PhD student in Production Technology - Suspension Plasma Sprayed Coatings

Based in Trollhättan, University West has over 11 500 students and around 600 employees.

With industry within the field of aerospace, new business ventures and a strong confidence in the future, Trollhättan is a hub for development in their sub-region of West Sweden.

Project description Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBC) has been developed to protect gas turbine components and to make it possible to use an operating temperature above the softening temperature of the component material. Present TBC systems are double layered atmospheric plasma sprayed (APS) coatings consisting of a metallic bond coat and an Yttria Partially Stabilised Zirconia (YPSZ) top coat that provides the temperature drop across the coating.

The architecture of the SPS coatings, in particular pore (size & distribution) and coating formation mechanism is complex and not fully understood yet. Characterization of these coatings is also a challenging task since the voids and other microstructure features are in the range of few hundreds of nanometers so the standard methods used so far may not suitable. The research in this study will address these issues with the purpose to develop high performance TBCs that outperform coatings of today both considering thermal shock resistance and thermal conductivity.  

The scientific work in the project The research is mainly focused on experimental studies for developing novel TBC systems. Testing and characterization of the coatings includes microstructure evaluation (OM, SEM), porosity and crack content, thermal conductivity measurement and lifetime testing. The research is expected to give a better understanding of the relationships between thermal spray conditions, coating microstructure and its functional performances e.g. thermal conductivity and coating life-time.

Doctoral degree program Production Technology

Research centre Doctoral students in Production Technology become members of the research group PTW (Production Technology West). For more information about our research centre, go to http://www.ptw.hv.se/en

Job description The research program includes, in addition to participation in third-cycle courses, implementation of an independent thesis work. Students who are employed as research students shall primarily devote themselves to their own education. A person so employed may, however, be engaged to a limited extent in education, research and administration.

Qualification requirements Master in Production Technology, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or other relevant area. Good knowledge in communication in English, both spoken and written is a requirement.

Optional requirements – Knowledge in the fields of: 

Experience of thermal spraying. Suspension plasma spraying and solution precursor plasma spraying is here of specific relevance.Documented knowledge and work experience in microscopy evaluations using OM and SEM. Experience of testing and characterization of thermal sprayed coatings for high temperature applications is here of specific relevance.Good Knowledge in ceramics for heat insulation applications.Experience of research work and scientific writing

To fulfil the special eligibility requirements for a doctoral degree in Production Technology, a student must hold a degree at master’s level in a subject relevant to the doctoral degree subject. This degree may be in Production Technology or some related discipline. The eligibility requirements may be fulfilled by studies in Sweden or abroad.

For more information please read 3.1 and 3.2 in General syllabus for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Production Technology, Ref. No 2012/1079 B25: http://www.hv.se/en/research/doctoral-degree-programmes/production-technology

Further requirements: To be successful in this project the applicant should be highly motivated, have an accurate way of working, and have good communicative and collaborative skills. The applicant should have a strong aptitude for analysis and problem solving of physical problems. The successful candidate will also be comfortable at developing computer models. The grades from courses central to the project will be an important factor when evaluating the applications. Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge in written and spoken Swedish is an advantage.

Selection: For admission to doctoral programmes, students need to satisfy both the basic and special eligibility requirements and are otherwise to be adjudged to have the necessary capacity to complete the programme. The basic factor for selection from among qualified applicants is the ability to profit from such a programme.

Duration and terms of employment: Employment as a doctoral student shall be on an open-ended basis but not for longer than to a specific point in time and never for a period extending more than one year after receiving the doctoral degree. The initial appointment must not be for more than one year. The appointment may be renewed for no more than two years at a time. A person may be employed as a research student for a total of not more than eight years. The total period of employment, however, may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study at the third level of higher education. (Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100) Chapter 5 section 7).

The application: The application should be sent in through our digital recruitment system. Go to http://www.hv.se/en, Job Opportunities. Link: http://www.hv.se/en/about-university-west/job-opportunities

Both the basic eligibility requirements and the special eligibility requirements should be proven with degree certificates, including lists of courses and degrees.

The application should include the following documents:

- Complete CV
- Personal letter/Qualifications (1-3 page) - where you introduce yourself, present your qualifications, describe your previous research fields, methodology, main research results, and also your future research plans.
- Other - Bachelor and master´s thesis, Degree certificates of completed education, including list of subjects and grades(Attested copies), two references that we can contact and other documents the applicant wishes to invoke.
The application should reach University West no later than 2014-05-04.

Documents that cannot be sent digitally, should be sent to the following postal address: Högskolan Väst, Personalavdelningen, 461 86 Trollhättan, Sweden.

Mark the application with ref.no: R 2014/25