2 PhD & 1 Postdoctoral Positions, Aalto University, Finland (2017)

Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto University has six schools with nearly 20 000 students and more than 400 professors. Our campuses are located in Espoo and Helsinki, Finland.

The Biorefineries research group focuses on the fractionation of lignocellulosic raw material into its polymeric and non-polymeric constituents and the development of new routes for their conversion into high-value added products with a special emphasis on cellulose-based products, following the principle of resource efficiency.

A main focus area of this group is the manufacture of continuous filaments and staple fibers from various ligno-cellulosic materials using a specially developed dry-jet wet spinning process. These fibers are suitable for both textile and technical applications.

We are currently looking for

2 PhD students and one postdoctoral researcher in the area of ligno-cellulosic fiber spinning and biomass pyrolysis

The successful applicants will work within an ERC-funded project called “Unlocking the Entire Wood Matrix for the Next Generation of Carbon Fibers”. In this ambitious project, multi-component filaments are spun from ionic liquid solutions of various ligno-cellulosic material to serve as precursor for fully bio-based carbon fibers. The project envisions a fundamental understanding of the pyrolysis mechanisms that control the conversion of a ligno-cellulosic matrix into a carbon fiber. The outcomes should allow to make carbon fiber production more sustainable and open up new application fields. The carbonization studies are performed in collaboration with Deakin University (Australia) and a research visit will be part of the applicants’ studies.

Further details:
http://academicpositions.eu