30 hp - Towards Circular Thermal Managment: Investigating Aluminium Leaching and Precipitation

Introduction:
Thesis work is an excellent way to get closer to Traton and build relationships for the future. Many of today's employees began their careers  with their degree project.

Background:
Thermal management plays a crucial role  in emerging technologies like BEV and fuel cells. To make these technologies more sustainable, one would like to have the thermal management system more circular. One of the hurdles in the design of thermal management systems is the leaching of aluminium oxide, which can lead  to the precipitation of aluminium sludge and malfunction of the component. Today, we don’t have performance tests to judge if we can reuse the components or not. We thus would like to study aluminium leaching and precipitation to design such performance tests. However, several questions remain: how should we study this phenomena , and what equipment do we need? Do we already have suitable equipment? This is where your contribution comes in. We are looking for a pre-study to explore these questions, assess available equipment, and establish a foundation for future experimental testing.

Objective:
Perform a literature study to find  methods for performing aluminum leaching and precipitation experiments. Evaluate by experiments if existing  lab equipment  is suitable for performing these tests. Provide a recommendation of appropriate equipment  and define key parameters to study during the experiments.

Job description:
This is an innovative work involving both practical and theoretical challenges. Currently, we don’t know today how we best should study aluminium leaching and precipitation. The goal is to first gain a solid understanding of underlying chemistry to identify which parameters are most relevant, both from a chemical and circular perspective. Once these parameters are define , the next step is to identify suitable experimental equipment and determine what to monitor during the experiment. Existing lab equipment to better understand what is feasible and define what measurements are necessary during and after the experiments.

Education:
This thesis project combines hands-on testing with analytical problem-solving. We are thus seeking a person who thrives in the laboratory, likes practical and intellectual challenges.

Education: M. Sc. student in Chemical Engineering or Engineering Physics.

Number of students: 1
Time: 20 weeks, full time 40 hours per week
Start: January 2026
Credits: 30hp

Contact persons and supervisors:
Henrik Hittig, Expert engineer, Materials Technology Chemistry, TRATON SE/AB+46 8 553 805 27, Henrik.Hittig@Scania.com 
Ragna Elger, Group Manager, Materials Technology Chemistry, TRATON SE/AB, 

Application:
Your application must include a CV, personal letter, and transcript of grades.

A background check might be conducted for this position. We are conducting interviews continuously and may close the recruitment earlier than the date specified.    

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