototypes. Importantly, the project seeks to overcome a specific technical challenge in these sustainable polymer systems by modifying polymers to improve processability while maintaining the mechanical performance characteristics (strength, clarity) of the end products. The inclusion bio-based polymers like PHBs will lower the carbon footprint of automotive parts towards a greenhouse gas free future for automotive plastics.

The project is under the direction of Prof. Michael Shaver as part of a diverse team addressing academic and industry challenges in sustainable polymer science. While attitude and desire is the overriding factor in choosing a candidate, some experience in sustainable polymer synthesis or experience in sustainability metrics (LCA, EIA) would beneficial. You should be capable of working under your own initiative and building relationships in a diverse and driven team. We are committed to Athena SWAN principles to promote women in science. The University of Manchester values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

You must contact the supervisor to discuss the application before you apply. The email address for Prof Shaver is michael.shaver@manchester.ac.uk

Advert information