Job No.: 649933
Location: Clayton campus
Employment Type: Full-time
Duration: 3.5-year fixed-term appointment
Remuneration: $33,000.00 p.a. 3.5 years full-time rate (pro-rata) 2023 rate
Faculty / Portfolio: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Main Supervisor: Professor Mainak Majumder
The Opportunity
Expressions of interest are sought from outstanding candidates for PhD study in Battery Engineering.
PhD Project – Overcoming Cracking in High Capacity Battery Electrodes by Spontaneous Micro-structuring
An exciting opportunity for a PhD student to investigate methods to overcome performance limiting volume changes in lithium sulfur batteries. This work is supported through the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (US AFOSR) grant, and will be co-supervised by Professor Mainak Majumder, Professor Matthew Hill and Dr Mahdokht Shaibani. Working with researchers of the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory, and the ARC Research Hub for Advanced Manufacturing with 2D Materials (AM2D), and collaborators at RMIT, the candidate will conduct research to develop methods to characterise the microstructure of sulfur electrodes fabricated using tailored binders to improve the life-cycle, and capacity of Li-S batteries.
This project will explore how to manipulate the chemistry and morphology of tailored binders to address the numerous challenges of sulfur battery chemistry. A broad range of binders with varying mechanical and structural features will be classified mechanistically and the influence of various physicochemical parameters such as rheology, imposed shear-rate during mixing of components, and interfacial interaction impacting the formation and proliferation of bridging bonds in the electrode architectures will be deciphered. Among the characterisation tools that are anticipated to be required, the candidate will utilise in-operando X-ray Tomography – an approach which can visualize and quantify the origins and evolution of electrochemical and mechanical degradation with 3D spatial, temporal and chemical resolution. A strong background in materials engineering/ chemical engineering is essential. Additional experience in materials characterization is desirable. Interested candidates are requested to apply indicating their interest for this position.
Applicants must show excellent communication and inter-personal skills, and the ability to conduct self-motivated research. They should have research- based Honours or Masters Degree (or equivalent) in the relevant research areas and have a record of publishing their research in mainstream scientific journals.
Note: applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered.
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed, either in-person or virtually. The interviews will be conducted in English.
Candidate Requirements
Applicants will be considered provided that they fulfil the criteria for PhD admission at Monash University and demonstrate excellent research capability. Details of the relevant requirements are available at www. monash.edu/graduate- research/future-students/apply.
Submit an Expression of Interest which shall comprise:
A full statement of academic record, supported by scanned copies of relevant certified documentation
Contact details of two academic referees
Please submit this Expression of Interest (EOI) form docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvRgkuPjjxTZW1T899Zxw2eTtjXNdk474Kt2fqJOeJTPTqg/viewform, preferably in the form of a single PDF attachment.
Enquiries
Professor Mainak Majumder, Lecturer, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, [email protected]
Closing Date
Saturday 15 April 2023, 11:55pm AEST
Supporting a diverse workforce
Email Job
Monash University recognises that its Australian campuses are located on the unceded lands of the people of the Kulin nations, and pays its respects to their elders, past and present.