Material Science and Engineering: The development of a new industrial metallic coating for construction and solar applications (RS966)

Funding Providers: EPSRC and Industry Sponsor

Subject Area: material science and engineering, metallurgy, electrochemistry, Metallic coatings, corrosion, electrochemistry, alloy design, steel coatings

Project Start Dates: October 2026

** (Please see the note below regarding potential later start dates.)

**In exceptional circumstances, and subject to the discretion of the University and/or the relevant funding body, a deferral of offer may be granted to the next available enrolment period. Such deferral will typically not exceed a duration of three calendar months from the originally stipulated commencement date. Please note that only one deferral may be considered, and any such deferral is not guaranteed.

Supervisors:

• Prof David Penney
• Prof James Sullivan

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Materials Science Engineering

Mode of study: Full time

Place of study:

• Swansea University (Bay Campus)
• Other: PMRC – Baglan Bay

Project description:

Metallic coatings are vital for extending the life of steel structures and products. Zinc based coatings provide both a physical barrier to the environment and sacrificial protection when steel becomes exposed. In recent years, zinc coatings alloyed with aluminium and magnesium have found increased use across the construction and automotive sectors, with much of the growth in demand due to reported enhancements in corrosion resistance.

This project is partnered with a steel company. This PhD will design, make and characterise a Zinc Aluminium Magnesium coating for the company partner that is galvanic to the steel, can be produced on existing lines and offer comparable performance to other coatings on the market. It will involve lots of interaction with the company and visits to plant. The work will be carried out in Swansea University’s coatings and corrosion group, which has equipment and expertise in making and characterising these types of alloys.

The £1.5million Hot Dip Simulator will allow the PhD researcher to physically simulate a continuous galvanising line and to produce physical samples to further characterise and assess new alloy designs. It will be an exciting, applied and impactful project with opportunities to travel and meet industry partners. The researcher will use metallographic skills, electrochemistry and alloy design expertise to undertake this project and will be supported by supervisors, post-doctoral researchers and fellow PhDs, so you won’t be on your own. 

UK fee eligible applicants only

Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA (Full list of categories for HE in Wales)

Note for international and European applicants:    

Details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.    

PhD: Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline.  

English Language  

IELTS 6.5 Overall (5.5+ each comp.) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.  

If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in. 

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for 2026/27).

Additional research expenses of up to £1,000 per year will also be available.

To apply, please complete the entire application form here.

To be considered for this scholarship award the following steps are also required.

1) In section ‘Programme Related Information’ please input the relevant RS Code for the scholarship award i.e. RS966

2) In section ‘Research’ you will see ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’* (Mandatory)

• In ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’ please input:

•  the RS Code, RS966
• the scholarship title

• Please leave Proposed Supervisor field blank
• Please leave Research Project (if applicable) blank
• In ‘Do you have a proposal to upload? *’(Mandatory) Please select Yes
• Then upload copy of advert (you can save the advert by clicking print, and then print to pdf)

3) In section ‘Funding information’ please choose the option ‘Scholarship Funding’ only. Please ensure no other options are selected.

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.

If you’ve previously applied for this programme, the system will display an “Application Submitted” warning and block a new submission. In this case:    

1.            Apply for the same course with the next available start date (e.g., select January if October is unavailable).    

2.            Email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with your student number and the relevant scholarship RS code, requesting the start date be amended to match the advert.    

3.            Admissions staff will then update your application accordingly.

Important: If you have previously applied for the same programme & intake, do not re‑apply using a different email address. Applications submitted with an email address that differs from the one used in your original application will not be accepted or considered.   

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.

NOTE: Applicants for PhD/EngD/ProfD/EdD - to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University you are required to complete an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form in addition to your programme application form. 

Please note that completion of the EDI Monitoring Form is mandatory; your application may not progress if this information is not submitted.

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email):

•           CV

•           Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient)

•           A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project.

•           One reference (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference.

•           Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable).

•           Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable)

•           Confirmation of EDI form submission

Informal enquiries are welcome; please contact:

NAME:  Prof David Penney

EMAIL: D.Penney@Swansea.ac.uk

*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.