EPSRC sponsored EngD: An engineering understanding of cleaning products. Academic Supervisor; Dr Serafim Bakalis (Bham Univ.)



Hosted by P&G, Brussels

Tax free bursary of £20,400 p.a. plus fees paid

Cleaning operations are common throughout the world and can consume significant water and energy resources as well as time. Consumer products are currently designed using a trial and error approach without having a quantitative understanding of the transfer phenomena and the multiphase nature of the problem. The project focus will be on the fundamental understanding of the phase transitions the effect of adhesive and cohesive forces and the relevant kinetics. The work will involve developing mechanistic understanding of stain removal, development of state diagrams to describe the interaction between soil and chemistry. The project will be run in collaboration and support of P&G the world’s largest consumer products company with access to their knowledge and test facilities. The student will benefit from access to a wide range of knowledge, access to different product formulations/ingredients as well as experience how industrial research is conducted.

Indicative objectives:

  • Use state of the art technology to monitor cleaning
  • Use relevant techniques such as DSC, Confocal Microscopy to characterise phase transitions in real systems
  • Develop a model for the kinetics of the cleaning mechanisms.
  • Identify critical cleaning mechanisms and how they relate to the local environment of temperature and chemistry
  • Develop new ideas for obtaining good cleaning and evaluate the performance of typical formulation

Eligibility: to qualify for an EPSRC studentship candidates must be a U.K. national and hold the minimum of at least a 2(i) or a 2(ii) plus MSc in a relevant discipline. If interested in the above position please send your c.v. to Dr Richard Greenwood at r.w.greenwood@bham.ac.uk

Also Read  PhD Studentship - Printable Electronics

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *