Job Description
The current opportunity is available for current Manchester Met students, to apply you must be based in the UK for the duration of the role.
The Circular Chemistry Group in the Department of Natural Sciences are working with the UK's only recycler of medium density fibreboard (MDF). MDF is a wood-based product used in interior design (e.g. skirting boards, architraves). It is made from wood fibres bonded together by a polymer binder. Recycling MDF is challenging, but our client has developed a method to recover wood fibre from MDF to feed back into the UK supply chain. The process creates effluent that is discharged to the sewer, however there is concern over toxic chemicals in the process effluent.
The project requires a research assistant to help design experiments to test for volatile organic carbons emanating from water samples under laboratory conditions. Candidates must be existing MMU students, be based in the UK, be studying for a BSc in chemistry, and be able to demonstrate their laboratory skills and how they can be applied to the project. Candidates who apply should present an idea of what toxic chemicals may be produced when MDF is hydrolysed, and provide suggestions on how the team may detect those toxic chemicals.
The project will generate a dataset to allow our client to demonstrate process safety to the Environment Agency and to their water provider. Candidates will be expected to be available to present their data to the client towards the end of the project, and be able to coherently record data in a presentable format, and assist with technical report writing.
Dates: from 27 March 2025 to 31 July 2025
Hours of Work: Flexible (8-16h pw during term time only, more hours available during Spring Break)
Person Specification
This role is only open to current Manchester Met Students who meet the following requirements:
1. Be studying for a BSc or MChem chemistry degree.
2. Provide evidence of extra-curricular work encompassing environmental themes.
3. Be able to demonstrate appropriate laboratory skills (e.g. analytical instrumentation, serial dilution, accurate/precise preparation of solutions).
4. Show awareness of hydrolytic breakdown of polymers and predict products from a given problem.
How to Apply
Please apply via the Apply button, completing the form on the next page. The deadline for applications is 11:59pm on 24 March 2025.
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