UK : PhD Research Studentship Characterization and leaching of aged hardened cements

University of Leeds - School of Civil Engineering

(UK, EU and International students are eligible to apply)

Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD studentship under the supervision of Prof. I.G. Richardson, Dr L. Black and Dr P. Purnell in the School of Civil Engineering.

The studentship is funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (http://www.nda.gov.uk/), which is responsible for the decommissioning and clean up of the UK's civil public-sector nuclear sites. The NDA is developing concepts for the long-term management of radioactive waste. These are based on a deep geological disposal facility (GDF) and include a number of stages in the management and eventual disposal of radioactive waste. Cement-based materials are currently used to encapsulate intermediate-level wastes and may also be used as an engineered backfill around such wastes within a GDF. Knowledge of how the phases in the hardened cements evolve with age is important for the development of predictive models for long-term performance. This studentship will involve the characterization of a number of extant cement samples that are between 10 and 22 years old using a number of sophisticated experimental techniques, including analytical transmission electron microscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Note that there will be no radioactive material involved in the work.

The successful applicant will hold a minimum 2(i) first degree in a relevant discipline (Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Sciences, etc.).

Please note that UK, EU and International students are eligible for a full award (including tuition fees and tax-free maintenance payments of £13,290 p/a for the first year, increasing in consecutive years). The duration of the project is 39 months. The earliest start date will be the 1st October 2009.

To apply, please send a CV, including the name of at least one academic referee, to Prof. Ian Richardson, School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK or to i.g.richardson@leeds.ac.uk. Informal enquiries may be made by telephone on +44 (0) 113 343 2331 or by e mail.