About the job
Plastic pollution is a significant concern and drives the development of new recycling technologies. Food packaging is a main contributor to plastic waste due to its short lifespan. These package materials often consist of multilayer polymer films and composites. Once discarded, multipolymer materials cannot be sorted into the homogeneity needed for classical plastic recycling and hence are, as of today, not recyclable on a large scale. High-temperature gasification is a promising method for recycling these mixed wastes. By subjecting the plastics to temperatures of 800°C, the organic structure of the plastic is broken down. The resulting product gas can be reacted into new mono- and polymers of the same quality as fossil-based plastics, a prerequisite for creating a circular plastic economy.
The Ph.D. position is part of the HighRec project that aims to accelerate the technical, industry-scale implementation of high-temperature. The main research topic for this position is to investigate the thermal break-up of pure polymers and composites under high temperatures and fast heating rates through molecular dynamic simulations.
For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree. Your immediate leader is Associate Professor Corinna Schulze-Netzer.
Duties of the position
- Follow the faculty’s PhD program
- Plan design and carry out simulations
- Prepare research articles for peer-reviewed journals (min. 3)
- Be willing to present results at conferences
- Prepare a PhD thesis
- Collaborate with researchers involved in the project and master student
Required selection criteria
- You must have a professionally relevant background in process or chemical engineering, chemistry or similar.
- Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master’s level.
- You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master’s degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
- Master’s students can apply, but the master’s degree must be obtained and documented by the startdate of the position.
- You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty’s doctoral program (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phiv).
- Proficient written and oral English language skills.
- The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Phd candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant
Preferred selection criteria
- Experiences with Molecular Dynamic Simulation
- Good programming skills for scientific post-processing of simulations (phyton, Matlab, C, …)
- Good background in organic chemistry
Read more about the position and apply here: PhD Candidate in Molecular Dynamic Simulations for Thermo-chemical Plastic Recycling (257316) | NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology (jobbnorge.no)
Deadline: 27.02.2024