Development and Tribological Testing of Omniphobic Surfaces PhD

Cranfield University

Engineering of surfaces has opened avenues for the development of multiple-property materials that show different surface and core behavior and in doing so increase the usefulness of any material.

A growing area of importance in surface engineering relates to the development of Omni phobic surfaces that repel a multitude of adhesive substances from the surface including water, dust, grime and grease etc. giving a rise to useful applications in Maintenance of Solar Panels, Decreasing Water Usage in Sanitation, Oxidation Protection, Anti-Icing in High Altitude Aerial Vehicles, High Temperature Applications and many more.

Successful PhD candidates will work on the development and wear testing of such surfaces via experimental and analytical analysis to predict their failure characteristics in real-life applications. Another segment of this work might include the inclusion of self-repairing behavior in such surfaces to make them more robust and effective for use. This will involve a thorough understanding of surface topography, surface roughness and physical and chemical characteristics exhibited by surfaces at atomic levels that actually effect this interaction at macro level.