Research Associate

Location: South Kensington Campus

In collaboration with EPSRC, Imperial and the world’s leading Chemical Engineering Company, we are seeking a Research Associate to join the Innovative Continuous Manufacturing of Industrial Chemicals (IConIC) consortium.  The main aim of this Prosperity Partnership is to translate the UK’s scientific leadership in Flow Chemistry into industrial leadership and commercial value; to realise a step change in the implementation of continuous flow processing for the manufacture of high-value chemicals. 

The global chemicals industry currently embeds ~450 MT of carbon (C) in its products (the majority from fossil feedstocks) compared to ~37 GT C emitted worldwide as CO₂. Captured CO₂ can be split into CO and O₂ using electrically-driven plasmas, which are well-suited to the intermittent availability of renewable energy (e.g. wind and solar). In this project you will investigate experimentally the production of high purity CO by the dissociation of CO₂ (with realistic impurities) in a microwave-assisted plasma, focusing on reaction engineering, process safety, and the challenging separation of O₂ from CO.

The successful candidate will:

• Hold a PhD in Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline, or equivalent research or industrial experience
• Experience in working with collaborators
• Experience in designing and construction of experimental apparatus for your own research, relevant to gas separation and the handling of flammable/toxic gases
• Experience in preparation and analysis of mass and energy balances, and the calculation of process efficiency
• Broad knowledge of chemical engineering
• Working in plasma-based processes would be desirable

What we can offer you:

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution
• Work with Industry partners and build on collaboration skills
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year)
• 10 training days available

Further Information

The post is for 24 months with the possibility of an extension.

If you require any further details on the role please contact:

Bhavna Patel – iconic-pp@imperial.ac.uk

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk. We're here to help.

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