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 Home and Personal Care, Nouryon Stenungsund, spring or fall 2027
EO-Free Surfactants: Characterization, and Implementation in Home and Personal Care Formulations
We currently have an opening for a Master's thesis project focused on the study of EO-free (ethylene oxide-free) surfactants and their implementation in Home and Personal Care formulations.
The use of EO-free surfactants is growing across a wide range of industries, including personal care, home care, industrial cleaning, paints and coatings, and agrochemicals. This trend is driven by several factors, including increasing regulatory and environmental requirements, sustainability goals, the use of renewable raw materials, and improved potential for eco-label compliance.
The objective of this thesis project is to characterize bio-based, EO-free surfactants and evaluate their performance in representative home and personal care applications.
The project combines experimental formulation development with physicochemical characterization and performance evaluation, providing the student with broad exposure to formulation science, surfactant technology, and analytical chemistry.
Expected Contributions
- Characterization of the surface properties of bio-based, EO-free surfactants. The properties to be evaluated include critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension, contact angle, wetting, foaming, characteristic curvature (HLD theory), emulsification and solubility.
- Evaluation of bio-based, EO-free surfactants in hard-surface cleaning formulations.
- Evaluation of bio-based, EO-free surfactants in hair care and/or skin care formulations
Supervisors: Dr Natalija Smolko Schwarzmayr, Senior Scientist, R&D HPC, Nouryon
Contact: natalija.smolkoschwarzmayr@nouryon.com
Location: The work will be carried out primarily in Nouryon’s Surface Chemistry, Home Care, and Personal Care laboratories in Stenungsund. The project is part of the ongoing collaboration between Nouryon and Chalmers University of Technology.
Preferred time period: spring or fall 2027 (~20 weeks)
Great if you have
- Basics in Organic chemistry
- Basics in Surface chemistry
- 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.
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Contact
If you have any questions about the process or your application, or need assistance, please contact Recruiting.SE@Nouryon.com.
