PhD Studentships: Controlling Clathrate Hydrate Formation in Energy Transportation and Storage

Applications are invited for two fully-funded PhD studentships at the Colorado School of Mines, Center for Hydrate Research in the Chemical Engineering Department. The Center for Hydrate Research is a global leader in the field of gas hydrates, with a funding level in excess of $1.3 million per year. The Center houses an industrial consortium composed of ten major energy companies, and leads several national and international collaborative programs. The Chemical Engineering Department and Center for Hydrate Research also have close links with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, CO, and the US Geological Survey (USGS) in Golden, CO.

The first Ph.D. project is in the area of gas hydrates in flow assurance, where gas hydrate formation must be controlled to maintain transport of energy through subsea gas and oil flowlines.

The second Ph.D. project is in the area of hydrogen storage in clathrate materials. The research will focus on the synthesis and characterization of molecular hydrogen clathrate materials. Characterization tools include Raman and NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray and neutron diffraction.

Qualifications: Applicants must have a degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, or a related field.

How to Apply: Applicants must send a curriculum vita, and names and addresses of three professional references to: Professor E. Dendy Sloan or Professor C.A. Koh at esloan@mines.edu or ckoh@mines.edu.