Engineering Surfactant Powders: Drying Dynamics, Structure and Performance

This collaborative PhD project, supported by the University of Leeds and Innospec, offers the opportunity to uncover the science that governs how surfactant powders form. The project will deliver new mechanistic insight into AOS (alpha-olefin sulfonates) drying, connecting formulation chemistry and processing conditions to structure and performance, with direct relevance to industrial manufacturing. At the heart of the research is a unique acoustic levitation platform that allows individual droplets to be dried without contact, enabling real-time observation of shape changes, crust formation, and internal structural evolution. This will be combined with state-of-the-art small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) to probe nanoscale structure development during drying, including phase transitions and crystallisation. The student will be based in the School of Chemical and Process Engineering (SCAPE) at the University of Leeds and supported by a highly interdisciplinary supervisory team spanning chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, food science, and industrial formulation science. The project offers access to world-leading experimental facilities, pilot-scale drying equipment, and close industrial collaboration with Innospec, including the opportunity for an industrial placement.