PhD Studentships – Process Industries: Net Zero (PINZ CDT) – Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of a Microwave Plasma Device for CO2 Sequestration and Utilisation Full Time

Award summary

100% fees (UK Home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £21,805 (2026/27 UKRI rate), and a research training support grant of £20,000.

Overview

This PhD project is part of the Process Industries: Net Zero (PINZ) Centre for Doctoral Training and will investigate the “ARCS Chamber”, a novel device for CCS and CCU. The aims of the project will be:

(i) to assess the unit’s potential for carbon sequestration from gas streams containing CO and CO₂

(ii) to develop an improved and more fundamental understanding of the mass and energy balances and reactions taking place within the system

The study will combine theoretical analysis with targeted experimental investigation to understand the physical and chemical mechanisms operating within the ARCS process. The carbon-focused part of the work will examine whether, and under what conditions, the ARCS process may support the capture, transformation, deposition, or stabilisation of carbon derived from CO and CO₂ in treated gas streams. The energy-focused part of the work will investigate the distribution of microwave energy within the system and the balance between energy input, plasma effects, gas heating and cooling, heat losses, phase changes, chemical reactions, and any other mechanisms that may explain the unexpectedly large drop in gas temperature across the chamber.

This deeper understanding will feed into the design, operation and use scenarios of the ARCS unit. This PhD is an opportunity to work on a genuinely novel, near-to-market technology and participate in its journey towards commercialisation.

Number of awards: One

Start date: 1 October 2026

Award duration: 4 Years

Sponsor: EPSRC

Supervisors: Professor Adam Harvey (adam.harvey@newcastle.ac.uk)

Eligibility criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project. Due to nature of this project, the candidate should have a strong background in Engineering, especially chemical engineering or another closely related engineering subject, or chemistry. Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.

This studentship is available to Home UK students only.

How to apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal. Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8856F
• Leave the ‘Research Area’ field blank
• Select ‘PhD in Process Industries; Net Zero (PINZ’) as the programme of study

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) – upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form  
• The studentship code PINZ09-26 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field  
• ‘Research Proposal’ – when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal –select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.

You must submit one application per studentship. You cannot apply for multiple studentships in one application.

Contact details: General enquiries: pinz.cdt@ncl.ac.uk