PhD topic of project B4: Investigation of precipitation and crystallization processes in phosphorus recovery using experimental and numerical methods
The description of the kinetics of precipitation and crystallization processes for phosphorus recovery from wastewater is essential to understand the influence of key process parameters such as temperature, flocculant concentration, and flow field.
This PhD project focuses on the crystallization and precipitation processes of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) from wastewater. The experimental investigation will be performed by kinetic measurements in both lab-scale and pilot-scale crystallizers. The study will address the fundamental microprocesses of crystal growth, breakage, and attrition, which will be analyzed using single-particle experiments and simulated through the Discrete Element Method (DEM) coupled with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
The core scientific tasks of this PhD will be:
- Determination of material functions required to describe crystallization mechanisms
- Measurement of crystallization kinetics using a self-developed online extension sensor
- CFD-DEM simulations of fluid and particle dynamics
- Physical description and parametrization of PBM kernels within multiscale modeling
- Design of the pilot-scale setup and validation of the model
Requirements for applicants:
- Excellent Master degree (M.Sc.) or equivalent in process engineering or physics
- Experience relating to crystallization, particle measurement techniques, and DEM-CFD/PBM simulation is beneficial though not essential
- Proficient in the English language and willingness to learn German (for non-German speaking persons)
You can send your application for this PhD topic to: sergiy.antonyuk[at]mv.rptu.de
Application:
Please send by 31.01.2026 complete application documents:
- Letter of motivation that prioritizes one of the PhD topics of WERA
- Curriculum Vitae
- Copy of your degree certificate (Bachelor, Master or equivalent) with full academic transcripts
directly to the supervisors of PhD topics (contact see rptu.de/wera/team). You can contact the spokesperson Prof. Sergiy Antonyuk (sergiy.antonyuk[at]mv.rptu.de) for general questions about PhD Graduate School.
Prerequisite for the PhD position is an Master’s degree (or equivalent) in engineering, chemistry or physics.
About RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau:
The RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau is the technical university of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate with over 20,000 students, more than 300 professors and around 160 degree programmes. As a place of top-level international research, it offers excellent working conditions and career opportunities. Those who study, research or work at RPTU experience a welcoming and globally-oriented environment and shape the future.
The PhD Graduate School GRK 2908 is supported financially by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with funds from the German states and the federal government of Germany.
