PhD Studentship - Solvent Extraction for Lithium Isotope Enrichment to Fuel Fusion Power

Deadline: All year round

How to apply: uom.link/pgr-apply-2425

How many positions: 1

Open to: UK students

This 3.5-year PhD project is fully funded by The University of Manchester and the funding is open to home students. The successful student will receive a tax free stipend of £20,870 per year and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year.

Getting fusion power plants on the grid is a global challenge, with countries and companies competing to be the first to achieve it. Successful, large-scale power generation using fusion will be a major step towards achieving Net Zero and tackling climate change.

One of the challenges of constructing a fusion power plant is how to fuel the fusion reaction. The vast majority of planned fusion power plants will use a deuterium-tritium fusion reaction. While deuterium is abundant, tritium can only be generated from lithium, most easily from the lithium-6 isotope. The natural abundance of lithium-6 is 7.5%, but planned fusion power plants want 30-90% lithium-6 enrichment.

The research group is using solvent extraction methods and crown ether extractants to carry out the lithium-6 enrichment process.

This PhD will involve experimental lab work and data analysis. You will be working at the interface of chemistry and chemical engineering to improve the enrichment process. This will involve investigating different extractants, solvents, and extraction conditions, as well as understanding how the reaction can be scaled up to produce the 100s of tonnes of enriched lithium-6 that will be needed to fuel fusion power.

There is flexibility in this project to develop a range of skills and drive the direction of the research.

The standard academic entry requirement for this PhD is an upper second-class (2:1) honours degree in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent) OR any upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at merit in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent).

To apply please contact the supervisor Dr Kathryn George - kathryn.george-2@manchester.ac.uk. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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