EPSRC - Understanding the Irradiation Behaviour of AXIOM, A Novel Zr-based Alloy Developed for Demanding Fuel Duties and Higher Burnups

Deadline: All year round

How to apply: uom.link/pgr-apply

UK only

This 3.5-year PhD studentship is open to Home (UK) applicants. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26; subject to annual uplift), and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2026.

Inside nuclear reactors, materials face extreme conditions that can change their structure and make them expand, corrode, or weaken over time. AXIOM is a new zirconium-based alloy developed by Westinghouse that performs better than traditional reactor cladding, resisting corrosion and staying dimensionally stable even under high radiation.

Although AXIOM works very well in reactor tests, we don’t yet fully understand why it performs so well. This PhD will explore its structure and chemistry to discover what makes it more resilient than older alloys. You will use modern lab techniques to study how AXIOM changes under irradiation and uncover the key features that could guide the design of safer, longer-lasting nuclear materials.

Key Research Questions

• How do AXIOM’s added elements affect its structure and response to radiation?
• How do tiny particles (secondary phase particles) inside the alloy form and change during irradiation?
• What makes AXIOM different from older zirconium alloys in resisting corrosion and irradiation induced growth?

As part of this project, you will be based in state-of-the-art nuclear laboratories within the Henry Royce Institute utilising advanced materials characterisation techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the radiation damage defects down to the nanoscale. The project has the rare opportunity to work on real world neutron irradiated samples provided by Westinghouse, as well as use the University of Manchester’s Dalton Cumbria Facility to perform ion beam irradiations as a model for neutron radiation damage to elucidate key damage processes. More information on these facilities can be found:

• Henry Royce Institute Nuclear Facilities
• Dalton Cumbria Facility University of Manchester

What we offer

During your PhD, you will:

• Join the MIDAS and Zr Group, working alongside experts in nuclear materials (www.zr-midas.org)
• Develop independence while learning cutting-edge experimental and characterisation techniques
• Present your work at local and international conferences

Rewards:

• Strong mentorship and a supportive team - you’ll never feel stuck
• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Competitive, tax-free stipend
• Opportunities for international collaboration and travel
• Develop a range of transferable skills: presentation, leadership, organisation, mentoring
• Join a group with 100% graduate employability, with alumni taking roles in universities, industry, national labs, and research facilities worldwide

Entry requirement

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 main supervisor, Dr Frankel - phillip.frankel@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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