Master Thesis Project Material Science

Seco in Fagersta is offering a master’s thesis project within the R&D Materials Development group, focusing on the sintering kinetics of recycled cemented carbide. The project combines materials science, sintering behavior, and material properties related to the sintering process.

We offer a great workplace with access to state-of-the-art R&D facilities and collaboration with a top-tier research team. You gain valuable experience in materials science, including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Electron Backscatter Detector (EBSD) and various materials characterization techniques.

Background and scope of the project

Circularity in the carbide industry is essential for reducing CO₂ emissions and lowering costs due to the limited resources of tungsten and cobalt. This project explores how increasing the proportion of recycled cemented carbide powder impacts the sintering process. Today, recycling worn-out carbide tools is well established, with cemented carbide powders containing up to 50–100% recycled material depending on grade and availability.

Work description:

Conduct sintering experiments in lab scale furnace

Measuring:

Magnetic properties (related WC grain size and carbon balance)

Dimension (shrinkage control quality related)

Hardness of the sintered cemented carbide (Standard Vickers method)

Toughness of the cemented carbide (crack resistance by Palmqvist method)

SEM analysis of structure (WC grain size EBSD)

Analysis of results

Thesis writing

The experimental factors are set up with the statistical method Design of Experiments (DOE) in collaboration with the supervisor at Seco. Conducted at the Fagersta production site, the study is experimental including analysis and supported by both the R&D team and production technicians.

Your profile

We’re looking for a curious and technology driven MSc student with a focus on material science or material chemistry. Knowledge in metallurgy, physics, mechanical engineering, and similar skills are