Job Information
- Organisation/Company
- BarcelonaTech UPC
- Department
- Chemical Engineering
- Research Field
- Engineering » Chemical engineering
- Researcher Profile
- First Stage Researcher (R1)
- Country
- Spain
- Application Deadline
- Type of Contract
- Temporary
- Job Status
- Full-time
- Hours Per Week
- 37
- Offer Starting Date
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
- HE / MSCA
- Reference Number
- 101072449
- Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number
- 1
- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
- No
Offer Description
The main part of the PhD research (30 months) will be performed at Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya; Barcelona Tech UPC in the Department of Chemical Engineering, under the supervision of Prof. J.L. Cortina and V. Valderrama. The ESR will join the division “Resource Recovery and Environmental Management” (R2EM) of the department. • The PhD project includes two academic research stays of 2 months: 1) Vysoka skola chemicko-technologicka v praze (department of inorganic technology, Prof. Karel Bouzek): Modelling of the synthesis stage of NaOH and HCl by BPED, 2) Università della calabria (department of environmental engineering, Prof. Efrem Curcio): Evaluation of energy requirement by BPED; 3) PCCELL GMBH (Dr. Patrick Altmeier): Technology scale-up and market potential at industrial level.
Project
The PhD will contribute to EXBRINER Work Package 4 “Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BPED) for NaOH/HCl circular production”.
The PhD will develop the integration of bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) in the production of NaOH/HCl. In particular, the main objectives are:
- Produce NaOH and HCl from a NaCl-rich brine by BPED; development of new bipolar membranes with low electrical resistance and increased chemical stability in alkaline/acidic environment.
- Evaluation of the developed membranes and new commercial membranes in relevant industrial sectors as the chlor-alkali, mining, metallurgical and metal waste recovery industries
The PhD project will adres:
1) Evaluation of the current efficiency and conversion rate in chlor-alkali process for NaCl synthetic and real multicomponent brines (commercial membranes supplied by PCCell); 2) Determination of the degree of salt leakage across membranes by voltammetry; 3) Optimization of BPED energy consumption as a function of the initial salt/acid/base concentration and current density via response surface methodology; 4) Test of the developed membranes and commercial membranes using real waste streams; 5) Techno-economic analysis of the scaling of the proposed solution at commercial level.
Collaborationswith 1) Vysoka Skola Chemicko-Technologicka Praze, 2) Università della calabria and 3) PCCELL GMBH will be key for thePhD and overall project success.
The ESRwill attend: i) laboratory-based Training through Research; ii) advanced scientific and technical courses delivered at Network Meetings and EXBRINER Schools; iii) soft and transferable skill courses; iv) courses and events of the UPC Doctoral School; v) meetings from the research group and department. As a MSCA fellow, the ESR is also expected to contribute in the dissemination of the PhD Project’s results in Conferences and publications in high rank international scientific journals.
Requirements
- Research Field
- Technology » Chemical technology
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
• An outstanding MSc degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering or Energetic Engineering
• Research experience on membrane processes and/or electrochemical processes will be appreciated
• Interest for technological developments, mass transfer modelling efforts and building laboratory prototypes
• An integrative and cooperative personality with excellent communication and social skills
• Fluency in English – written and oral
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Level
- Good
- Research Field
- Engineering » Chemical engineering
- Years of Research Experience
- 1 - 4
Additional Information
Offer
Contract: Employment contract from Barcelona TECH UPC for a full-time position of doctoralresearcher for 36 months, with a monthly salary. Preferred starting date: 1April 2023.
Salary: According to the rules of the MSCADoctoral Networks: EU Researcher Allowances will be used to cover both the employee's as the employer's mandatory charges.
• Strict eligibility requirements for a Doctoral Candidate position in a MSCA-DN program include:
• not have resided, worked or studied in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to the start date of the PhD research. Spanish citizens can apply if they respect the mobility requirement.
• be in early research career and not yet have been awarded a doctorate.
Interested?
To applyfor the position, kindly provide before the 7th March 2023:
i) Signed Letter of Motivation, in English, covering the following aspects: reasons for applying to the PhD position, skills and abilities that make the applicant a good candidate, motivations to carry out research abroad, professional interests and expectations. Maximum one page.
ii) CurriculumVitae, in English, detailing academic studies, professional career, publications and other relevant achievements;
iii) Copy of academic qualification(s)/parchment(s) – in original language and translatedin English – clearly stating the name of the University issuing the degree, the date of graduation, the final score; copies of official transcripts (marksheets) of academic courses attended to obtain each degree (BSc, MSc or equivalent) - in original language and translated in English – and corresponding Grade Point Average; any other document considered useful (e.g.University Diploma Supplement) to assess the eligibility of the University Degree - in original language and translated in English
iv) Max two Reference Letters, in English, printed on letterhead and duly signed;
v) Concise recognition on the state-of-the-art (3,000-4,000 characters), in English, onthe topic addressed by the Individual Research Project;
vi) Copy of the first two and last two pages of the Passport or – for EU citizens - of the Identity Card;
For more information please contact Prof. Jose Luis Cortina tel.: +34 677965439, mail: Jose Luis Cortina jose.luis.cortina@upc.edu. And Prof. Cesar Alberto Valderrama, Cesar.Alberto.Valderrama@upc.edu +34934011818
You can apply for this job no later than March 7, 2023 via the online application tool
- Website for additional job details
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- BarcelonaTech UPC
- Country
- Spain
- State/Province
- Barcelona
- City
- Barcelona
- Postal Code
- 08014
- Street
- Av Eduard Maristany 10-14
Where to apply
- jose.luis.cortina@upc.edu
Contact
- State/Province
- Barcelona
- City
- Barcelona
- Website
- Street
- Jordi Girona 31
- Postal Code
- 08034
- lourdes.moreno@upc.edu
- Phone
- +34934016570
- Mobile Phone
- +34677965439