HiWi-Stellen und Abschlussarbeiten

In the context of this student research project, a pilot plant will be operated. This includes the preparation of feed mixtures, the analysis of samples in the laboratory, the independent planning and execution of short and long-term experiments in the pilot plant as well as the evaluation of the results with the help of the programs LabVIEW and modelling using Pyomo.

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

This project focuses on improving the recovery and concentration of formaldehyde from aqueous solutions through temperature swing adsorption (TSA), a promising alternative to traditional energy-intensive distillation methods.

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

This position involves conducting VLE and LLE experimental measurements for various systems containing salts and biological compounds. The collected data will be used to develop a phase equilibrium model that accurately accounts for the presence of these substances. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in advancing this sustainable production method.

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

Global warming continues to be one of the most alarming threats to humanity. As fossil fuels continue to dominate global energy production, large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies will become essential. The Laboratory for Chemical Process Engineering is actively researching Negative Emission Technologies (NET) and assessing their feasibility

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

This project aims to build and evaluate a lab-scale electrochemical flow reactor for the synthesis of dry formaldehyde from anhydrous methanol. The work includes reactor construction, commissioning, and performance analysis under varying electrolyte concentrations and current densities.

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

Background
Life science research is essential for advancing our understanding of living organisms and their processes, ultimately improving health, advancing technology, and addressing environmental challenges. Yet, involved research activities consume significant resources and generate substantial waste. “Wet labs” are laboratories that are specifically designed for conducting experiments that involve handling of liquids, biological materials, chemical etc. Typically wet labs use much more energy and water than office spaces and the generated plastic waste is connected to a plethora of environmental impacts. One central consumable used daily are serological pipettes which transfer and measure exact volumes of different types of biological and chemical solutions. They are available in two configurations, as single-use plastic or reusable glass pipettes. Reusable serological glass pipettes are known for their chemical resistance but require energy-intensive cleaning processes such as autoclaving. In contrast, single-use serological plastic pipettes are valued for their convenience and reduced contamination risk.

Methods

• Compare the environmental impacts of both pipette types in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Key metrics include climate change impacts, water use, energy consumption, and waste generation, among others
• Perform an economic analysis to evaluate daily costs for the users

Requirements

• Ideally first experience with or background knowledge of the LCA method
• Quick wit
• Willingness to travel to both sites, Munich and Straubing, and to observe the pipette use in the wet labs
• Strong communication skills to collect data for the life cycle inventory (LCI)
• Structured way of working

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

Background

Single-use packaging in the food and beverage sector contributes significantly to environmental impacts, especially at large public events. Reusable packaging systems offer a promising alternative to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the environmental benefits of reusable systems depend on various factors such as return rates, cleaning logistics, and transport distances. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can help to evaluate these factors and identify environmental trade-offs and optimization potentials.

Research Challenge

During the Christmas market in Konstanz, around 40 gastronomy partners offered food and beverages using a reusable packaging system over four weeks. The packaging system was operated by Vytal, a leading provider of packaging-as-a-service solutions. The goal of this master’s thesis is to conduct a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the reusable system and explore opportunities to optimize the environmental impact through sensitivity analyses based on real usage data, including transport distances for washing logistics.

Your Tasks

• Conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the reusable packaging system used at the Christmas market in Konstanz
• Identify key environmental hotspots and levers for improvement
• Optional: Explore optimization scenarios using sensitivity analyses

Requirements

• Excellent student with a background in environmental sciences, engineering, sustainability management, or related disciplines
• Enrolled at TUM School of Life Sciences, TUM School of Management, or TUM Campus Straubing,
• Strong interest in sustainability, circular economy, and quantitative environmental assessments,
• Experience or coursework in LCA and/or environmental modeling (e.g. with OpenLCA or similar tools),
• Fluency in English (German is a plus due to stakeholder communication).

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

This research project explores whether it is environmentally and economically worthwhile to invest in advanced mechanical recycling processes and novel material design for recycling. These two intervention pathways aim to improve the quality and value of recycled plastics, but they might come with higher material and processing costs. The student will assess these trade-offs by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, focusing on the application and refinement of the Circular Footprint Formula (CFF), and Life Cycle Costing (LCC). The project will be applied to a case-study for mono-material polyolefin films. The main goal would be to define an optimum point (e.g., BEP) between costs and benefits of such interventions. The project will also consider Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees, recyclate market value, packaging prices, infrastructure costs, with considerations on scalability and market volumes.

The master's thesis will be supervised externally by Nestlé Research (Nestle Institute of Packaging Science) as part of a six-month internship (on-site) in Lausaunne, Switzerland. 

Please submit your CV before the deadline (01.03.2026) to Valeria Frigerio (Valeria.Frigerio@rd.nestle.com) and Elisabet
Keisia Sumarjadi (ElisabetKeisia.Sumarjadi@rd.nestle.com).

Kontaktperson/Betreuer