(Chemical) Industrial Partnership Programme ‘Rock-on-a-Chip: Salt-controlled wettability alteration in oil-water-solid systems for applications in enhanced oil recovery’

The recovery of crude oil from geological reservoirs is a complex multiscale process that involves the displacement of oil from microscopic pores in a porous rock matrix by water that is injected into the ground in large quantities. To a large extent, the efficiency of this process is controlled by the relative wettability and adhesion of oil and water on the rock surface. Within this programme, we will elucidate the microscopic mechanisms that govern the interaction between oil, water, dissolved salt and organic and model rock surfaces in a comprehensive program using a combination of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), x-ray diffraction and absorption techniques, optical spectroscopy techniques (Raman, Sum Frequency Generation (SFG)) and macroscopic wettability characterization in combination with combinatorial microfluidic approaches.

Job description

The candidate will perform in situ experiments on the localization and displacement of oil components inside microfluidic channels, under conditions that mimic those of pores in the rock. Topography and surface chemistry of the rock will be designed using nanotechnology. Effects of water flooding on the oil retention are studied with confocal fluorescence and Raman microscopies, and by chemical analysis of effluents.

Location

This position is based at the University of Twente, in the PCF group of Prof. Frieder Mugele. To read more about this PCF Group:
http://www.utwente.nl/tnw/pcf/

Requirements

The successful candidate will have a strong experimental background in physical chemistry and some experience in the areas of microfluidics and confocal/Raman microscopy. Since the research is intimately linked to several other parts of the programme. We are looking for a very good team player. Strong writing and communication skills are also expected.

Conditions of employment

FOM prefers candidates who have qualifying experience (e.g. as PhD student or postdoctoral researcher) in a scientific research institute abroad.
You will be employed by the FOM Foundation for a fixed period of three years (maximum).
Your salary will be up to a maximum of 3,922 euro gross per month, depending on your level of experience.The salary is supplemented with a holiday allowance of 8 percent and an end-of-year bonus of 8.33 percent.
The conditions of employment of the FOM Foundation are laid down in the Collective Labour Agreement for Research Centres (Cao-Onderzoekinstellingen), more exclusive information is available at this website under Personeelsinformatie (in Dutch) or under Personnel (in English).
General information about working at FOM can be found in the English part of this website underPersonnel. The ‘FOM job interview code’ applies to this position.

Contact

For more information, please contact Dr. Michel Duits or Prof. Frieder Mugele.

Website

http://www.utwente.nl/tnw/pcf

Applications

You can respond to this vacancy online via the button below.

Your application contains:
– your motivation letter;
– your cv;
– a list of publiations (if available).

Closing time

31 December 2015.

Please use the online form for applications.

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