Sustainable Industries and Production

Mining activities generate valuable commodities but unavoidably a large amount of mining waste such as tailings. A particular challenge in management of Tailing Storage Facilities (TSF) is related to Arctic climate conditions, implying numerous cycles of freezing and melting and extreme low temperatures. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and imaging methods offer versatile tools for analysis of hydrogeological parameters of tailings materials, such as pore fluid distributions and structures, and chemical reactions under variable temperature conditions. The doctoral researcher's research topic is the study of TSFs components using advanced NMR methods in terms of water content, pore space connectivity and chemical treatments under laboratory conditions corresponding to changing climate and extreme weather in the Arctic region.

Related I4WORLD research theme: Sustainable Industries and Production

Location of the position: NMR Research Unit

Researcher: Hamed Derakhshandeh

Supervisors: Associate professor Vladimir Zhivonitko (NMR), Prof. Ville-Veikko Telkki (NMR), Prof. Saija Luukkanen (Oulu Mining School OMS), Prof. Elena Kozlovskaya (OMS)

Partners: Agnico Eagle Finland

Portland cement is the most appropriate material for construction and infrastructure projects. However, Portland cement production produces high amount of CO2 emissions, and thus is not sustainable material when considering global warning and climate change. Cementitious binders based on steel slag presents a promising alternative to Portland cement. When steel slag is in contact with solution such as Na2SiO3, NaOH, KOH, etc. or when blending it with Portland cement or BFS it can react and to form cementitious binder. Unfortunately, steel slags have generally low reactivity in this context, and thus new methods to improve their reactivity are needed. In this project, I will investigate and modify the surface properties of steel slags in order to improve their reactivity. The samples will be characterized, for example, by X-CT (X-ray computed tomography), BSE-SEM, rheology, leaching test, mechanical strength, resistance to abrasion, TGA, Infrared spectra, XRF, XRD, and synchrotron techniques.

Related I4WORLD research theme: Sustainable Industries and Production

Location of the position: Fibre and Particle Engineering (FPE)

Researcher: Julson Tchio

Supervisors: Associate professor Juho Yliniemi (FPE), Dr. Elijah Adesanya (FPE), Lecturer Brant Walkley (University of Sheffield)

Partners: University of Sheffield (UK) and Magsort Ltd. (Finland)

The chemical industry is in a green transition: synthetic, harmful biocide products, such as those used in antibacterial and antiviral products, need to be replaced with biobased ones. These can be extracted from e.g., forestry side streams using environmentally benign processes, and then applied into functional products. The doctoral researcher will study the in-situ extraction process kinetics by monochromatic beam and phase-contrast imaging: how the biomass cellular structures affect the extraction efficacy and solvent-structure -interplay. Characterization and analysis of the obtained compound will be performed by using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomography. The aim is to understand the structure -extraction relationship which could lead to more effective and efficient extraction processes.

Related I4WORLD themes: Sustainable industries and production, Good Health and Wellbeing

Location of position: Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit (NANOMO)

Researcher: Rachana Yadav

Supervisors: Senior Research Fellow Samuli Urpelainen (NANOMO), Doc. Tuula Jyske (Natural Resources Institute Finland and University of Helsinki)

Partners: Natural Resources Institute Finland, University of Helsinki, MAX IV Laboratory (Sweden)

Related I4WORLD research theme: Sustainable Industries and Production

Location of the position: Fibre and Particle Engineering (FPE)

Researcher: Milad Eskandarinia

Supervisors: Associate professor Juho Yliniemi (FPE), Dr. Elijah Adesanya (FPE), Lecturer Brant Walkley (the University of Sheffield)

Partners: University of Sheffield (UK) and Magsort Ltd. (Finland)

Lignocellulosic side streams of wood and cellulose processing are the key renewable resources for the emerging circular economy to create sustainable industrial materials for various purposes such as packaging, textiles, composites and electronics. For this purpose, green modifications such as deep eutectic solvents can be used for swelling, activation, dissolution, functionalization and disintegration of lignocelluloses to obtain regenerated, derivatized, bulk solid and nano materials. This doctoral thesis project focuses on understanding the interactions and dynamic phenomena of green solvents and chemicals in lignocellulose modification, and the induced changes in chemical and physical structure of lignocelluloses using advanced NMR techniques.

Related I4WORLD research theme: Sustainable Industries and Production

Location of the position: NMR Research unit

Researcher: Mohan Rangaswamy

Supervisors: Professor Henrikki Liimatainen (Fiber and Particle Engineering FPE), Prof. Ville-Veikko Telkki (NMR), Dr. Otto Mankinen (NMR), Dr. Milja Hannu-Kuure (Brightplus Oy) and Johnny Pehkonen (Brightplus Oy)

Partners: Brightplus Oy (Finland)

Muography is an emerging method for non-destructive imaging of large-scale object interiors (e.g., volcanos, pyramids, mines, tunnels) using the natural flux of muons produced by galactic cosmic rays in the atmosphere. The project is aimed to develop the tool further after the proof-of-concept stage has already demonstrated the power of muography. The project focuses on building a software tool to simulate muon imaging of various objects. Such a tool is needed for further development of the inversion methods that the muography community needs to reconstruct the physical properties of observed objects and assess requirements for the planned muography measurements, e.g., optimal exposure times and angular resolutions. The project will include modelling and practical and theoretical efforts.

