PhD Student position: Wood and Bionanocomposites

PhD Student position in Wood and Bionanocomposites, Novel Nanostructured Materials, ref no 1333-10

A position in the Pretreatment Platform of Bio4Energy

The Division of Manufacturing and Design of Wood and Bionanocomposites at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, has a PhD Student position available for research on novel nanostructured materials from industrial bio residues from bioenergy production.


Nanostructured materials isolated/separated from bio resources is a new and exciting research field.There is a huge potential to develop novel processing routes for isolation of nanosized materials from industrial side streams and add a value for waste products.Our goal is to develop processing technologies for isolation and separation of cellulose nanocrystals and nanofibers from different sources.These crystals and fibers will be purified, characterized and used as nanoreinforcements for different biopolymers.In this project we wish to expand our successful work in the area of processing of novel bio based nanocomposites and develop new processing routes for nanoreinforcements from different industrial side streams, for example from ethanol production.
The PhD Student position will work within the framework of Bio4Energy (http://www.bio4energy.se), a novel Swedish centre for bioenergy with emphasis on forest feedstock.This stimulating network will provide a supportive environment, and exiting connections towards wood processing and biorefining in academia and industry.You will be based at Luleå University of Technology, at the Division for Manufacturing and Design of Wood and Bionanocomposites.We can offer well equipped laboratory facilities for performing research in bionanomaterials.The position will focus on chemical and mechanical separation of cellulose nanocrystals and fibers from bioresidues, especially from bioethanol production, study the properties of the separated materials as well as develop novel nanocomposites.

We seek candidates for the PhD Student position with a Masters degree in Materials Science, Polymer Engineering, Polymer Chemistry (or an equivalent degree), preferably with a good knowledge on materials characterization, cellulose, polymer materials and polymer processing.

As a candidate you should be a good team player and have an ability to take initiative.


Application


Applications will be accepted and given full consideration until latest 18 June, 2010.