The water treatment sector produces tons of waste containing high amounts of metals, which ends up being disposed of without valorised routes. Water boards are therefore looking for efficient waste management solutions by encouraging resource recovery. What if it was possible to reduce the metal consumption in this industry?

Electrowinning is a method used in industries to obtain valuable metals such as copper, aluminium, and zinc in their refined form. However, the complexity of the waste streams from the water treatment sector hinders the application of the electrochemical processes. Therefore, more studies need to be carried. Are you ready to help with this?

Your goal 

The goal of this internship is to define the optimal conditions for the electrowinning process of metallic cations. The assignment will comprise both a literature review and laboratory experiments. The combination of both will allow you to discover the different electrochemical mechanisms that lead to metal removal/recovery from water treatment subproducts.

Based on the literature review and your laboratory experiments you will propose which operational conditions promote an efficient metal recovery. Finally, an estimation of the operational costs will be made based on the experimental data. This allows you to compare electrowinning to other technologies and define its feasibility.

Who are you?

• Enrolled in a Dutch MSc Electrochemistry, Chemical or Environmental Engineering study.
• Available for an internship for a minimal period of 4 months.  
• Flexible and independent.
• Curious and analytical.
• Professional command of the English language in words and writing. 

Working for us means

• An internship allowance of € 350,- per month based on full-time employment.
• Possibility of a contract after your graduation.
• A buddy who will show you around in our organization.
• Reimbursement of travel expenses of €0.23 cents per km up to a maximum of 75 km if you live further than 10 km from our office and do not have an Ov-card.
• Learn from knowledgeable and dedicated people.
• Create impact and contribute to critical water challenges.
• Become part of an inclusive and collaborative culture.
• Contribute to sustainability.

Join our #missionwater