PhD Candidate in Sustainable Metallurgy: Slag Design & Refractories

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Industrial Engineering and Management

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Materials Science Engineering

A project funded by Sweden Vinnova "Refractory Life Extension and Fluorspar Elimination in the AOD Process" (REFLAOD) aims at eliminating the use of fluorspar during stainless steel production thereby enhancing material resilience, prolonging the refractory lifetime, and facilitating higher recycling rates of the stainless steelmaking slags. The PhD candidate will collaborate closely with industry experts to develop a fluorspar-free AOD process, balancing different aspects such as steel quality, refractory wear, and raw material costs. The PhD candidate will make use of thermodynamic tools (e.g. Thermo-Calc) for process design and conduct high-temperature experiments to verify the calculations. The position offers a holistic learning experience in making highly impactful research and also in steering process development, which will foster skills necessary to pursue both an academic and an industrial career after graduation.

Supervision: Dr. Mikael Ersson is proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master’s degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge.
• A master’s degree in metallurgical science, mechanical engineering or equivalent in a relevant field.
• In-depth knowledge in steel metallurgy, particularly in relation to stainless steel production and slag engineering.

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyze and work with complex issues,
• experience with thermodynamic and process kinetics,
• proficiency in English, as the language is used in daily work.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years’ time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

As a doctoral student, you are entitled to a workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement . Read more about Doctoral studies (PhD) Sweden .

Union representatives

Contact information for  union representatives.

Doctoral Students’network (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact information for  doctoral section .

To apply for the position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH’s recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above) . Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.Copies of originals must be certified .
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process.

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant’s consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

 

 

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Type of employment

Temporary position

Contract type

Full time

Full-time equivalent

100%

First day of employment

According to agreement

Salary

Monthly salary according to KTH’s doctoral student salary agreement

Number of positions

1

Location

Stockholm

County

Stockholms län

Country

Sweden

Reference number

PA-2026-0301

Published

12.Feb.2026

Last application date

26.Mar.2026

Contact

Mikael Ersson
bergsmankth.se