Frozen In: Predicting Microstructure in Solidifying Droplets

This project is a pioneering study into the microstructural development inside spreading and solidifying droplets (Fig.1e), to solve 21st century challenges such as efficiency-reducing ice accretion on wind turbines (Fig.1f) and poor bonding in the 3D printing of metals ('MetalJet' Fig.1b,c). Guided by experts in the latest scientific techniques, you will predict the complex dendritic growth of crystals within a droplet (Fig.1a,d), connect this to engineering-scale mechanical properties and have the opportunity to apply machine learning image processing techniques to guide theory with experimental analyses. Your research will lead to new discoveries and a close interaction with our industrial collaborators.