Postdoc in cellulose paper-based materials for power transformers

Job description

Cellulose papers and pressboards are widely used as insulators in power transformers and high voltage electrical equipment due of their good electrical properties, availability, and price. Critically, these materials must maintain both their mechanical and electrical properties at elevated temperatures in an oil filled environment for 30-40 years. With aging electrical equipment and ever-increasing energy demands, understanding cellulose degradation is a critical aspect in the manufacturing and maintenance of our electrical infrastructure.

Despite cellulose being used as electrical insulation for more than 100 years, its degradation under transformer operating conditions is not yet completely understood. Oxidative, acid-catalyzed hydrolysis, and thermal degradation all occur simultaneously over the lifetime of the transformer, each of which produce residues and water that cause corrosion and decreased mechanical and dielectric performance. This project aims to develop a deeper understanding of chemical and supramolecular structural changes that occur during cellulose degradation in power transformers, and to investigate modifications and/or additives that can increase the lifespan of electrical equipment.

This postdoc position provides a unique opportunity and environment as the candidate will work at both KTH, the Swedish research institutes RISE, and importantly in direct collaboration with the world leading provider of power transformers Hitachi Energy with access to their state of the art labs and equipment.

What we offer

• A position at a leading technical university that generates knowledge and skills for a sustainable future
• Engaged and ambitious colleagues along with a creative, international and dynamic working environment
• Work in Stockholm, in close proximity to nature
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH

Read more about what it is like to work at KTH

Qualifications

Requirements

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Experience of laboratory work in chemistry labs and high-voltage labs.
•  A documented ability to summarize research results in written and oral presentation in English. 
• Experience of coordination and cooperation between several parties.

As a person you are:

• able to take your own initiatives
• independent
• structured
• meticulous

You have a high level of:

• scientific skills
• pedagogical ability
• ability to collaborate
• as well as high awareness of diversity and equal treatment issues with a particular focus on gender equality 

Preferred qualifications

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline
• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree within nanotechnology, high voltage, biopolymers are advantageous

Great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Trade union representatives

Contact information to trade union representatives.

To apply for the position

Log into KTH's recruitment system to apply for this position. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete according to the instructions in the ad. 

The application must include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copy of diplomas and grades from your previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents have not been issued in any of these languages.
• Brief account of why you want to conduct research, your academic interests and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. Max two pages long. 

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

About the employment

The position offered is for two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Others

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process.

According to The Protective Security Act (2018-585), the candidate must undergo and pass security vetting if the position is placed in a security class. Information regarding whether the position is subject to such a classification will be provided during the recruitment process.

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Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

About KTH

KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has grown to become one of Europe’s leading technical and engineering universities, as well as a key centre of intellectual talent and innovation. We are Sweden’s largest technical research and learning institution and home to students, researchers and faculty from around the world. Our research and education covers a wide area including natural sciences and all branches of engineering, as well as architecture, industrial management, urban planning, history and philosophy. Read more here

1. Mahiar Hamedi, Associate professor, mahiar@kth.se