Postdoctoral Research Position in Impact and Erosion Resistant Coatings at University of Southampton, UK

Part-time Postdoctoral Research Assistants are required to cover maternity of an existing PDRA employed on an EPSRC/DSTL funded project looking at developing novel impact and erosion resistant coatings. The research is inspired by biological materials and how their unique mechanical and physical properties arise from their structures. The aim is to use modern surface engineering techniques to develop hard and tough lightweight coatings for impact resistance and develop expandable foam to create intelligent airbags to minimise behind armour blunt trauma. These systems would be compatible lightweight body armour with impact resistant coating externally and intelligent airbags internally. The Post-Doc Researcher will look at two novel and biomimetically inspired strategies to accommodate impact energies from erodents, foreign objects and ballistics to enhance damage tolerance of surfaces to high strain events: (1) hard and tough multi-layered CVD based coatings matched to their substrates that will dissipate impact energy through sub-critical nano/micro crack propagation and elastic responses; (2) plastically deforming and auxetic (negative Poisson’s ratio) foam based coatings that foam under high-strain to act as a double crumple zone for damage resistance and self-repair and self-protection. Energy would be dissipated via elastic and plastic deformation and auxetic performance.

You will have specific roles within the research programme involved with surface engineering, modelling and performance testing. High calibre candidates are sought with previous experience of Tribology or high strain experimental and/or coating technology. You will collaborate on a multidisciplinary basis over the work programme to develop new coatings with input from all project investigators and partner companies. Some supervision of a PhD student working on the project is also expected.

Informal enquiries can be made to: Professor Robert Wood at rjw3@soton.ac.ukor on 02380 594881.

The closing date for this post is 7 October 2011.

scholarships details of Postdoctoral Research Position in Impact and Erosion Resistant Coatings