EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF AGING OF POLYMERS FOR FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF AGING OF POLYMERS
FOR FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS
KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

Introduction
The Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) invites applications for a Postdoctoral fellow in Mechanical Engineering at the Composite and Heterogeneous Material Analysis and Simulation Laboratory (COHMAS).

We seek a highly motivated candidate who will be involved in a challenging project for the development of flexible electronics. The project is related to the understanding of aging mechanisms of polymeric substrates under mechanical cyclic loading an UV exposure. It includes both an experimental component and a modeling activity. After an in-depth literature review, the work will start by a general activity on epoxy based materials to develop general aging models. We will then focus on specific nano modified substrates for photovoltaic application.

Please contact us for the exact description of the project.

Qualifications
The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or other relevant disciplines and must have several years’ experience and a strong background in experimental solid mechanics for polymeric materials. A strong level in theoretical mechanics, aging modeling is also required.

A high level of self-motivation, professional competence and a good command of oral and written English, PC skills, the ability to work in a team as well as alone, and good organizational skills are essential.

Other duties
The post doctoral fellow will be actively engaged in student mentoring (directed research, master thesis students).

She/He will also be in charge of developing further the facilities of the laboratory in term of in-situ UV aging for polymeric materials.

Appointment
1 year, renewable up to three years by mutual agreement

Benefits
In addition to a competitive salary (no tax is paid in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

The successful candidate will enjoy a generous benefit package including medical/dental insurance, on-campus free housing, K-12 schools, paid airfare (at start and end of contract) and outstanding recreational facilities.

Application Requirements
Interested applicants should visit http://apptrkr.com/240255

The candidate is expected to join by July, 2012. However, applications will continue to be considered until the position is filled.


About KAUST and the COHMAS laboratory
The Composite and Heterogeneous Material Analysis and Simulation Laboratory (COHMAS) is located at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and forms part of the Physical Science and Engineering Division.

COHMAS develops and validates techniques to achieve the better design of composite materials based structures. Our general research activities cover:
• Multiscale damage modeling in composites: micromechanics, mesoscale damage mechanics for structural application, molecular mechanics, homogeneization
• Computational strategies for multimodel problems: gluing techniques between models at different scales
• Inverse problems for the identification of material parameters based on full-fields measurements and computed tomography
• Mechanics of multiscale reinforced composites: nanoreinforced materials, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers
• Aging and degradation of composite structures submitted to severe environmental conditions

Every project we undertake seeks to develop an integrated approach to material analysis including advanced experimental characterization, advanced modeling and simulation.