At PowerCell Group, we are decarbonizing industries. We design, develop and manufacture hydrogen electric fuel cells and systems for aviation, propulsion, stationary, and marine applications. Our fuel cell systems have unparalleled power density, and the only emissions are water and heat. At our headquarters, located in Gothenburg, more than 150 employees work hard to deliver zero-emission solutions to customers around the world. We are growing fast and are always looking for new colleagues to add to our innovative, friendly, and ambitious culture.

We are now looking for a master student in materials chemistry, chemical engineering or similar, for a 30 academic credit project to support us in the development process of our fuel cell catalyst evaluation capabilities at our development laboratory in Gothenburg.

Background:

In the fuel cell the catalysts play an essential role for performance and durability, why the selection of catalysts is important. In this context we are developing fundamental catalyst characterization tools. An appropriate method is the rotating disk electrode (RDE), which is a well-known and effective technique to analyze and compare the activity and durability of electrocatalysts in lab scale without the influence of other components. Currently, we are developing a test method for studying the activity for oxygen reduction (ORR), i.e. the cathode reaction. A catalyst ink is prepared and coated on an RDE electrode, before it is tested in an electrochemical cell. The requirements on coating quality need to be well understood, in order to achieve reliable and reproducible experimental results.

Main tasks:

• Investigate the influence of catalyst ink recipe and coating procedure on electrochemical test results for ORR activity. A set of experiments will be planned based on a literature study.
• When a good coating quality is achieved, the specific activity and Tafel slope are determined. As a continuation, a study of the influence of temperature on the ORR activity and the exchange current density can be included in the project.

Required qualifications:

• Lab work experience and high safety awareness.
• Self-driven, motivated personality, with a strong problem-solving approach
• Fluent in English, both oral and written.

We offer you the opportunity to join the journey with us to deliver true zero emission to our customers, partners, and the world. You will work with highly skilled and devoted people; cutting-edge tech and you will be able to have an impact on the work and on the organization. PowerCell is a fast-moving company, fast growing and we have fun doing what we do. Come join us!

Read more about us at https://careers.powercellgroup.com/