PhD scholarship in Sustainable and Robust Manufacturing of Functional Ceramic Components with Hierarchical Porosity – DTU Energy

We offer a PhD position in ceramic manufacturing. You will be part of a research team working on ceramic shaping and consolidation to fabricate ceramic components for various energy conversion and storage devices. Your tasks will be to develop sustainable ceramic shaping and consolidation methods, fabricate multilayer porous ceramic components and carry out physical, structural and functional characterization.
Do you want to contribute to developing hierarchical porous ceramic structures using sustainable fabrication processes?

DTU Energy is offering a PhD position in the development of robust and sustainable ceramic fabrication processes to realize hierarchical porous structures based on functional ceramics such as piezoelectric or pyroelectric ceramics. The position is a part of our broad project portfolio in the area of advanced ceramic processing technologies.

Sustainability has emerged as recurring theme over the last few years and became a part of every technology. Ceramic components manufacturing technologies are no exception to this. Integration of sustainability into manufacturing processes demands efforts to conserve energy and materials along with their recovery and recycling in environmentally friendly manner. Robust and reliable manufacturing processes play a key role in the reduction of waste and conservation of energy. Green and robust ceramic manufacturing processes are essential for technological and economic competitiveness of future manufacturing markets. The state-of-the-art functional ceramic manufacturing processes involve high temperature consolidations steps of long duration, meaning consumption of huge amount of energy, while resulting in significant amount of waste during the shaping process. Furthermore, often these processes use environmentally toxic and difficult to recycle additives in shaping process.

To develop green manufacturing processes, DTU energy is spearheading the development of environmentally friendly ceramic shaping and faster consolidation processes, with the possibility of recycling the waste, for the fabrication of porous functional ceramic components.

Responsibilities
The position is part of a competence initiative project in sustainable ceramic manufacturing processes.

You will work on the fabrication of ceramic components with hierarchical porosity for piezoelectric/ pyroelectric and/or high temperature alkaline electrolysis using sustainable ceramic manufacturing processes such as slot-die casting. The focus will be on ceramic suspensions formulation, use of environmentally friendly additives, recycling of waste from shaping step, fast sintering of porous ceramic components. You will also work on the physical, structural and functional characterization of the fabricated components.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Formulation of inks/slurries using environmentally friendly additives for ceramic manufacturing processes such as slot-die casting, tape casting and/or screen printing. New ideas and fabrication processes can be explored.
• Development of recycling strategies for the waste from ceramic shaping process
• Investigation and introduction of strategies to realize hierarchical porosity in multilayer ceramic structures.
• Exploration of fast sintering methods to fabricate porous piezoelectric/pyroelectric functional ceramic components and their physical, structural and functional characterization.
• You will work together in a larger international team, with colleagues working on other aspects of ceramic processing and electrical characterization.

Qualifications
You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree in chemistry, material science, physics, engineering, or similar.

The ideal candidate brings the following experiences and qualifications to the role:

• Innovative skills and ability to work in cross-disciplinary teams
• The ability to work independently, to plan and carry out complicated tasks, and to be a part of a dynamic group.
• Good communication skills in English, both written and spoken.
• Experience with material synthesis and physical & and chemical.
• Experience with high-temperature ceramics and/or ceramic shaping is an advantage.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education.

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Associate Professor Bhaskar Reddy Sudireddy and Professor Wolff-Ragnar Kiebach in collaboration with a diverse and inclusive team of selected members.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.

The period of employment is 3 years. Starting date is 1 October 2024 (or according to mutual agreement). The position is a full-time position.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information
In case you have further questions, please contact Associate Professor Bhaskar Reddy Sudireddy ([email protected]) or Wolff-Ragnar Kiebach ([email protected]).

You can read more about DTU Energy at www.energy.dtu.dk/english.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark. Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 10 August 2024 (23:59 Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale

You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

The Department of Energy Conversion and Storage (DTU Energy) focuses on research and development of functional materials, components, and systems for sustainable energy technologies. The technologies include fuel cells, electrolysis, power-to-x, batteries, and carbon capture. The research is based on strong competences on electrochemistry, atomic scale and multi-physics modelling, autonomous materials discovery, materials processing, and structural analyses. We also focus on educating engineering students at all levels, ranging from BSc, MSc, PhD to lifelong learning students. We have about 270 dedicated employees. Read more about us at www.energy.dtu.dk.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.

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