1-2, PhD positions: “Drying of waterborne coatings” Groups Transport in Permeable Media (TPM) and Mesoscopic Transport Physics (MTP) at the Technological University Eindhoven (TU/e) The research project is positioned within the field of transport in porous media and coatings. In the group TPM the combined water and ion transport in permeable materials are studied by experimental techniques based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, like MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). A significant part of the research efforts concentrates on imaging processes in coatings. Recently, a unique MRI facility has been built in the group TPM, which enables depth profiling with a resolution of 5 μm. The group MTP has expertise in the field of mesocopic simulation methodologies for complex fluids. Project description Coatings are meant to cover substrates for both esthetical and protective reasons. Due to environmental issues the market is shifting from solvent based coatings towards waterborne coatings. Waterborne coatings are dispersions of polymeric particles in water. The drying of waterborne coatings is only partly understood. Especially the distribution of water through the coating and its consequence on the mechanical properties are poorly understood. In this project two PhD students will investigate this topic experimentally and via simulations. PhD 1 (TPM) – He/she will study drying coating films with high resolution MRI and DWS (Diffusive Wave Scattering) as a function of the environmental conditions and the chemical composition of the polymer in the coating. Water distributions in the coating will be measured with MRI and the mechanical properties will be traced with DWS. PhD 2 (MTP) – He/she will develop a simulation model based on a hybrid model of MD (Molecular Dynamics) and LB (Lattice Boltzmann). This model will be used to simulate drying of deformable particle dispersions, which represent the water soluble coating system. This project will be carried in cooperation with TNO, and industrial partners DSM Neoresins and Drywoord. Requirements We are looking for a highly motivated candidate who has a master in physics and/or physical chemistry. The candidate has good experimental skills and is motivated for working in interdisciplinary teams. Knowledge of transport phenomena, and/or polymeric systems is an advantage. Foreign candidates should master the English language. More information and application More information can be obtained from Prof. Dr. Ir. O.C.G. Adan (Tel: +31.6.51425805, email: O.C.G.Adan@tue.nl) or Dr. Ir. H.P. Huinink (Tel.: +31.40.2475375, email: H.P.Huinink@tue.nl) 3, PhD position: “Transport through polymeric coatings on porous substrates” Group Transport in Permeable Media (TPM) at the Technological University Eindhoven (TU/e) The research project is positioned within the field of transport in porous media and coatings. In the group TPM the combined water and ion transport in permeable materials are studied by experimental techniques based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, like MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). A significant part of the research efforts concentrates on imaging processes in coatings. Recently, a unique MRI facility has been built in the group TPM, which enables depth profiling with a resolution of 5 μm. Project description Coatings are meant to cover substrates for both esthetical and protective reasons. The barrier property of a coating are important for protecting substrates against water. Especially in the built environment coatings are applied on porous substrates like wood, concrete, bricks, etc. Porous substrates influence the coating structure at the moment of application. Nevertheless, most water uptake studies are done on free polymer films or on coatings applied on non-porous substrates. Therefore, in this project water transport through coatings on wood will be studied. With the MRI facilities within the group water distribution in both the polymer layer and the wood can be imaged. Requirements We are looking for a highly motivated candidate who has a master in physics and/or physical chemistry. The candidate has good experimental skills and is motivated for working in interdisciplinary teams. Knowledge of transport phenomena, and/or polymeric systems is an advantage. Foreign candidates should master the English language. More information and application More information can be obtained from Prof. Dr. Ir. O.C.G. Adan (Tel: +31.6.51425805, email: O.C.G.Adan@tue.nl) or Dr. Ir. H.P. Huinink (Tel.: +31.40.2475375, email: H.P.Huinink@tue.nl) 4, PhD position: “Chloride transport in cracked concrete” Groups Transport in Permeable Media (TPM) at the Technological University Eindhoven (TU/e) The research project is positioned within the field of transport in porous media and coatings. In the group TPM the combined water and ion transport in permeable materials are studied by experimental techniques based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, like MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). A significant