R&D Intern - EV Battery Adhesives
What you can expect from H.B. Fuller's Internship Program:
You’ll be joining a cohort of talented students from a variety of schools across the U.S. We hire interns into the following positions: Process Engineering, R&D, Strategic Sourcing, Technical Sales, Supply Chain, Product Marketing, Information Technology, and more.
The projects we task our interns to lead are impactful and meaningful to our organization. You’ll be supported by your Manager and Mentor to gain in-depth knowledge of the adhesive industry and collaborate with various departments and functions. We also offer an established path for next-level opportunities - making this internship the starting point for a long-term career path.
Internship Location: St. Paul, MN
Our Internship Experience includes:
- 12-week paid program beginning the end of May to mid-August to gain insight and knowledge in your field.
- Interactive orientation and events with skilled professionals in your field, including managers, directors, and CEO.
- Multiple networking, volunteer and fun events – both virtual and in-person.
- Impactful projects that make a difference internally and externally for H.B. Fuller.
- End of summer final presentation to showcase your career development with support from managers and peers.
Objective:
The objective of this position is to investigate the effect of flame retardant on the processability of sprayable HMPSA.
Position Overview:
Sprayable hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives (HMPSA) have been applied increasingly in bonding battery cells (prismatic and pouch type) in electric vehicle (EV) industry due to facile processing. It is crucial for EV battery adhesives to have flame retardancy which can be achieved through incorporation of flame retardant (FR) fillers. However, the addition of FR fillers affects the processability and properties of HMPSA. Understanding the effect of FR additives on the adhesives will be the key for the development of HMPSA for pouch or prismatic EV battery cells, earning HB Fuller a leading position in the fast-booming EV market.
Primary Duties:
- Gathering physical and chemical information of FR fillers, e.g., particle size and viscosity in molten state.
- Evaluate the dispersity of solid FR fillers in the HMPSA by optical microscope or Hegman grind method.
- Design experiments that relate the FR content and composition with viscosity using capillary rheology.
Minimum Requirements:
- Basic Microsoft office, Origin, MATLAB, Minitab or statistical software.
- Working towards Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Material Sciences (or equivalent experience).
- Basic chemistry lab or polymer processing experience
Physical Environment:
40 hours a week. 30% of time in the office, 70% of time in the lab.