IAESTE Internships

Location

Switzerland

Internship type

ON-SITE

Reference number

CH-2024-000039

Students Requirements

General discipline

PHYSICS
CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
MATERIAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING

Completed Years of Study

2

Fields of Study

Languages

English Good (B1, B2)

Required Knowledge and Experience

-

Other Requirements

EU/EFTA passport required

Work Details

Duration

12 - 12 Weeks

Within These Dates

01.09.2024 - 20.12.2024

Holidays

NONE

Work Environment

-

Gross pay

2100 CHF / month

Working Hours

42.0 per week / 8.4 per day

Living Lodging

Type of Accommoditation

Employer

Cost of lodging

900 CHF / month

Cost of living

1750 CHF / month

Work Offered

Additional Info

EU/EFTA passport required

Work description

The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI is the largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences within Switzerland. We perform cutting-edge research in the fields of future technologies, energy and climate, health innovation and fundamentals of nature. By performing fundamental and applied research, we work on sustainable solutions for major challenges facing society, science and economy. PSI is committed to the training of future generations. Therefore, about one quarter of our staff are post-docs, post-graduates or apprentices. Altogether, PSI employs 2200 people.Project: Understanding electrolyte-dependent gassing behavior of LMFP as next-generation positive electrode materialContinuous efforts have been practiced on pursuing energy storage systems with high energy density, long lifespan, and low cost. Among them, Li-ion batteries have conquered the portable electronics market and are widely employed for electric transportation. As the demand for low-budget electric vehicles with long cruising ranges is increasing, the energy density of the current state-of-the-art electrode material LiFePO4 (LFP), advantageous from an environmental and economical point of view, no longer satisfies the needs. An alternative olivine cathode material, LiMnPO4 (LMP), shares the same theoretical capacity as LFP and comes with the benefit of a higher operational voltage of 4.1 V, resulting in a 21% increase in energy density. However, due to the material’s low conductivity and structural instability, LiMnPO4 suffers from low capacity retention. The combination of LFP and LMP, a solid solution called LiMnxFe1-xPO4 (LMFP), has therefore attracted global interest in the industry and in academia. Your project involves the assembly of cells with pre-made LMFP electrodes followed by electrochemical characterization and contributes to our effort of elucidating the electrolyte-dependent gassing behavior of LMFP cells, a critical input for durability and safety considerations.

Deadline

18.05.2024