Post-Doctoral Fellowship

  Post-Doctoral Fellowship
  STRUCTURE-PROCESSING-PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS OF NOVEL MAGNESIUM ALLOYS
  MATERIALS ENGINEERING GROUP
  DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
  UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY

  The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Canterbury
maintains one of New Zealand's premier facilities for materials engineering
research, with excellent facilities and substantial funding from both
industrial and government sources. Within the Department, the Materials
Engineering Group is actively involved in a very broad range of materials
research areas from composites and structural metallic materials through to
chemical vapour deposited films. The aim of the Materials Group is to
develop key technologies for New Zealand industries with a strong focus on
end applications, processing and manufacturing methods. A large technical
team, experienced in materials research, supports the research objectives of
the Materials Group. The Department boasts outstanding facilities including
transmission and scanning electron microscopes, metallography laboratories,
heat treatment, and a full range of mechanical testing, all of which are
housed in a newly built engineering building. For more information, see
http://www.mech.canterbury.ac.nz/research/materials.htm.

  Arising from a University of Canterbury funded project titled
"Structure-Processing-Property Relationships of Novel Magnesium Alloys" is
one Post-Doctoral Fellowship available starting immediately for two years
based in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The impetus for this
research stems from the growing interest in Mg-based alloys in the
electronic and automotive components industries based in New Zealand.

  The initial focus of the project will be to develop the casting technology
to manufacture "difficult" alloys such as Mg-Li using the department's
recently acquired vacuum induction furnace. The development of a casting
facility will be carried out in partnership with two New Zealand-based
foundries. Following on, the second part of the project will be to
characterise novel Mg-based alloys using electron microscopy. The study will
involve characterization of the microscopic structure of various Mg-based
alloys in conjunction with a program of mechanical testing to establish
structure-property relationships. Alloy development will include creep
testing to be carried out in collaboration with the School of Physics and
Materials Engineering, Monash University.

   The requirements for this position:
  . A strong interest in the processing and physical metallurgy of light
metals - essential
  . Experience with scanning and transmission electron microscopy -
essential
  . PhD or equivalent experience in Materials Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering or related discipline - essential
  . Experience with microstructure analysis of Mg-based alloys - preferred
  . Excellent organizational, teamwork and communication skills - preferred
  . Experience with mechanical testing (creep testing) - preferred

  The successful candidate will be expected to publish articles in
peer-reviewed journals and present results at international conferences,
collaborate with other universities in New Zealand and Australia, and work
closely with industrial sponsors in developing processing methods.

  Remuneration includes a yearly stipend of $44,000. In addition, the
University offers $6000 towards conference travel expenses or other expenses
related to collaborating with other universities. Other benefits include 4
weeks annual leave and subsidized superannuation.

  Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand,
situated on the east coast at the edge of the Canterbury plains and at the
foot of the picturesque Southern Alps. Christchurch offers easy access to
many outdoor activities such as sailing, world-class fishing, hiking and
camping, five different ski fields within 90 minutes drive, and a most
relaxed style of living.

  Please visit the university homepage, http://www.canterbury.ac.nz. For
more information on current vacancies and the Canterbury region, please
visit http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/hr/vc/vcintro.htm

  Enquiries should be directed to:
  Dr. Milo Kral (m.kral@mech.canterbury.ac.nz), or
  Dr. Mark Staiger (m.staiger@mech.canterbury.ac.nz)
Received on Fri Nov 30 13:05:52 2001