PhD scholarship: Fibre Preforms and Architectures for Efficient Enzymatic Recycling

MUNICH AEROSPACE – NEW HORIZONS IN AVIATION AND SPACE

In 2010, through Munich Aerospace and its pooling of research, graduate programs and teaching an alliance has been formed between the Technical University Munich (TUM), the Bundeswehr University Munich (UniBwM), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), as well as Bauhaus Luftfahrt (BHL).

To promote excellent, scientific young academics, Munich Aerospace awards a PhD scholarship on

Fibre Preforms and Architectures for Efficient Enzymatic Recycling

The Chair of Carbon Composites (Lehrstuhl für Carbon Composites, LCC) at the school for engineering and design of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is headed by Prof. Klaus Drechsler. The main focus of the chair’s research is the optimization and the development of carbon composites technologies. This includes processing fibres (incl. Advanced fibre placement or textile processing) and different matrix systems, composite materials characterisation and process simulation. The chair is embedded in a highly-networked research environment at TUM including a cross-department corporations and well connected with other research centres in local and international scientific research networks, giving it access to latest fibre performing and lay-up technologies.

In this Munich Aerospace scholarship, the collaboration will be very closely implemented with Airbus, Central Research & Technology Materials Domain, headed by Dr. Christian Weimer.

Your tasks and qualifications

Recycling is the topic which will define the future Fibre Reinforced plastic with the potential for a real circular economy. The state of the art is the thermal decomposition of the plastic and the processing of the starting products. Chemical recycling offers the potential for more efficient processing. These processes are currently being industrialized.

Enzymatic based recycling routes offer new opportunities for retrieving carbon fibres from the compound they are embedded in. This process route has the potential for increasing the efficiency compared to current known processes. Moreover, it may be possible to create higher value carbon fibre structures, since higher mechanical properties of such retrieved fibres compared to other recycling routes are expected. The efficiency of enzymatic recycling (e-recycling) routes is strongly dependent on the matrix system that is tackled in combination with the used sizing of the carbon fibres and fibre architectures (packaging, spreading conditions).

The scholarship will look at the influence of fibre preparations and architectures on the efficiency of enzymatic recycling routes. Those are being developed at Airbus with other research partners. A strong interaction with this research cluster is foreseen.

The fibre architecture has a significant influence on the speed of the process of transformation of the matrix. State of the art structures from the aerospace industry serve as a starting point. The process chain is considered up to the point of recycling and supply as recycled material. This includes the evaluation of the material for currently relevant manufacturing routes for aerospace components (AFP; RTM, LCM etc.) to show the closed life cycle.

The topic at hand relates to the composite materials processing routes to create easy to e-recycle parts and create a basic understanding of influencing parameters (which fibre, which sizing, which lay-up compared to recycling rates per matrix and which packing density).

Your profile

• To ensure a quick startup of your activities, you should be familiar with (i.e., have an M. Sc. degree in) composite materials science or technology or biochemistry.
• Experience with fiber to textile processing or composite manufacturing technologies would be beneficial.

The Scholarship

The Munich Aerospace scholarship amount is 1.575 € per month granted for a minimum of 12 months and limited to a maximum of 3 years. Munich Aerospace scholarship holders are entitled to attend the Munich Aerospace Graduate School, formed by the TUM Graduate School and the DLR_Graduate_Program, and have access to special events and trainings. An additional grant of up to € 6.100 per year will be available to cover expenses that are directly related to the PhD project (e.g. textbooks, laptop, conference travels, public transport, housing subsidy).

Interested?

Please send us your application including relevant documents (cover letter, CV, diplomas, transcript of records, two recent letters of reference) in PDF format to [email protected] and [email protected] . The application deadline is December, 15th, 2021.

Details:https://www.munich-aerospace.de/en/all-news-en/munich-aerospace-phd-scho...

We are looking forward to your application!