part of the research efforts concentrates on understanding the damage mechanisms in porous materials. For this research the group has various state of art NMR scanners for nod destructively measuring the moisture and ion transport. Project description The major degradation mechanism in concrete structures is corrosion of reinforcement due to chloride penetration. Corrosion reduces serviceability and safety due to cracking and spalling of concrete and loss of steel cross section. Recently, service life design has moved from prescriptive to model and performance based. The current approach aims at postponing initiation of corrosion until the end of the required service life with a predetermined reliability, based on simplified modelling of transport in uncracked concrete and testing of laboratory samples for chloride diffusion. Real structures under service load contain cracks and execution defects. Cracks are fast transport routes for chloride, but the effect is mitigated by poorly known mechanisms such as self-healing and crack blocking. Current models do not cover the effect of cracks, voids and compaction defects in concrete on chloride transport and corrosion initiation, rendering them less robust than acceptable. This projects aims at understanding of mechanisms that control chloride transport, and the influence of cracks on the transport. The study the transport of chloride and other relevant substances in concrete a non-destructive, high temporal and spatial resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) setup capable of quasi-simultaneously measuring Na, Cl and moisture will be developed within this project. Requirements We are looking for a highly motivated candidate who has a master in physics and/or physical chemistry/ civil engineering.The candidate has good experimental skills and is motivated for working in interdisciplinary teams. Knowledge of transport phenomena, and/or concrete technology is an advantage. Foreign candidates should master the English language. More information and application More information can be obtained from Prof. Dr. Ir. O.C.G. Adan (Tel: +31.6.51425805, email: 5, PhD position: NRSCC project – Advanced Catalytic Capillary Microreactors (supervisor Dr.ir. T.A. Nijhuis) Microreactors have been a topic of great interest in the chemical industry in the recent years. They have excellent heat and mass transfer properties, which allow for a high productivity, as well as a high control over the reaction, which makes high selectivities possible. In this way microreactor technology helps us develop green and clean processes. Most chemical reactions, however, require the use of a catalyst. A problem is that conventionally shaped catalysts cannot be incorporated easily in a microreactor and that their properties are not optimized for the excellent mass transfer characteristics of a microreactor. In this project, we will develop new and efficient manners to create catalytic coatings inside (capillary) microreactors. The main applications for these catalytic microreactors will be for fine chemistry and pharmaceuticals production. 6, PhD position: EU project ProAChIm "Combining efforts in enzyme and process engineering to improve access to multifunctional chiral intermediates" (supervisor Prof.dr. V. Hessel) "As most of the top-selling drugs today contain stereogenic centres, their synthesis often relies on small chiral building blocks. The suggested project addresses the latter issue by focusing on the synthesis of a-amino-alcohols - a building block used for instance in the synthesis of various b-sympathomimetics. Enantiomerically enriched a-amino-alcohols can be provided in an ecological and economical way by using enzymes which are capable of connecting two molecules and forming two stereocenters simultaneously - so called threonine aldolases (TA). Thus one aim of this project is identification of new TAs which are subsequently optimised through directed evolution and site-directed mutagenesis guided by in silico enzyme design. The second main focus of the project - and actually to be done under main involvement of the SCR group at Eindhoven University - is on process engineering which is necessary in order to provide not only enzymes but a whole process allowing for the efficient synthesis of a-aminoalcohols. The latter, quite challenging, task includes shifting the equilibrium of the enzymatic reaction by a consecutive reaction which furthermore enables alteration of the primary product towards desired specifications. As the project aims for generating an efficient and thus industrially viable process, all reactions will be carried out in micro-structured reactors (to be designed and manufactured by the new PhD in the SCR group) and with appropriate flow-chemistry conditions which bring about the desired process intensification (e.g. much higher selectivity, by orders-of-magnitude higher reaction rates, improved safety in otherwise inaccessible process regimes). Through their unique flow conditions, the improved heat and mass-transfer totally new processing regimes (Novel Process Windows) are accessible." |