PhD position: Improved methods for characterizing anodes used in aluminum production

euraxess.ec.europa.eu - Jobboard; Canada; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

The Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation at Université de Sherbrooke is seeking a PhD candidate to develop characterization methods for aluminum production anodes. Working with Rio Tinto, the research aims to enhance quality control in manufacturing while fostering an innovative research environment that encourages collaboration among students and professionals.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in chemistry, physics, or materials required.
• Cumulative GPA greater than 13/20.
• Good communication skills in French and English.

Responsibilities

• Understand the relationship between composition and structure of recycled anodes.
• Study the heterogeneity of anode structures based on implementation parameters.
• Perform multivariate analysis for predicting quality.

Skills

Adaptability

Teamwork

Problem Solving

Education

Master's degree in Engineering or Science

Tools

Python

MATLAB

R

Job description

Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT)

Organisation/Company Université de Sherbrooke Department Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) Research Field Engineering » Materials engineering Chemistry » Applied chemistry Physics » Metrology Researcher Profile Other Profession Positions PhD Positions Country Canada Application Deadline 30 Jun 2025 - 00:00 (America/Toronto) Type of Contract Not Applicable Job Status Not Applicable Offer Starting Date 1 May 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Research project on aluminum production:

This research project is part of the field of aluminum production. Rio Tinto is a world leader in aluminum. In 2018, it became the first company to receive ASI certification as a "responsible" aluminum producer in Canada. Its various alloys are designed to meet customer needs.

To guarantee the quality of its final product, it is essential to monitor the different stages of manufacturing, particularly the anode. The methods currently used by Rio Tinto require coring of the anodes, a destructive operation in which a section of the anode is removed for analysis. Any analysis that can avoid this would greatly facilitate quality control. Thus, we propose this project to develop new techniques for analyzing the microstructure of anodes (heterogeneity, dimension of graphitic crystallites) and to correlate them with their properties such as density, conductivity, porosity, air permeability, air reactivity, behavior of the anode in the electrolytic cell, etc.

Improving Materials Characterization by Chemometrics :

This thesis aims to develop a characterization method to assess the quality of anodes used in the aluminum production process. This method will be based on the combined use of multiple cutting-edge characterization tools via the use and development of chemometric tools. The study aims to quantify the crystalline structure and composition of the anode and to link them to its performance.

The successful candidate will be responsible for 1) understanding the relationship between the composition and structure of recycled anodes as well as their final properties, the research work proposes to broaden the range of characterization methods used to characterize anodes, 2) studying the heterogeneity of the anode structure as a function of the anode implementation parameters, particularly in terms of the size of the graphitic crystallites, 3) performing a joint multivariate analysis of the probes in order to determine their potential complementarity. We therefore aim to determine the interest of adding additional probes at the level of prediction quality. 4) Selecting online technology. This step concerns the sizing and selection of the technological solution to be used online to take samples directly from the production line at Rio Tinto.

Work environment:

This PhD project will be supervised by Professors R. Gosselin and N. Braidy of the Université de Sherbrooke and a team of researchers from Rio-Tinto’s CRDA. The work will be carried out at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) of Université de Sherbrooke, as well as at Rio-Tinto’s CRDA. The candidate will benefit from an exceptional research environment where students, engineers, professors and organizations work hand in hand to develop the technologies of the future in Canada.

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Engineering » Materials engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Physics » Metrology Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Chemistry » Inorganic chemistry Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Are you interested? Here is the profile we are looking for:

• Master's degree in engineering or science in the field of chemistry, physics, or materials.

• Have a cumulative grade point average greater than 13/20. .

• Ability to communicate in English or French both orally and in writing.

• Strong ability to adapt, be independent, work in a team and solve problems.

• Strong taste for design, experimental work and interdisciplinary R&D.

• Assets: knowledge of the electrolytic bath process.

Specific Requirements

• Relevant experience in materials characterization methods (XRD, X-ray fluorescence, spectroscopy, etc.)
• Strengths: knowledge of Python and/or Matlab and/or R programming language

Languages FRENCH Level Good

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Research Field Engineering » Materials engineeringEngineering » Chemical engineering