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

Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. 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 primary factor for CO2 emission accounting for 7-8% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Utilization of steel slag (SS), which is a metallurgical by-product generated during the steel-making process, as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in concrete along with cement is one of the primary paths to alleviate this situation. However, the application of SS has been hindered because of its low hydration activity. The reactivity of SS will be enhanced through surface modification methods, namely, reconstruction, and mechanical and chemical modification. After modification, the structural transition of SS will be investigated by particle size distribution and surface area measurements, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy images. In addition, advanced synchrotron-based characterization methods will be used to analyze the surface properties of SS before and after the modification. As well as this, the influence of the incorporation of surface-modified SS (SMSS) as an SCM on the engineering properties of concrete will be assessed by investigating the hydration heat, setting time, workability, compressive strength, and microstructure. The potential risks of modification of SS such as heavy metals’ leaching and CO2 emission will be also evaluated. Finally, the weight grey Taguchi method as a multi-response optimization technique will be employed to determine the optimum modification conditions.

Related I4WORLD research theme: Sustainable Industries and Production

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

Supervisors: Prof. Mirja Illikainen (FPE), Assist. Prof. Juho Yliniemi (FPE)

Partners:

Portland cement is the most appropriate material for construction and infrastructure projects. However, Portland cement production produces high amount of CO 2 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 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 tomograph y), 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)

Supervisors: Prof. Mirja Illikainen (FPE), Assist. Prof. Juho Yliniemi (FPE)

Partners:

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)

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

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

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

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

Supervisors: Prof. Elena Kozlovskaya (OMS), Doc. Stepan Poluianov (Space Physics and Astronomy), Doc. Pasi Kuusiniemi (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)

Supervisors: Prof. Mirja Illikainen (FPE), Dr. Priyadharshini Perumal (FPE), Dr. Theodore Hanein (The University of Sheffield, UK), Assoc. prof. Minna Patanen (Nano and Molecular Systems) and Mr. Markus Piekkari (Agnico Eagle)

Partner: The University of Sheffield (UK) and Agnico Eagle (Finland)

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)

Supervisors: Assoc. prof. Päivö Kinnunen (FPE) Hoang Ngyen (FPE), Ellina Bernard (EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) and Bryan Heilala (Timegate Instruments)

Partner: Timegate Instruments ltd. (Finland)

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)

Supervisors: Assoc. prof. Paivo Kinnunen (FPE), Dr. Hoang Nguyen (FPE), Professor Barbara Lothenbach (EMPA)

Partners: Cement Chemistry and Thermodynamics group at EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology).