Highlights:
- PhD position available on “new catalytic materials for advanced oxidation processes”.
- Over the past few years numerous drugs and their metabolites have been identified in wastewaters, rivers and sediments. One way to reduce the presence of these contaminants in the environment is through the "in-situ" treatment of the wastewater from the plant. The development of new catalytic oxidation technologies for the removal of these compounds at the point of origin is thus highly interesting. The present research project aims at the improvement of the advanced oxidation processes of Fenton and catalytic ozonation for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment by means of the design of new catalytic materials and the in-situ generation of hydrogen peroxide. H2O2 is industrially synthesized through alkyl anthraquinone.
- Recently, due to negative economic and environmental aspects of this process, there has been a strong interest in replacing that with one in which hydrogen peroxide can be produced by direct reaction between H2 and O2 or as in situ in the reaction media. Nevertheless, there are some drawbacks in this process, being the main ones the risk of explosivity of the O2/H2mixture, and the low solubility of the gases in solution. To overcome this problem, in the group of Heterogeneous
- Catalysis we are currently working in the design of catalysts for in-situ generation of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solutions using other sources of hydrogen. We are applying this process in the degradation of organic industrial wastewater pollutants, e.g. phenol, by means of Fenton process
- For the characterisation of materials, different techniques will be used: physisorption (BET area and porosity), chemisorption, XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), TPD (in-situ temperature-programmed desorption), TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), among others. For wastewater characterisation, liquid chromatography will be used, as well as TOC (total organic carbon), COD (chemical oxygen demand), BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), among other techniques.
- Application and candidates:
Candidates should have a bachelor and/or a master degree in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry. Good command of English is required. Experience in experimental work will be evaluated positively.
Interested candidates should send CV and academic expedient (subjects, credits and grade) to Dr. Sandra Contreras (sandra.contreras@urv.cat), together with an expression of interest letter. - The candidate will be enrolled in the doctorate program of the Chemical Engineering department at the University Rovira I Virgili. PhD will be done in the base of a scholarship for the first two years and labour contract for the remaining period (1 or 2 years). Net salary is ca. 1000-1050 euros/month during the first two years.
- About the research group, the University and the PhD program:
The research group CATHETER (Heterogeneous Catalysis) has a wide experience in the design, synthesis and characterization of new catalysts for different environmental and industrial applications, in close collaboration with public administration and private companies. - You can visit our website athttp://www.quimica.urv.es/~w3qi/catheter/
- Additional information about the Universitat Rovira I Virgili can be found at: http://www.urv.cat/en_index.html
- For more information about the PhD program visit http://www.etseq.urv.es/doctorat/web
Closing date 30 May 2010
- Timing:
Please, send the documents before 30 May 2010.
Starting date: September-October 2010
Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili,
