Industrial PhD student, with permanent employment

The research institute Swerim provides applied research within mining engineering, process metallurgy and materials and manufacturing engineering, mainly for the mining, steel and metals industry. Swerim has 200 co-workers in two locations in Sweden - Luleå and Stockholm.

Swerim is searching for a dedicated PhD student, for the project “Effect of hydrogen gas on the properties of carbon steels for hydrogen storage and transport”, who will contribute to industry’s fossil free transition by investigating the effect of hydrogen gas on the mechanical integrity of carbon steels intended for hydrogen gas storage and transport. This position includes a permanent employment at Swerim in Stockholm. 

Subject description
The transition to a fossil-free society and realization of national as well as global environmental goals is indubitably dependent on the use of hydrogen technologies. This includes the production of hydrogen gas, transport of hydrogen and use of hydrogen in combustion engines or power generation. Hydrogen damage such as hydrogen embrittlement (HE) and loss of ductility, are well known phenomena, which could potentially lead to catastrophic failures in equipment used in hydrogen environment. From an engineering point-of-view large knowledge gaps exist on how hydrogen influence the material due to the lack of data for specific materials and applications. This includes for example the effect of alloying elements, microstructure, welding, residual stresses, temperature, and pressure variations.

Project description
Hydrogen storage and transport will be crucial for many hydrogen technologies, such as for a stable electricity production making it possible to store energy from one season to another. High strength carbon steels are potential candidates for constructing these energy infrastructures. However, the behavior of these steels in service conditions for hydrogen storage and transport (hydrogen pressure range and temperature) needs to be investigated. Moreover, the effect of welded joints and composition variations, which can lead to microstructural modification affecting hydrogen diffusion and sensitivity to HE need also to be investigated.

The overall aim of this project is to facilitate the use of high strength carbon steels in hydrogen technologies by providing data and understanding of the behavior of high strength carbon steels in contact with hydrogen gas in new applications such as hydrogen storage and transport. The project will increase the competitiveness of Swedish metals industry by verifying their materials, material combinations and weldments in relevant hydrogen gas environments and loadings.

The project is part of a co-financed EU consortium FINAST (Forskning och Innovation i Norrbotten för Avancerad grön Stålframställning och Tillverkning) with Luleå tekniska universitet (LTU), Swerim and SSAB. You will be part of a network of PhD students within the FINAST project focusing on research related to the steel material value chain. This PhD position also provides the opportunity to establish a large network both within research and industry and to acquire knowledge and skills that are oriented towards a more sustainable future. 

Duties
As an industrial PhD student you are expected to work independently both with experimental and theoretical work within your research project, present, discuss and align your work with Swerim, LTU and the industrial partner SSAB, as well as communicate your results at conferences and in scientific journals. Most of your working time will be devoted to your PhD. In addition, you will participate in other industrial projects in the hydrogen research area at Swerim. You will be part of the Corrosion and Hydrogen embrittlement group at Swerim with 10 researchers with expertise on hydrogen embrittlement, high temperature corrosion and electrochemistry. Examples of experimental work tasks will involve designing, performing hydrogen gas tests, hydrogen quantification and evaluation by Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy with Mass Spectrometry, hydrogen permeation tests and characterization of materials before and after hydrogen exposure by SEM, EBSD, fracture analysis, etc. As a PhD student you will be supervised by active researchers from Swerim, SSAB and LTU.

Required qualifications
In order to be eligible for employment as PhD student you need a master degree in materials science, physics, chemistry or a similar technical subject. A great interest, curiosity, and passion for research and in particular for hydrogen technologies are prerequisites together with personal qualities relevant for postgraduate education. A high level of spoken and written English is expected. Swedish is an additional merit.  

Further information
This position is for an industrial PhD student at Swerim with a permanent employment. After the PhD education the candidate is continuing to be employed at Swerim as a researcher in the Corrosion and Hydrogen Embrittlement group at swerim in Stockholm.

Contacts
For further information about the position, please contact:
* Dr. Nuria Fuertes, nuria.fuertes@swerim.se, group manager, Corrosion and Hydrogen Embrittlement
* Dr. Birhan Sefer, birhan.sefer@swerim.se, senior researcher for Hydrogen Embrittlement
* Caroline Klaar Jaans, caroline.klarjaans@ssab.com, hydrogen and corrosion research leader, SSAB Europe
* Esa Virolainen, esa.virolainen@ssab.com, senior specialist, SSAB Europe
* Union representative: Louise Hagesjö, louise.hagesjo@swerim.se

Application
Apply by using the application function below by May 7, 2023. The application should include a CV, personal letter, two recommendation letters, and copies of verified and translated diplomas from university (master degree). All the documents of the application must be written in English or Swedish.

You will receive a confirmation that Swerim has received your application. Please note that we fill the thesis as soon as we find a suitable applicant, which means we can fill the position before the deadline.
The work is planned to start as soon as possible at Swerim in Stockholm.