PhD Candidate in the impact of solvent degradation on the performance of absorption-based CO2 captu

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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

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About the position

As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate and, at the same time, gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.

Department of Chemical Engineering at NTNU seeks a PhD candidate to investigate the impact of solvent degradation on the performance of amine-based CO2 capture plants. 

Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas emitted by human activities, and the development and implementation of technologies to reduce emissions are of great importance. Among the various methods for separating CO2 from industrial gases, absorption-based CO2 capture using aqueous alkanolamine solutions has reached the commercial stage. One of the remaining challenges is solvent degradation, the irreversible transformation of an absorbent solution into other compounds, which impacts the process performance in various ways. 

This position focuses on chemical absorption and, more specifically, on the impact of solvent degradation on process performance. In this position, properties like vapour-liquid equilibrium between solvents and CO2, absorption kinetics, solvent volatility, physical properties and heat of absorption will be experimentally measured. The measured data will be used to build process models describing the performance and impact of degradation. The overall aim is to increase our understanding of how to design cost-effective CO2 capture plants through a better understanding of how solvent degradation impacts process performance. 

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

Duties of the position

Conduct independent research in collaboration with the project team. The activities include:

• Literature review  
• Experimental and analytical work to investigate and characterise the selected solvents
• Critically assess results and uncertainties
• Develop new or improved methods on how to include the impact of degradation in models and process simulations 
• Assessment of the results, including evaluation of simplifications and uncertainties and their impact on the results
• Present the performed work and progress internally and externally
• Publish the results in recognised scientific journals
• Take part in the mandatory PhD research education program to complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate

The candidate is further expected to:

• Participate actively in group and institute activities. 
• Collaborate with other PhD candidates and research partners 
• Contribute to the supervision of master's students 

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

 

• You have experience with absorption processes
• You must have an academically relevant background in Chemical Engineering or equivalent
• You must have a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented within 3 months after the start of the position
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education
• The position requires spoken and written fluency in English
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience in laboratory work, preferably related to chemical absorption 
• Experience in modelling using Matlab or Python
• You have knowledge of the chemistry of ionic solutions and are interested in learning more  
• Experience using process simulator AspenPlus or Hysys, and you have used them to simulate absorption processes
• Experience in fitting and validation of models 
• Experience in evaluating model accuracy and weaknesses 

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: 

• Work independently and be self-driven and persistent 
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals
• Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity 
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Question and reflect on one's own and others' work
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions 
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Regular supervision meetings and guidance
• Possibility to collaborate with others internally and externally
• Possibility to present your work in conferences
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• training during working hours and company sports at NTNU
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)  

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts. 

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. 

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. 

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. 

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,-per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The employment period is 3 years.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phkjpros) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out the period of employment.

The position is conditional on external funding 

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. 

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• CV 
• Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
• Possibly certificates
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Hanna Knuutila (professor), +47 735 94119, hanna.knuutila@ntnu.no. 

Application deadline: 11.01.2025

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For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 
 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.