At Nouryon, our global team takes positive action every day to reach higher collectively and individually. We create innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers to answer society’s needs – today and in the future.
About the Thesis project
MSc thesis (30 p, 20 weeks) at Agriculture & Food, Nouryon Stenungsund, spring 2027
Master's Thesis: Controlling the Spray Behavior of Liquids from Agricultural Drone Nozzles with Surfactants and Polymers
Background Spraying crops with drones is one of the fastest-growing trends in modern agriculture. Agricultural drones are shifting to a new type of nozzle, the rotary disc atomizer. It breaks liquid into droplets at spinning. This is very different from conventional hydraulic nozzles, and we still know little about how spray liquids behave in it. Droplet size, drift and tank-mix compatibility all depend on the fluid's surface and flow properties. Surfactants and polymers could be used to tune these properties.
The project You will study how liquids behave when they are atomized by a rotary disc nozzle, and how this behavior can be changed with surfactants and polymers. You will:
- Set up lab-scale methods to characterize formulations, for example shear and extensional rheology, dynamic surface tension and droplet size distribution.
- Use high-speed camera to capture droplet formation and analyze with image analysis system
- Study how selected surfactants and drift-reducing polymers affect the liquid's behavior and the resulting spray.
- Link fluid properties to atomization performance, to understand which properties matter for drift control.
The project is a collaboration between Chalmers University of Technology and Nouryon. You will be supervised by Dr. Marko Bek, Dr. Ases Mishra and Prof. Roland Kádár, and Dr. Ruifei Wang with access to rheology and fluid mechanics expertise and to Nouryon's surfactant and polymer chemistry. The work could help shape future agricultural spray practices using drones.
Supervisors: Dr. Ruifei Wang, Nouryon
Contact: ruifei.wang@nouryon.com
Location: The work will be carried out primarily Nouryon's site in Stenungsund. The project is part of the ongoing collaboration between Nouryon and Chalmers University of Technology.
Preferred time period: spring 2027 (~20 weeks)
Great if you have
- A Master’s-level background in chemical engineering, materials science, applied mechanics, physics or a related field.
- An interest in rheology, fluid mechanics, colloid and surface chemistry.
- An interest in hands-on laboratory work and an independent, curious approach.
- An ongoing MSc education at Chalmers University of Technology (preferred)
We offer you
At Nouryon, we value the contributions of students undertaking their Master Thesis with us and offer the following compensation based on the scope of their projects:
To receive compensation, the following steps must be fulfilled:
Insurance: If you are studying at a foreign institution, confirm that you are insured through your university or college.
Thesis included in your education: The thesis must be an integral part of your academic program to qualify for compensation.
Coordination Number: Obtain a coordination number from the Swedish Tax Agency to receive payment. Payments can only be made to Swedish bank accounts.
Good to know
Please apply via our online recruitment system with an updated CV. We take care of your personal data (GDPR), so we do not accept applications via email as these will be ignored. Also, please respond carefully to the selection questions so that we can assist you in the best possible way.
The ad will be posted during the fall and will be removed as soon as we have found the final candidate.
As part of our selection process, the final candidate will undergo a background check before being offered the thesis project. Further information will be provided at a later stage of the process.
About Nouryon
If you’re looking for your next career move, apply today and join Nouryon’s worldwide team in providing essential solutions that our customers use to manufacture everyday products such as personal care, cleaning, paints and coatings, agriculture and food, pharmaceuticals, and building products. Our employees are driven by the wish to make an impact and actively drive positive change. If that describes you, we will gladly make way for your ambitions. From day one we support you with your personal growth, through challenging positions and comprehensive learning and development opportunities, in a dynamic, international, diverse, and proactive working environment.
Visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn
Contact
If you have any questions about the process or your application, or need assistance, please contact Recruiting.SE@Nouryon.com.
