Research Associate in Developing Thermomechanophores for Mechanical Recycling of Polymers
2 days ago
The Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub works at the interface between the Sustainable Futures research platform at the University of Manchester and the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s national lab for advanced materials. The Hub supports innovation in sustainable plastics and multi-materials, with a particular emphasis on tackling industrially relevant research questions. The team is necessarily interdisciplinary, with polymer scientists working with economists, social scientists and life-cycle experts to co-create robust solutions to managing plastic from creation to end-of-life.
We are recruiting an enthusiastic and collaborative post-doctoral research associate to join our team to work on a disruptive new project developing thermos-mechanically responsive polymer additives for mechanical recycling. Although it is one of the most sustainable solutions for end-of-life processing of plastics, mechanical recycling can suffer the drawback of producing recyclate with inferior mechanical, optical and thermal properties when compared to virgin plastic. This role will involve developing novel synthetic routes to embed thermally sensitive mechanophores into commodity polymers to investigate and improve the degradation induced during mechanical recycling. Understanding and controlling such degradation processes will be key to improving the quality of mechanically recycled products.
The project is a new collaboration between Dr Niamh Fox and Prof. Mike Shaver, with this role complementing an incoming PhD student to further strengthen the project. Mike is Director of both the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub and the Sustainable Futures research platform while Niamh leads research focused on the scalability of polymer mechanochemistry into real-world processes. Our space supports diverse research impact in polymer synthesis, functional materials, degradable multi-materials, chemical and mechanical recycling and waste management to deliver holistic solutions to retain plastics in their highest value condition and realise social, economic and environmental sustainability.
What you will get in return:
- Fantastic market leading Pension scheme
- Excellent employee health and wellbeing services including an Employee Assistance Programme
- Exceptional starting annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays
- Additional paid closure over the Christmas period
- Local and national discounts at a range of major retailers
As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.
Our University is positive about flexible working you can find out more here
Hybrid working arrangements may be considered.
- Any CV’s submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift._
**Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews**:
Name: Prof. Michael Shaver - Director of Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub
Name: Dr. Niamh Fox - Lecturer in Polymer Chemistry
**General enquiries**:
**Technical support**:
**Please see the link below for the Further Particulars document which contains the person specification criteria.
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Manchester, United Kingdom The University of Manchester Full timeThe Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub works at the interface between the Sustainable Futures research platform at the University of Manchester and the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s national lab for advanced materials. The Hub supports innovation in sustainable plastics and multi-materials, with a particular emphasis on tackling industrially relevant...
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