Degradable polymer coatings for sustainable packaging

Plastic packaging persists in the environment and is difficult to recycle. There is a growing demand for alternative materials to use as containers for liquids. Pulpex Ltd. (https://www.pulpex.com) are developing a new type of bottle made from cellulose fibres. The Pulpex bottle uses sustainable materials, can be recycled in existing paper waste-streams, can naturally degrade if not recycled, and has a carbon footprint 30% less than poly(ethylene terephthalate).

This PhD project is part of a larger collaboration between the University of Surrey and Pulpex Ltd. As a PhD candidate, you will help to make the paper bottle a reality through your fundamental research on sustainable coatings from degradable polymers. The coatings are needed for the bottles to hold liquids and to achieve a long shelf-life of the products contained within them. You will work as part of a team of three post-doctoral researchers at the University of Surrey and engineers from Pulpex.

You will develop an electro-spraying process to deposit coatings of degradable polymers on the paper bottles. You will then characterise the microstructure and barrier properties (e.g. water permeability) of the coatings and correlate them with the deposition parameters to achieve an optimised process. The University has excellent facilities for electron and scanning probe microscopy and surface analysis to support the research. You will employ infrared thermal imaging to identify non-uniformities in the coatings as they develop during their deposition. Your team will use advanced imaging processing and AI technology in image interpretation and process control.

The project is well funded to allow training opportunities, travel to use national facilities, and conference attendance. There will be opportunities to visit collaborators’ sites and access national facilities. You will be provided with mentorship for personal and professional development to advance your future career. This project will be an excellent entry into the field of sustainable materials which are rapidly growing in use.

Open to candidates who pay UK/home rate fees. See UKCISA for further information

You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements for our PhD programme.

You should have an interest in sustainability and want to engage with industry. Your academic background can be physical chemistry, materials engineering, chemical engineering, or physical sciences.