UCL SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
BRUNSWICK SQUARE
Title of Project
Precise chemical control of calcium sulfate particle formation
Project Description
Calcium sulfate is a material with huge industrial and biological relevance. Its dihydrate form,
gypsum, is the major component of plasterboard used in the building trade, the sales of which
are estimated to be worth £600 m per year in Britain alone. Calcium sulfate is also hugely
important as a biomaterial – it is very well tolerated in the human body, and has many
applications in bone regeneration. It can also be used to form novel drug delivery systems for
the delivery of antibiotics, growth factors and other active pharmaceutical ingredients.
For both of these major applications, precise chemical control of the size and shape of the
particles formed is of crucial importance. In plasterboard production, “seeds” of gypsum are
used to initiate crystallisation and generate plasterboard sheets. This process needs to be rapid
and reproducible to ensure profitability and a consistent grade of product. At present, gypsum
seeds are produced by a crude grinding process, resulting in each factory using a different
process. This is cost ineffective, particularly since anecdotal observations suggest that ever
increasing amounts of seed are required to initiate crystallisation. This project will develop
new routes for the precise synthesis of calcium sulfate particles.
Main Methods and Techniques to be employed
Particle engineering, synthetic inorganic chemistry, and analytical techniques including: Xray diffraction, electron microscopy, particle-size measurement, infrared and nuclear
magnetic resonance spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and functional properties assessment.
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UCL SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
BRUNSWICK SQUARE
Person specifications
The successful applicant will be expected to have a UK Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy,
Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Pharmaceutical Science or other
degrees in physical sciences, awarded with first or upper second-class Honours, or an
overseas qualification of an equivalent standard from a recognised higher education institute,
or a recognised taught Master’s degree.
Please note that this studentship is limited to students with Home/ EU tuition fee status
and that we would like the successful candidate to commence the programme between July
and October 2016. The studentship will be funded for 42 months and the current stipend rate
for 2015/16 is £16,057 pro rata.
How to apply
Applications must only include CV, personal statement plus the contact details of two
referees and should be sent to Mr Victor Diran (v.diran@ucl.ac.uk).
For any academic queries please contact Dr Gareth Williams
(https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=GWILL02).
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis up until 31st May.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early if possible.
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