Research Studentship in Mechanistic modelling of hydrogen-material interactions
Research Studentship in Mechanistic modelling of hydrogen-material interactions
4-year DPhil studentship
Supervisors: Emilio Martínez-Pañeda
Oxford’s Mechanics of Materials Lab is seeking a PhD (DPhil) student to develop a new generation of mechanistic models to understand the fatigue crack initiation behaviour of metals in hydrogen environments. The project will be conducted in close collaboration with Frazer-Nash Consultancy, who are financially supporting the work.
Hydrogen will play a major role in decarbonising energy-intensive industries worldwide and we need to develop materials-based solutions to enable safe and reliable hydrogen adoption. This PhD project will develop new, physically-based models to better understand and predict the behaviour of metallic alloys exposed to cyclic loading and hydrogen-containing environments. Commercial or open-source finite element codes will be used to conduct coupled deformation-diffusion-fracture simulations that resolve the material physics of the rich problem which is hydrogen-assisted fatigue. There will also be opportunities to explore other Materials 4.0 approaches, such as the use of Machine Learning, and to engage or collaborate with complementary experimental work. Project findings could have a notable impact on the deployment of a green hydrogen infrastructure, as needed to achieve net zero carbon ambitions. The student will be integrated into the Mechanics of Materials Lab and will have the opportunity to interact daily with other PhD students and postdoctoral researchers working on similar topics.
Eligibility & Award Value
This is a fully funded project, part of cohort 2 of the EPSRC CDT in Materials 4.0. CDT. The studentship covers fees (home & international), a tax-free stipend of at least £19,237 plus London allowance if applicable, and a research training support grant.
Candidates of all nationalities are welcome to apply; up to 30% of studentships across the CDT can be awarded to outstanding international applicants. Early applications from interested overseas candidates are encouraged.
The Materials 4.0 CDT is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Five countries are represented in cohort 1. We would like to see a more gender-balanced cohort 2, so we strongly encourage applications from female candidates.
Candidate Requirements
Candidates will be judged according to how well they meet the following criteria:
• A first class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent) in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics or Materials Science
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English
• Experience and/or interest in material modelling
The following skills are also highly desirable:
• Experience using finite element codes
• Good understanding of metallurgy and materials engineering
• Good understanding of hydrogen-material interactions or other environmentally-assisted material degradation phenomena.
Applicants with a good 2.1 degree are also encouraged to apply if they can demonstrate excellent laboratory skills through previous research or an undergraduate project.
Application Procedure
Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be addressed to emilio.martinez-paneda@eng.ox.ac.uk
Candidates must submit a graduate application form and are expected to meet the graduate admissions criteria. Details are available on the course page of the University website.
Please quote 25ENGCL_EM2 in all correspondence and in your graduate application.
Application deadline: noon on 04 March 2025
Start date: October 2025