PhD position ‘Welding for Wood: investigation of phenomena for technology upgrades’

Empa is a materials science and technology research institution of the ETH domain. Our wood laboratory offers a PhD position in the project “Welding for Wood: investigation of phenomena for technology upgrades” This project is a collaboration between the Bern University of Applied Sciences, EPF Lausanne, and Université Henri-Poincaré, Nancy, France and includes a total of four doctoral students.

Welding of wood, involving in a dynamic vibration of two wooden blocks under constant pressure, presents, as a joinery process, compelling opportunities. Its further technological development and transfer to industry requires a more fundamental understanding of the physical and chemical phenomena that occur within the few seconds of the process.

The objective of this PhD project is to develop and validate a computational model for studying the material behavior during the heating and welding, and of the composite during cooling after welding. The model should predict the evolution in time of the temperature, displacements, strains and internal stresses during the friction welding process, as well as the residual stress and strain fields and the densification at the weld line after welding. Such model will be used for an in-depth understanding of the physics of the welding process allowing the optimisation of the friction welding process.

We are looking for a candidate with a master degree in materials science, civil or mechanical engineering, physics or similar disciplines. Knowledge in wood, computer modeling and strong interest in scientific work and fluent proficiency in English is required.

You will be working with Prof. Dr. Dominique Derome, Wood Laboratory, EMPA, Prof. Dr. Jan Carmeliet, Laboratory of Building Technologies EMPA and Chair of Building Physics at ETHZ, and Prof. Dr. Frédéric Pichelin, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering, Biel.

The position is limited to 3 years. To apply, please send your application in electronic form including a letter of motivation, your CV incl. diploma, and names and contact information of two references to Prof. Dr. Dominique Derome.

Please send your application to

Empa
Prof. Dr. Dominique Derome
Wood Laboratory
Überlandstrasse 129
CH-8600 Dübendorf
[email protected]

www.empa.ch