MSCA Fellow in Fib Re Loop project: Recycling continuous composites

You can find more information about the department and research group on the following websites:
https://www.mtm.kuleuven.be/
https://www.mtm.kuleuven.be/english/research/scalint/cmg/composite-materials

Project

Title of the position: Recycling and re-using continuous carbon fibres from filament-wound Elium products
Host organization (country): KU Leuven (Belgium)
Duration: 3 years
Description
This Ph D project targets to recycle and re-use continuous carbon fibre from filament-wound products, made with an Elium resin. The work will be performed in the Composite Materials Group of the Department of Materials Engineering at KU Leuven (Belgium). You will be supervised by Prof. Yentl Swolfs, Prof. Jan Ivens and Dr. Christian Breite.
The work requires a strong background in materials science, composite mechanics, and/or solid mechanics as well as a mindset for personal development. This project will be roughly 30/70 modelling/experimental research, and it is hence vital that applicants are keen for such a combination. During the appointment, two secondments are planned:

• 3 months to Arkema (France) – to extract the matrix and continuous fibres from the virgin product
• 2 months to Politecnico Di Milano (Italy) – to recycle pressure vessel specimens with microwave-assisted techniques

During this Ph D project, the researcher will:

• Become an expert in filament winding, recycling and fibre characterisation;
• Gain a fundamental understanding of the failure development of composite materials, how this is affected by the microstructure and constituent properties, and how this can be predicted via models;
• Perform advanced experimental validation of the fibre break model focusing on the in-situ development of fibre breaks using synchrotron computed tomography;
• Participate in the dedicated training programme organised by Fib Re Loop (including technical, communication, career management and business skills) and in six-monthly project meetings;
• Write scientific papers for publication in top-level journals in materials science/mechanics;
• Present his/her research in project meetings, international conferences and outreach events;
• Work in close collaboration with supervisors while being the driving force for his/her own Ph D.

Expectations and requirements
A good applicant should be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person with a mindset for personal development. He/she should meet the requirements for Ph D enrolment at KU Leuven. This requires you to have minimally achieved the level of distinction and pass the language requirements (see https://www.kuleuven.be/english/application/lang/lang-test). He/she has obtained (or is about to obtain) good grades for a master degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautics, or similar. Eligible applications will be assessed on the applicant’s (1) academic qualifications, (2) background on materials modelling, (3) technical skills, (4) communication skills, and (5) motivation for the project. KU Leuven has an equal opportunities and diversity policy, and we welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.

Candidates must fulfil the eligibility criteria:
1. You do not have a Ph D degree yet at the start of your assignment.
2. You must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment.
This means that your nationality is not relevant for your eligibility.

Procedure
Please send your resumé and cover letter to yentl.swolfs@kuleuven.be via email. The cover letter should clearly indicate for which Fib Re Loop position(s) you are applying, as it is possible to apply for multiple. We kindly ask you not to include a photograph in your CV or cover letter. We are committed to equal opportunities, and by removing these details, it helps us to evaluate people on their skills and experience instead of factors that can lead to unconsciously biased decisions.

Based on the resumé and cover letter, we will invite shortlisted applicants for an interview. By default, this will be held online via Teams, but applicants who can come in person are welcome. The interview will consist of three parts and last for about 1.5 hours in total:
1. You will be asked to prepare a small task beforehand and present your approach to the task.
2. You will present a paper relevant to the Ph D topic, and assess its strengths and weaknesses.
3. We will ask for clarifications about your background and gauge your motivation and skills.
For further details about this specific position or the procedure, please contact yentl.swolfs@kuleuven.be. For general information on the Ph D process at KU Leuven, please go to https://set.kuleuven.be/phd.
Closing date: until filled
Starting date: 1st of October 2024 the earliest and 31st of March 2025 the latest

The post is supported by an allowance provided by the European Commission. The EU Researcher Allowances will be used to cover both the employee's as the employer's mandatory charges. The fellows are assigned full-time with a Ph D scholarship with full social security.

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Yentl Swolfs (yentl.swolfs@kuleuven.be).

Tewerkstellingspercentage: Voltijds

Locatie : Leuven

Solliciteren tot en met:
20/12/2024 23:59 CET

Tags: Materiaalkunde