Doctoral fellow - Department of Green Chemistry and Technology

Last application date May 31, 2022 00:00

Department LA24 - Department of Green Chemistry and Technology

Contract Limited duration

Degree You have a degree in Bioengineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, or equivalent. Knowledge of chemistry/modeling/packaging/plastics is a plus.

Occupancy rate 100%

Vacancy type Research staff

The position is offered in the laboratory for Circular Process Technology on campus Kortrijk under the direction of Prof. Steven De Meester. The work will take place in a young and dynamic team of about 22 PhD students, 1 postdoc and 3 technicians focusing on better chemical engineering in the circular economy, with a focus on pre-treatment and downstream processing. This is important, as it is clear that waste is heterogeneous and mechanical and chemical recycling technologies are often very sensitive to certain contaminants. Prof. De Meester has strong ties to industry and knows the waste management landscape very well. The group brings fundamental science to the processes used in waste management companies, but also brings in more innovative approaches.

Specifically for this vacancy, we will continue to work on our recycling model for plastic waste: a material flow model, based on fundamental knowledge of recycling processes. This will allow us to predict the efficiency of recycling, the purity of sorted and recycled streams, and their cost-benefit. We can also trace products and give design-for-recycling guidelines to producers of plastics. You can read the basis of this model in this paper: DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2020.11.056

You will work on the further improvement of the model, as well as on the implementation of new techniques in the model (e.g. chemical recycling) and you will work closely with many companies to increase the recycling of plastics.
You spend 100% of your assignment on scientific research in the context of the preparation of a PhD thesis.
Starting date can be asap. Position is a 4 year PhD contract.

• You have a degree in Bioengineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, or equivalent. Knowledge of chemistry/modeling/packaging/plastics is a plus.
• You want to apply fundamental knowledge in a social context.
• You are creative, open-minded and can work independently. You are also pragmatic and have a drive for research.
• You are a team player with good social skills.
• You have good communication skills to explain a scientific subject to a layman.
• Good knowledge of English is required, knowledge of Dutch is a plus.

Send your CV, with motivation letter and diplomas to [email protected] AND [email protected]
For more information related to this vacancy, please contact Prof. Steven De Meester ([email protected] ).