Diamond is the hardest known material and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutters are used to drill through rock in mining, oil and gas drilling and other applications. The cutters typically consist of a diamond layer on a carbide substrate. The response and integrity of this complex structure depends strongly on the operating conditions, synthesis parameters and residual stress state.This project aims to understand the relationships between these factors and performance. It will involve impact testing, electron microscopy and other techniques for microstructural examination, residual stress measurement by diffraction and spectroscopy and finite element modelling.
This project is funded through the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Diamond Science and Technology and will involve a one year MSc based at Warwick University followed by a 3 year DPhil at Oxford. Fully funded studentships are available to UK and EU students (non-UK EU students must have resided in the UK for three years prior to the start of their course in order to be eligible). A limited number of studentships are available to exceptional international candidates. More details of the programme and of this specific project are available at: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/dst
Applications will be considered as and when they are received and this position will be filled as soon as possible, but the latest date for considering applications will be 31 August 2015. This 4 year EPSRC CDT studentship will provide full fees and maintenance for a citizen of the UK or for a citizen of the EU who has spent the previous three years (or more) in the UK undertaking undergraduate study. The stipend is expected to be at least £15,000 per year. Other EU citizens should read the guidance athttp://www.materials.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate/eu.html for further information about eligibility.
Any questions concerning the project can be addressed to Professor Richard Todd (richard.todd@materials.ox.ac.uk). General enquiries on how to apply can be made by e mail tograduate.studies@materials.ox.ac.uk. You must complete the standard Oxford University Application for Graduate Studies and further information and an electronic copy of the application form can be found athttp://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/apply/index.html.
Also see homepages: Richard Todd