PhD Candidate in designing hydrogen resistant metallic materials by additive manufacturing

• English

The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering has a vacancy for a

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The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MTP) has a vacancy for a PhD candidate in the materials research group, with special focus on the design and development of hydrogen resistant metallic materials by additive manufacturing.

Hydrogen is considered as a clean energy carrier for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. However, the application of hydrogen energy can be decelerated due to the inevitable embrittling effect when hydrogen interacts with metal. Additive manufacturing (AM) has shown its uniqueness in producing complex multifunctional components for existing applications. It has also been proposed as a promising approach to develop metallic materials that can tolerate hydrogen damage, not only in the hydrogen value chain, but also for subsea service in the oil and gas sector. Nevertheless, little is known about hydrogen embrittlement resistance of AM materials. In this project, you are expected to employ the state-of-the-art testing techniques developed at MTP, to study both the AM and conventional metallic materials, for instance high-strength steels and nickel alloys, on:

(1)    Hydrogen uptake, diffusion and trapping. Because testing in hydrogen gas is expensive and requires dedicated experimental setup, an equivalence between gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen will be established;

(2)    The effect of hydrogen on macro- and micro-mechanical properties;

(3)    The effect of AM parameters on hydrogen embrittlement resistance.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

Your will report to Associate Professor Xu Lu. 

• study hydrogen diffusion behavior using hydrogen permeation and thermal desorption spectroscopy techniques
• establish an equivalence between gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen charging
• study and compare hydrogen effect on mechanical properties of AM and conventional materials using tensile testing and micro-mechanical testing approaches
• materials characterization using SEM, XRD, FIB, etc.
• write journal papers
• present scientific work at conferences

• you must have a professionally relevant background in materials science/engineering, metallurgical engineering, mechanical engineering, experimental physics, or related fields
• your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level
• you must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• you must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program  
• you must have relevant experimental skills in mechanical testing and materials characterization
• you must have a scientific background relevant to the planned research activities
• you must show the ability and willingness to conduct research in a multidisciplinary setting and team
• you need good written and oral English language skills

The appointment is to be made in accordance with  Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant  

• prior knowledge/experience in hydrogen embrittlement phenomenon of structural materials
• prior knowledge on additive manufacturing or power metallurgy
• knowledge of programming basics like Python, Matlab, etc.
• good communication skills, both oral and written
• experience with research projects, or industrial experience

• motivated, enthusiastic and result oriented
• independent, self-going and progress-oriented
• motivated to embrace challenges
• good communication skills
• good collaborative capabilities

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 501 200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years.
Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Engineering  within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

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The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants , and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include: 

• CV and certificates
• transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position
• Cover letter justifying your interest and fit for the position
• Research plan or project proposal (maximum 2 pages, Times New Roman or similar Font 11, Single spacing)
• Name and contact information of three referees
• If you have publications or other relevant research work

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

Working at NTNU

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation . You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Dr. Xu Lu, e-mail: [email protected], +47 92257159, or Prof. Roy Johnsen, email: [email protected], +47 93245101. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Linn-Cecilie Felle Brattheim, e-mail: [email protected].

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.  

Application deadline: 01.03.2023

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

We educate graduates who can create new products, operate and maintain products, and manage projects. The Department has a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. We conduct wide-ranging research in fields such as technology, energy, product quality and development, and productivity. The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

1st March 2023

NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Trondheim

Fulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)

Temporary

Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

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