Postdoctoral position Chemo/thermocatalytic polyvinylchloride recycling

In the framework of a collaboration with Blue Cycle (PTO Heerenveen BV) and CoRe Pro BV there is an open position for a postdoctoral researcher on finding solutions for the co-processing of polyvinylchloride (PVC) containing streams during chemical recycling of plastic wastes by pyrolysis. The project runs for 1 year and has the objective to develop a pretreatment process for PVC containing streams to allow them to be co-fed into the current Blue Cycle pyrolysis process.
In the group of Prof. P.J. Deuss the postdoc will look at (partial) catalytic dechlorination of model and realistic PVC streams. This includes testing of different catalysts and setups for dechlorination as well as development constructing and commissioning of a small lab-scale PVC adjusted pretreatment-pyrolysis setup in collaboration with CoRe Pro. The work includes chemical analyses of products, catalyst development and process optimization.

We are looking for a Post-doc for 1 year on this project. Your responsibilities will include:

• experimentally test different catalytic dechlorination methodologies of PVC
• commission and operate dedicated pyrolysis equipment
• analysis of products and composition of oils including the nature of potential chlorinated species
• aid in developing analytic methods for detection of impurities in product oils and partial dechlorinated PVC feedstocks
• reporting to project partners and funders.

Organisation
Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative institution of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Flexible study programs and academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 34,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, the University of Groningen has joined forces with other top universities and networks worldwide to become a truly global center of knowledge.

This post-doc position is in the subgroup of Prof. P.J. Deuss in the Green Chemical Reaction Engineering group of the Engineering & Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG) at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. ENTEG seeks at performing excellent research and guiding directed at the integration of fundamental and engineering sciences.

Your profile includes:

• a PhD degree a relevant subject e.g. chemistry or chemical engineering
• interest and demonstrated experience in the above indicated research fields
• very strong command of English
• good communication skills
• previous experience with design, construction and operation of pyrolysis equipment(or other high temperature processing equipment) is a plus
• previous experience with relevant analytical techniques such as multidimensional NMR, HPLC, GC(MS), GPC elemental composition, TGA are a plus
• demonstrated experience in working in an interdisciplinary team and involved in supervision of students is a plus.

Applicants whose first language is not English must submit evidence of competency in English, please see University of Groningen’s English Language Requirements for details.

We offer you following the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• a salary based on qualifications and experience betweent € 3,877 and € 5,090 gross per month (salary scale 10) for a full-time position
• excellent secondary terms of employment
• a fulltime position
• a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• 232 holiday hours per calendar year for full time employment
• participation in a pension scheme for employees
• a personal budget of € 1,000 per year for additional training and career activities
• an appointment for 1 year.

The project can start as soon as the candidate is hired