JOB DESCRIPTION

Are you fascinated by the challenges of the energy transition? We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate, who will work in a team of scientists towards the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) derived from renewable resources. An inherent challenge in catalytic processes that convert biomass components to aviation fuels is the large amount of water produced, which can deactivate common catalysts. In this project, you will develop stable catalysts for production of aviation fuels in a team of researchers from academia and industry.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Concerns about the strong negative effect of climate change due to human-induced CO2 emissions is the main driver for decarbonizing the energy sector. Electrification will substantially contribute to this goal in the transport sector by deep penetration of electric vehicles. Nevertheless, given the low energy density of batteries, there will remain a need for liquid hydrocarbons fuels for certain sectors such as aviation. Replacing current aviation fuels by SAF represents a formidable challenge, requiring concerted efforts from academia and industry.
In this project, you will develop catalysts that are suitable for the upgrading of waste streams such as used cooking oils, beef-tallow, and other waste triglycerides into sustainable aviation fuels. The key challenge is to develop sulfur-free catalysts that can effectively remove oxygen from the feedstock and remain stable under the harsh reaction conditions. Oxygen removal leads to water, which deactivates typical supported metal catalysts. To cope with this challenge, you will carefully investigate the effect of reaction conditions on the supported metal phases. Scientifically, this research is strongly linked to the theme of metal-support interactions, which is currently actively investigated by the heterogeneous catalysis community.
This project is part of the Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium, which is the Netherlands’ national research center for circular and sustainable chemistry. Together with partners from industry, we aim to greenify the chemical industry with a focus on energy transition, feedstock transition and materials transition. The available project fits within the themes of energy and feedstock transition.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in chemistry or chemical engineering.
• A research-oriented attitude.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interested in collaborating with industrial partners.
• Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students.
• Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level).

ABOUT US

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.
Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.

Please refer the Job description for details