Are you interested in a career in chemical engineering with focus on heterogenous catalysis and reaction engineering then DTU Chemical Engineering is offering an exciting PhD position on catalytic oligomerization of olefins, a key step in an overall methanol to jet fuel process. The project is in collaboration with the Topsoe A/S company and University of Copenhagen. The project is organized under Innomission II – MissionGreenFuels, which is funded by Innovation Fund Denmark. For more information see: MissionGreenFuels. 

This PhD project will study oligomerization (OLI) of medium olefins (C3 to C6) to jet fuel range olefins (C8 to C16) in a flow reactor using solid acid catalysts. In the full process, the feed olefins will originate from an upstream methanol to olefins (MTO) reactor, and a specific task of this project is to study the integration of the OLI with MTO. E.g. how does the MTO olefin product composition influence the OLI reactions and product composition, and will impurities such as water, methanol and other oxygenates affect the OLI process. Furthermore, an existing OLI reactor setup designed for gas phase reaction must be upgraded to allow both liquid and gas phase operation.

Specific tasks include

• Literature study of OLI process and catalysts
• Upgrading existing equipment to enable liquid phase reactions and sampling
• Identify relevant catalysts to be acquired or synthesized if needed.
• Catalyst characterization by relevant methods to identify structure-activity relationships.
• Lab scale catalytic activity evaluation of different OLI catalysts
• Study of reaction inhibitors such as oxygenate impurities in the feed 
• Kinetic modelling of OLI reactions and inhibition

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree. You must have a background in Chemical Engineering, or similar, with a keen interest in reaction engineering. Knowledge and/or experiences in heterogeneous catalysis and mathematical modelling of reactions and parameter estimation will be an advantage. 

Approval and Enrolment  
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education .

The assessment of the applicants will be made by Assoc. Prof. Martin Høj and Prof. Anker Degn Jensen.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here http://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/working-at-dtu/career-paths.  

Further information  
Further information may be obtained from Assoc. Prof. Martin Høj, mh@kt.dtu.dk , +45 9351 0689.

You can read more about DTU Chemical Engineering at www.kt.dtu.dk/english.  

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU. 

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 1 June 2025 (23:59 Danish time) . Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae 
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.