Related I4WORLD research theme: Sustainable Industries and Production

Location of the position: Oulu Mining School (OMS)

Researcher: Daria Gracheva

Supervisors: Professor Elena Kozlovskaya (OMS), Senior Researcher Stepan Poluianov (Space Physics and Astronomy), Dr. Timo Enqvist (Muon Solutions Oy)

Partner: Muon Solutions Oy (Finland)

Super sulphated cement (SSC) is mainly produced from industrial side streams with ettringite being the predominant hydration product. In general, SSC is made of slag (75-85%), a sulfate source e.g. gypsum (10-20%) and calcium-based activator (1-5%). Instead of gypsum, sulfidic tailings can be used to make similar composition with two advantages: using tailings as a high-value material and stabilizing tailing heavy metals within this binder. SSC is well known for its sulphate resistance but poor carbonation properties. Drawbacks include low early age strength and slow hardening. The doctoral thesis focuses on employing the full potential of sulfidic tailings as a secondary raw material for SSC, improving SSC’s early age properties through pretreatments and additives, and characterizing the reaction products with advanced spectromicroscopic methods.

Related I4WORLD research theme: Sustainable Industries and Production

Location of the position: Fibre and Particle Engineering (FPE)

Researcher: Nikhil Rathod

Supervisors:Senior Research Fellow Priyadharshini Perumal (FPE), Assoc. prof. Minna Patanen (Nano and Molecular Systems), Mr. Markus Piekkari (Agnico Eagle) and Dr. Rainer Dähn (Paul Scherrer Institut)

Partner: Agnico Eagle (Finland) and Paul Scherrer Institut (Switzerland)

Cement, the binder in concrete, is one of the main anthropogenic CO2 emission sources. Some of the potential alternative cements with extremely low CO2 emissions is based on magnesia (MgO). The PhD project will concentrate on developing novel magnesium-based binders, aiming to get improved understanding of the fundamentals of reaction kinetics of the binders, and how they can be controlled. Among others, the doctoral student will concentrate on observing the early-stage hydration reaction kinetics with a focus on how to improve the rate of reaction and its link to the mechanical properties and the long-term durability. In-situ characterization tools include time-gated Raman spectroscopy, ATR-FTIR, and liquid state NMR.

Related I4WORLD research theme: Sustainable Industries and Production

Location of the position: Fibre and Particle Engineering (FPE)

Researcher: Mina Esmailzade Anzabi

Supervisors: Professor Päivö Kinnunen (FPE), Dr. Hoang Ngyen (FPE), Dr. Ellina Bernard (EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology)

Partner: EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Switzerland)

Magnesium silicate mineralization has become an attractive way to capture CO2 from industrial processes to be stored in magnesium carbonate minerals. The utilization of the generated minerals is an important need, and they have shown promise in substituting CO2-heavy cement in concrete. To enable such carbon utilization and storage in concrete, the doctoral researcher will seek to understand and steer the formation pathways and chemical reactions within cements by advanced characterization tools and thermodynamic modeling. Phenomenon-driven modelling is enabled by suite of characterization methods including x-ray spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and in-situ characterization tools.

Related I4WORLD theme: Sustainable Industries and production

Location of position: Fibre and Particle Engineering (FPE)

Researcher: Shreenandan Sahoo

Supervisors: Professor Päivö Kinnunen (FPE), Dr. Hoang Nguyen (FPE), Prof. Barbara Lothenbach (EMPA)

Partners: EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology), Switzerland

Activation of small molecules like CO2 and NxOy (greenhouse gases), H2 (energy vector), N2 (environmental), O2 (ideal oxidant) and NH3 (agricultural) for incorporation into value-added chemical compounds e.g., pharmaceuticals and building blocks can be achieved with earth-abundant transition metals, if harnessed by an appropriate molecular scaffold and assisted by photo-excitation. The doctoral researcher’s research topic is the synthesis of novel 3d metal-based catalysts, characterization by (photophysical) spectroscopic methods and evaluation of their catalytic performance in visible light promoted organic reactions. The aim of the research is to deliver sustainable photocatalyic synthetic tools that activate these environmentally relevant gases for industrial transformations.

Related I4WORLD research theme: Sustainable Industries and Production

Location of the position: Environmental and Chemical Engineering (ECE)

Researcher: Rizwana Ajamavad

Supervisors: Professor Daniela Bezuidenhout (ECE), Dr. Aino Karhu (ECE) and Dr. Gregorio Guisado-Barrios (ISQCH, University of Zaragoza)

Partner: Instituto de Sίntesis Quίmica y Catálisis Homogénea (ISQCH), University of Zaragoza-CSIC (Spain)