PhD Candidate in Building Materials

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is consistently ranked as one of the world’s leading universities. It has approximately 47,000 students and more than 8,800 employees in Lund, Helsingborg, and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain, and improve our world and the conditions of people.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Gender equality, equal opportunities, and diversity are fundamental principles for all parts of our operations.

Workplace Description

The Department of Building and Environmental Technology has a stimulating and international environment consisting of PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, teachers, and researchers from many parts of the world.

Research and teaching take place in an open and progressive climate with issues and collaborations both within academia and with industry partners, both nationally and internationally. The work environment is characterized by engagement, collaboration, creativity, and personal responsibility. Furthermore, the work environment is marked by an open and friendly reception among all employees, with the intention that everyone should be given the opportunity to grow personally and professionally.

The department consists of nine divisions, and this position is located in the Division of Building Materials. Research and teaching in the division mainly cover materials used in the construction sector with the aim of studying and understanding processes in materials, often in relation to moisture and durability issues. The division has extensive laboratory infrastructure and a strong focus on laboratory work.

Subject and Project Description

The construction sector accounts for a large portion of total greenhouse gas emissions, and one way to reduce this is to transition to a greater share of bio-based materials. One such example is bio-based insulation materials. Bio-based insulation materials are hygroscopic, meaning they can absorb moisture from the air. When a material absorbs moisture, heat is released, and previous studies have shown that this is beneficial for a building's energy performance. The hygroscopic properties can also be advantageous under low moisture loads as the materials can then act as moisture buffers.

This PhD project is part of a larger initiative aimed at investigating the function and use of bio-based insulation materials. The purpose is both to investigate the properties and functions of existing insulation materials and how to tailor the hygroscopic properties so that the material's hygroscopicity can be used to optimize buildings' energy performance and robustness against temporary moisture loads. The PhD project will focus on the parts of the project that deal with tailoring sorption properties through chemical modification techniques, but will also include aspects of characterizing existing insulation materials and applications.

Job Responsibilities

The main task for a PhD candidate is to engage in their doctoral education, which includes participation in research projects as well as doctoral education courses. The job responsibilities also include participation in teaching and other departmental work, but no more than 20% of the working time.

The job responsibilities include:

• Development of modification techniques to tailor the hygroscopic properties of bio-based materials.
• Characterization of moisture-related material properties for both the modified materials and existing bio-based insulation materials.
• Evaluation of the function of the modified materials and existing bio-based insulation materials.
• Contributing to the dissemination of the project's results through scientific articles, presentations at conferences, and meetings with the project's reference groups.

Eligibility

Basic eligibility for doctoral education is met by those who have:

• completed a degree at the advanced level or
• fulfilled course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits at the advanced level or
• acquired equivalent knowledge in some other way, both domestically and internationally.

The requirements for specific eligibility for doctoral education in Building Materials are met by those who have:

• at least 90 higher education credits in the subject area, of which at least 60 higher education credits at the advanced level and a thesis of at least 30 higher education credits at the advanced level in the subject area, or
• a master's degree, civil engineering degree, or equivalent degree relevant to the subject area.

Finally, it is required that the student is assessed to have the ability needed to complete the education.

Other Requirements

• Very good knowledge of English, both spoken and written.
• Very good knowledge in building materials science or another relevant material science for the position, such as the chemistry of lignocellulosic materials.
• Experience of laboratory work.
• Ability to work in a structured and independent manner.

For the full advertisement, please see: https://lu.varbi.com/se/what:job/jobID:804517/ (https://lu.varbi.com/se/what:job/jobID:804517/)

LTH – Lund University Faculty of Engineering – is the engineering faculty at Lund University. At LTH, we educate people, build knowledge for the future, and work hard to develop society. We create space for brilliant research and inspire creative development in technology, architecture, and design. Nearly 10,000 students study here. Each year, our researchers – many of whom work in world-leading profile areas – publish about 100 dissertations and 2,000 scientific findings. A number of research results and student projects are refined into innovations. Together, we explore and create – for the benefit of the world.

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