About this position

Olefins, such as ethylene, propylene, butylene, etc, are important building blocks in the chemical and polymer industry. Olefin oligomerization is one of the most promising ways to produce Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other renewable chemicals in the future. Conventionally, olefins are produced using fossil fuels as starting materials, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, several sustainable and cleaner methods to produce olefins have emerged, among which Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies offer opportunities to recover emitted carbon dioxide (CO2) and integrate it into carbon value chains. When combined with CO2 derived from direct air capture and renewable hydrogen, the olefins produced are termed carbon–neutral. ​​​​​​​ CO2 conversion to olefins faces significant challenges due to its stable nature, high energy barrier for C-C bond formation, poor catalytic activity and selectivity, and the need for green hydrogen, an expensive reactant. At TNO, we are working on developing innovative catalysts, reactor technologies, and intensified processes for efficient CO2 conversion to high-value products.

What will be your role?

You will be part of the CO2 Conversion and Separation team (CON-SEPT) located at TNO Petten in North Holland. You have the flexibility to choose how you want to contribute to the challenging topic of CO2 conversion to Olefins. You can work in the lab and support the development of multifunctional catalysts, perform experiments for kinetic studies, and test innovative solutions to improve product yield and selectivity.

You also have the opportunity to dive into reactor modelling, process simulation, and optimization to improve process efficiency. If you have an interest in machine learning and data analysis you can explore the applications of physics-informed neural network models for example.
The student can work towards an internship or a thesis project.

What we expect from you

What you'll get in return

You want an internship opportunity on the precursor of your career; an internship gives you an opportunity to take a good look at your prospective future employer. TNO goes a step further. It’s not just looking that interests us; you and your knowledge are essential to our innovation. That’s why we attach a great deal of value to your personal and professional development. You will, of course, be properly supervised during your work placement and be given the scope for you to get the best out of yourself. Furthermore, we provide: