Ausschreibung: C-PlaNeT – Circular Plastics Network for Training (PhD)

The Institute of Aroma and Smell Research offers 2 PhD positions (“Early Stage Researchers”) to be funded by the Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network “C-PlaNeT – Circular Plastics Network for Training” within the Horizon 2020 Programme of the European Commission: https://www.c-planet.eu/

Project #1:
Odour characterization, monitoring, control and removal from recycled plastics
Start Date: 01.06.2020 Duration: 36 months

Description:
The candidate will optimize and apply chemo-analytical methods based on the extraction of volatile and odorous compounds and subsequent analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled to olfactometry to identify marker compounds contributing to the odor of recycled plastics, and elucidate their formation pathways and origin. Modifications of the recycling process will be developed and applied to evaluate their usefulness in reducing the odor load of the materials, with a focus on washing processes. Sensor technologies will be selected and evaluated with regard to their use for in-process quality control to enable application-oriented recycling processes.

Project #2:
Recycling of polymers from collected ocean/beach plastics
Start Date: 01.06.2020 Duration: 36 months

Description:
Marine/beach plastics will be characterized with regard to their overall chemical composition. Current recycling technologies will be tested and adapted to recover selected target polymers. These will be tested for their purity, physical/mechanical properties and presence of contaminants and volatiles using a range of physical/chemical methods including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Applications will be accepted through the application platform  https://econsort.ugent.be/regis.asp?frm=2092 until 31 December 2019.

You can find further information here.