PhD student in Production Technology – Spec. in High Temperature Coatings

Based in Trollhättan, University West has over 11 000 students and around 600 employees.

Work Integrated Learning is our profile, in both education and research and we are among the highest ranked universities in the country for graduate employability. With industry within the fields of aerospace and automotive as well as new business ventures and a strong confidence in the future, Trollhättan is a hub for development in their sub region of West Sweden.

The research team Production Technology West has a long experience in Thermal Spraying and works with almost all types of thermal spray methods using various types of feedstock materials i.e. ceramics, metals, composites in both solid and liquid form i.e. suspension, solution.

This doctoral student position is in the filed of thermal spray coatings for automotive applications. The study will mainly focus on development of protective coatings that provide high thermal efficiency and long-life time in diesel engines by designing coating systems with appropriate morphology, microstructure, and thickness as well as material composition. The research is application-oriented and conducted in close collaboration with industry.

The scientific work in the project

The project aims at better understanding of the relationships between deposition conditions, coatings microstructure and coatings thermo-physical properties under thermal cyclic loads. The research is focused mainly on experimental studies and will include testing and characterization of the coatings e.g. microstructure evaluation (OM, SEM), porosity analysis, thermal conductivity measurement and lifetime testing. Coating deposition process development for as well as coating selection and design including but not limited to type of coating systems, coatings chemistry, microstructure, thickness, and roughness will be a central part of the work.

Doctoral degree program: Production Technology

Research center: Doctoral students in Production Technology become members of the research group PTW (Production Technology West). The group collaborates with the engineering industry in the region, at the Production Technology Centre, which houses an advanced research laboratory. For more information about our research center, go to http://www.hv.se/ptw 

Job description: The research program includes, in addition to participation in third-cycle courses, implementation of an independent thesis work. Students who are employed as research students shall primarily devote themselves to their own education. A person so employed may, however, be engaged to a limited extent in education, research and administration, mainly within Production Technology. Such duties, before a doctorate has been conferred, may not occupy more than 20 per cent of full-time working hours. (Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100) Chapter 5 section 2).

Qualification requirements: The basic eligibility requirements for doctoral programs as set out in the Higher Education Ordinance are as follows:

- A degree at master’s level,
- completed courses totaling at least 240 university credits of which a minimum of 60 at master’s level or,
- Substantially equivalent knowledge gained in some other way whether in Sweden or abroad.

To fulfil the special eligibility requirements for a doctoral degree in Production Technology, a student must hold a degree at master’s level in a subject relevant to the doctoral degree subject. This degree may be in Production Technology or some related discipline. The eligibility requirements may be fulfilled by studies in Sweden or abroad.



Qualifications of merit for this position:

- Master of Science (or equivalent level) in Material Science or Mechanical Engineering
- Ability to communicate orally and in writing in English (documented)
- Experience in material- and property characterization of coatings for high temperature (SEM, XRD, TEM, porosity analysis, thermal conductivity and lifetime testing)
- Experience of thermal spraying (specifically suspension and atmospheric plasma spraying)
- Good Knowledge in ceramics for high temperature application (specifically heat insulation)
- Good knowledge of diesel engines typically used in automotive industry
- Experience of research work and scientific writing

Duration and terms of employment: Employment as a doctoral student shall be on an open-ended basis but not for longer than to a specific point in time and never for a period extending more than one year after receiving the doctoral degree. The initial appointment must not be for more than one year. The appointment may be renewed for no more than two years at a time. A person may be employed as a research student for a total of not more than eight years. The total period of employment, however, may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study at the third level of higher education. (Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100) Chapter 5 section 7).

Applications are to be submitted electronically via the University West web-based recruitment tool, MyNetwork. Go to https://www.hv.se/en/meet-university-west/job-opportunities/

The application must include:

- CV/Personal qualifications
- Personal letter containing: - Interest in the research topic. - Previous experience regarding the proposed research topic and its research methods and scientific theories. - Motive to pursue doctoral studies.
- Degree project of second level of higher education
- Degree certificate of second level of higher education
- Other documents which the applicant wishes to invoke

Approved written languages regarding papers, diplomas, grades and other relevant documents are the Scandinavian languages and English, or translations into those languages. Attach the original when submitting translated documents.

The application should reach University West no later than 2017-03-05

Documents that cannot be sent digitally, should be sent to:

Högskolan Väst
Personalavdelningen
461 86 Trollhättan
Sweden

Mark the application with ref.no: R 2017/17