Vacant job

Project Description

Research Subject: Polymer Technology / Materials Science

We are building a long-term research environment in nuclear technology at KTH to deliver safer lifetime extension estimates of existing Swedish nuclear power plants.

The environment integrates three pillars: (i) fundamental understanding of aging mechanisms in safety-critical polymer components under service-relevant thermal, radiation, and environmental conditions, including risk-reducing strategies; (ii) non-destructive condition monitoring based on portable, single-sided low-field T2-NMR adapted for use in the facility; and (iii) uncertainty-aware AI models embedded in digital twin workflows that merge laboratory and online facility measurements to predict remaining useful life (RUL) and support risk-based inspection, maintenance, and replacement.

The purpose of this sub-project, as part of the research environment in nuclear technology, is to focus on the mechanisms and kinetics of aging of polymer components in nuclear power plants, enabling higher precision in the lifetime estimation of components currently in use, and a foundation for the design of new materials with extended lifetimes in future installations. Examples of research questions include: How do temperature, radiation, humidity, dose rate, and oxygen availability interact to drive chemical/mobility changes in cables, seals, and coatings? Under what conditions do DLO and plasticizer migration dominate, and how can acceleration protocols remain representative?

The project is conducted in close collaboration with other sub-projects within the program, including material development and AI-based modeling, providing the PhD student access to a strong research environment with modern infrastructure and international collaborations.

Supervision: Mikael Hedenqvist is proposed as the main supervisor. Co-supervisors: Payam Pourmand, Richard Olsson, Fritjof Nilsson are proposed to supervise the PhD student. Decisions will be made upon admission.

Eligibility for Admission

To be admitted to doctoral education (Chapter 7, Section 39 of the Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility:

• completed a degree at the advanced level, or
• completed 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, domestically or abroad.

In addition to basic eligibility, the following is required:

• Master's degree in materials science, polymer technology, engineering physics, chemical engineering, or equivalent,
• documented knowledge of polymer materials, material characterization, or materials physics.

Additionally, there is a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

To succeed in your doctoral studies at KTH, you need to be goal-oriented and persistent in your work. In the selection of applicants, the ability to:

• independently drive your work forward,
• collaborate with others,
• maintain a professional attitude, and
• analyze and work with complex issues will be assessed.

Meritorious:

• experience in aging studies and degradation of polymers
• experience in characterization using spectroscopy (e.g., FTIR/NMR), and mechanical testing

After the eligibility requirements, significant weight will be placed on personal qualities.

Target Degree: Doctorate

Information about Admission and Employment

Only those who have been admitted to doctoral education may be employed as PhD students. The total employment period may not exceed what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. An employed PhD student may, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within e.g. education and administration. A new employment as a PhD student is valid for a maximum of one year, after which the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. For studies that will conclude with a licentiate degree, the total employment period may not exceed what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

As a PhD student, you will benefit from KTH's employment benefits and have a monthly salary according to KTH's agreement for doctoral salaries. Read more about Doctoral Studies at KTH (https://www.kth.se/om/jobba-pa-kth) | KTH | Sweden.

Union Representatives

Contact information for union representatives.

Doctoral Student Section (Student Union of the Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact information for the doctoral student section.

Application

You apply via KTH's recruitment system. As an applicant, you have the primary responsibility for ensuring that your application is complete when submitted.

The application must be received by KTH no later than the last application day at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

The application should include the following content:

• CV with relevant professional experiences and skills.
• Cover letter with a brief account of why you want to pursue doctoral studies, your academic interests, and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Max 2 pages)
• Copies of diplomas and transcripts from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages. Copies of originals must be certified.
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please attach a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other

For information on the handling of personal data in connection with recruitment.

It may occur that an employment at KTH is classified. If this is the case for this particular employment, a security review of the applicant will be conducted in accordance with the Security Protection Act (2018:585) after consent. In these cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved after the security review.

We kindly ask for no direct contact with staffing and recruitment companies or advertisers of job postings.

Become a part of KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research, and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in driving and participating in the transition to a sustainable society. Here, you are offered the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic workplace with good working conditions and benefits. Equality, diversity, and equal opportunities are a quality issue and an obvious part of KTH's values as a university and public authority.