PhD Intern - Refill Friction Stir Welding – Materials Manufacturing

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget. Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus. The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system; and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management. The Energy Processes and Materials Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, creates and delivers real world solutions that support the Department of Energy’s goals for national energy security. We deliver new technologies that connect fundamental science to applications in areas such as energy storage, advanced materials manufacturing, applied catalysis, advanced separations, biomass conversions, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen production and storage. We employ a systems perspective that includes discovery, technology development, and scale-up as well as economic, regulatory, and market acceptance issues necessary for successful technology commercialization.

Requirements

Currently enrolled/matriculated in a PhD program at an accredited college.
Minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.
Strong commitment to safe, hands-on laboratory work.
Proven ability to learn independently and adapt quickly to new experimental methods and concepts.
Strong initiative and attention to detail needed to drive experimental tasks to successful completion.

Nice To Haves

Current enrollment in a PhD program in materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, welding engineering, manufacturing engineering, or a closely related field.
Prior hands-on experience with refill friction stir welding, friction stir welding, or other solid-state joining processes.
Experience operating or supporting experimental manufacturing or joining equipment.
Knowledge of process development for metallic materials, including similar and dissimilar material joining.
Familiarity with material flow, microstructure evolution, and defect formation in friction stir welding or refill friction stir welding.
Ability to document experimental procedures, process parameters, observations, and results clearly and consistently.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to present technical information clearly and concisely.

Responsibilities

Support hands-on research and process development in refill friction stir welding.
Develop similar and dissimilar refill friction stir welding joints.
Operate and support refill FSW machine activities.
Advance understanding of material flow, joint formation, and process-structure-property relationships in challenging material systems.
Support experimental research and development activities related to refill friction stir welding of similar and dissimilar materials.
Perform hands-on operation and setup of refill FSW equipment.
Prepare welding trials and set up fixtures.
Develop process parameters.
Document experimental conditions.
Evaluate weld quality.
Develop process windows for refill FSW joints, including hard-to-join material combinations.
Contribute to understanding material flow during refill FSW through experimental observations, sectioning, metallography, microscopy, mechanical testing, and interpretation of weld features.
Prepare samples.
Practice safe laboratory practices.
Analyze experimental data.
Summarize results.
Communicate findings in technical meetings, reports, and presentations.
Work both independently and collaboratively with a multidisciplinary research team.