Working student: Development of A Kinetic Model for Solvolytic Depolymerisation of Polymers
As one of the oldest and largest Fraunhofer institutes, the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT has special expertise: by linking the diverse research fields of polymer engineering, chemical processes, explosives technology, safety and security, and energy and drive systems, it achieves decisive breakthroughs. Examples can be found in lightweight construction for mobility, in environmentally friendly chemistry, in applications for the aerospace and military sectors as well as in life-cycle assessments, recycling and sustainability concepts – which you could soon help to create! Polycondensation polymers are used in different walks of human life. However, post-consumer plastic waste resulting from their indiscriminate use and inappropriate disposal poses a great threat to our environment. Chemical recycling it to obtain constituent monomers and/or other valuable chemicals renders these waste streams as a valuable feedstock for the chemical industry and paves way towards a resource-efficient future. Our group develops sustainable chemical recycling strategies for different poly-condensed fractions commonly present in conventional waste streams. These strategies involve the use of auxiliary solvents to aid polymer dissolution and nucleophilic process reagents for subsequent depolymerisation. These processes, thus, involves an interesting inter-play between mass-transfer and reaction, which has to be investigated and further modelled within the framework of this thesis.
The ultimate goal is to develop a holistic yet simple kinetic model for solvent-assisted depolymerisation of different polycondensation polymers already developed at Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT).
Was Du bei uns tust
• Comprehensive literature research on the current state-of-the-art technologies for kinetic analysis in efforts directed towards chemical recycling (solvolysis)
• Determining the reaction kinetics for solvolysis of at least one poly-condensed polymer and its subsequent kinetic modelling
• Analysing the sensitivity of the model to different degrees of freedom
• Contributing to a publication to disseminate the scientific findings
Was Du mitbringst
• Degree in Chemistry or Chemical and/or Process Engineering
• Interest in subjects like Chemical Reaction Engineering, Process Modelling and Optimization, Circular Economy and Sustainability (Green Chemistry)
• Practical laboratory experience
• Proficiency in modelling tools like MATLAB®
• Motivation to establish this topic further at Fraunhofer ICT
• Dissemination of the results through appropriate publications and/or at relevant conferences
Was Du erwarten kannst
Wir wertschätzen und fördern die Vielfalt der Kompetenzen unserer Mitarbeitenden und begrüßen daher alle Bewerbungen – unabhängig von Alter, Geschlecht, Nationalität, ethnischer und sozialer Herkunft, Religion, Weltanschauung, Behinderung sowie sexueller Orientierung und Identität. Schwerbehinderte Menschen werden bei gleicher Eignung bevorzugt eingestellt.
Die wöchentliche Arbeitszeit beträgt maximal 20 Stunden und ist nach Absprache flexibel abzustimmen. Die Stelle ist befristet ausgeschrieben, mit der Möglichkeit der Verlängerung. Die Vergütung richtet sich nach der Gesamtbetriebsvereinbarung zur Beschäftigung studentischer Hilfskräfte.
Mit ihrer Fokussierung auf zukunftsrelevante Schlüsseltechnologien sowie auf die Verwertung der Ergebnisse in Wirtschaft und Industrie spielt die Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft eine zentrale Rolle im Innovationsprozess. Als Wegweiser und Impulsgeber für innovative Entwicklungen und wissenschaftliche Exzellenz wirkt sie mit an der Gestaltung unserer Gesellschaft und unserer Zukunft.
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Contact specialist department: Pranav Majgaonkar pranav.majgaonkar@ict.fraunhofer.de +49 721 4640-866 Contact HR department: Laura Kühn recruiting@ict.fraunhofer.de Telefon: +49 721 4640- 201
Fraunhofer-Institut für Chemische Technologie ICT
Kennziffer: 79080 Bewerbungsfrist: 01.04.2025
Stellensegment:
Sustainability, Chemical Research, Chemical Engineer, Materials Science, Aerospace, Energy, Engineering, Science, Aviation