Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) currently has two Post-Bachelor’s Research Associate positions available for a chemist or engineer with expertise in polymer chemistry, mechanical engineering and/or thin film coating technologies. The Post-Bachelor’s Research Associate will assist in developing novel multi-layered self-healing barrier films for vacuum insulation panels. The Research Associate will work on synthesis and characterization of self-healing materials and formulation for fabrication, development of prototypes film samples using ORNL's coating facilities and testing the prototype self-healing samples via various experimental and analytical methods. The project is highly collaborative and takes advantage of multiple areas of expertise and facilities at ORNL.

Major Duties/Responsibilities

• Synthesize and perform reaction kinetic studies of self-healing chemicals with and without additives
• Develop viscosity-optimized slurries of self-healing chemicals to create coatings for films
• Develop prototype film samples containing thin coatings of self-healing chemicals
• Test coating quality using optical or microscopic techniques
• Develop and test film samples in a custom vacuum pump apparatus to verify their self-healing capability
• Responsible for presenting and reporting research results in a timely manner
• Assist in publishing scientific results in peer-reviewed journals
• Ensure compliance with environment, safety, health and quality program requirements
• Maintain strong commitment to the implementation and perpetuation of values and ethics

The candidate should have a bachelor's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, material science, polymer science, mechanical engineering or related-field. The candidate must possess demonstrated experience and expertise in polymer chemistry or related area. Excellent oral and written communication skills are desired. The abilities to work independently and participate in a collaborative team effort are required. The ability to work on multiple tasks in a limited amount of time and to independently set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks to meet deadlines is required.

The ORNL Post-Bachelor’s Research Associates Program is administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE).

• Degree: Bachelor's Degree.
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (1 )
  • Engineering (3 )