Opportunity: Research role delving into molten salts for decarbonised steelmaking
The University of Newcastle, in partnership with BHP, is offering a fully funded domestic PhD scholarship to investigate how impurities in iron ore and slag interact with molten salts during electrolytic iron-making, a process with potential to lower emissions in steel production.
The University of Newcastle is offering a fully funded PhD scholarship for research into electrolytic iron-making, an area attracting strong interest for its potential in low-emission steel production.
The project sits within the Electrochemical Engineering Laboratory inside the BHP Centre for Sustainable Steelmaking Research. Applicants will work under the supervision of Dr Jessica Allen, Dr Simin Moradmand, and Associate Professor Tom Honeyands.
The research will focus on how impurities in slag and iron ore affect molten salt electrolysis, with the aim of identifying methods to improve product purity and process efficiency. Areas of study include electrolyte behaviour, iron quality, slag removal, and potential recovery strategies for continuous operations.
The work will involve both literature review and experimental studies. Tasks will include investigating iron ore solubility in molten carbonates, examining deposits formed under different impurity conditions, and testing ways to control purity and recover electrolyte.
The scholarship provides a living allowance of $40,000 per year for three and a half years, tuition fee coverage, and up to $1,500 relocation support.
Applications are open only to domestic students.
Applicants must meet the University’s PhD entry requirements and submit an expression of interest with academic transcripts, CV, a short research statement, and a proposal linked to the project. Expressions of interest should be emailed to Dr Jessica Allen by 5pm on 30 September 2025.
This project is not only about scientific investigation but also about capacity building, with aims to build the capabilities of the BHP for Sustainable Steelmaking group and provide valuable training for a young researcher in this field.
